Chapter 1

Your First Snug Application

This first exercise is for anyone who wants to see Snug working before learning about its configuration options. You can follow it even if you have never built a Java application before.

You may have written a Java application yourself, created one with an AI assistant, or arrived here without an application of your own. We will use the existing Snug JavaFX demonstration application so that everyone starts with the same files. The goal is to create and run a Windows executable first; the explanations of JAR files, runtimes, and packaging will make more sense once you have seen the result.

Your first Snug build

For this first build, you will download Snug and the prebuilt Snug JavaFX demonstration JAR, create a Windows executable using the Snug Quick Build helper, and then run it. You do not need to compile Java code or open a terminal:

Open the latest Snug release page and select the Windows x64 ZIP file from its Assets list:

https://github.com/synapticloop/snug/releases/latest/
Extract the ZIP file to a folder.

The unzipped folder will have the following icons:

`snug.exe`	Builds Windows executables from Java applications
`Snug Quick Build.exe`	Lets you build an executable by dragging a JAR file onto it
`snug_preview.exe`	Lets you preview Snug's launcher dialogs.

For this exercise, we will use Snug Quick Build. The other tools are explained later in the book.

Download the existing Snug JavaFX demonstration JAR and place it in the extracted Snug folder. A JAR is the file containing the Java application; for this exercise, you do not need to know how it was made. Download the demonstration file from:

https://github.com/synapticloop/snug/blob/main/assets/snug-javafx-demo-windows.jar

On the GitHub file page, click “Download raw file” to save the JAR.

Image: Click the Download raw file icon to download the demonstration JAR.

Your folder should now look like the following:

Image: The extracted Snug folder, with the Snug Quick Build helper (Snug Quick Build.exe), the Snug builder (snug.exe), Snug Preview (snug_preview.exe), and the demonstration JAR (snug-javafx-demo-windows.jar).

Drag the JAR file onto Snug Quick Build.exe.
To drag a file, point at the JAR file, hold down the left mouse button, move the pointer over Snug Quick Build.exe, and release the mouse button.

Image: The demonstration JAR being dragged onto Snug Quick Build.exe.

Wait for Snug Quick Build to finish creating the Windows executable. A new file named Example Application Name.exe should appear in the same folder. Note: This is the default filename used by Snug Quick Build. If no EXE appears, open snug-build.log in the same folder in Notepad and check the Quick Build error before continuing.
Double-click Example Application Name.exe to run it. If a compatible Java runtime is not already available, Snug may ask permission to download one. Follow the on-screen instructions. Once a suitable runtime is available, the demonstration application should open.

Image: The new application "Example Application Name.exe" (outlined in green) from the Snug Quick Build helper.

What just happened?

A JAR contains the Java application you started with. The Snug Quick Build helper uses the normal Snug builder to turn it into a Windows executable (.exe).

For now, getting your first executable to run is enough.

Where to go next

You now have a working Windows executable. If you want to give your application its own name, icon, and other settings, continue to Section 2: Building with Snug, where we introduce the normal Snug builder.

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If you simply wanted to try Snug, you can stop here.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Your First Snug Application 2

Where to go next 5

SECTION 1:
ABOUT THIS BOOK 10

About This Book 11

Why Snug? 11

What Snug Offers 12

What Snug Does Not Do 13

SECTION 2:
BUILDING WITH SNUG 15