Defining the Main Class for J2EE modules

You can use the manifest editor to specify the Main Class attribute in the manifest (MANIFEST.MF) for a module.

About this task

The Main Class attribute in the MANIFEST.MF file specifies the Java™ class of the application entry point. This attribute is typically used for application client modules. For application client modules, the main class attribute is also displayed on the Overview page of the Client Deployment Descriptor editor.

Procedure

  1. In the Enterprise Explorer view of the Java EE perspective, right-click your project's MANIFEST.MF file, and select Open With > Manifest Editor from the pop-up menu. The MANIFEST.MF file is located in the following locations for the different module types:
    Project type Location of manifest file
    EJB projects ejbModule/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
    Application client projects appClientModule/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
    Web projects WebContent/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
    Connector projects connectorModule/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
    Tip: For application client modules, you can also click Edit in the Main Class section of the client deployment descriptor editor to launch the Manifest Editor.
  2. In the Dependencies page of the editor, scroll to the Main Class section and choose from the following options:
    • Type the package name and file name for the main class.
    • Click Browse to use the Type Selection window to locate the main class.
    • Click Create to use the Create Java Class wizard to create a new main class.
    • Click Remove to remove the current definition for the main class. Clicking Remove does not delete the actual Java class. You can remove it manually in the Enterprise Explorer view.

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