Creating EAR file - plz HEEEELP

[Marek Sobotka]

Guys,
I am developing JSP/servlet application using NetBeans. Right now I have been asked to send the application in EAR file. Please, please, please, could anybody of you give me a clue how to do it in the simpliest way? I can export it directly from IDE to WAR, but definetly I don't know how to convert the WAR to EAR or how to simply say to some packager: "This directory structure, so pack it to a bloody EAR!".
Marek

[Kiran Bandi]

Look at the following page for the directory structure .
http://www.iona.com/support/docs/e2a/asp/5.1/j2ee/reference/EARSCO_ref4.html
You make jar files and war files depending upon the kind of components and place them in appropriate directories and package them.
JBuilder provides this feature(if in case you are using this IDE!!).

[Marek Sobotka]

Thanks, but I am using NetBeans IDE. I have to create EAR, which will be loadable to WebSphere 5.0. As I understand from the link you specified, EJB.JAR should be WebSphere specific ... Anyway I do belive there has to be a tool, which simply takes my application directory from Tomcat or which takes WAR and creates WebSphere deployable EAR. Or am I too naive?
M.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Marek,
You can use Websphere's application assembler to convert your war into an ear.

[Mike Curwen]

I once asked in an iplanet newsgroup if there wasn't some way to take an EAR File that was produced by the Sun Reference Implementation of a J2EE Server, and make it deployable on iPlanet, which was Suns J2EE Server that you would pay $$ for. There was no such tool. So it might be a little naive to assume there's a tool out there that converts from WAR to EAR in 1 easy click.

Having said that, app servers have come a long way since then (I made the complaint about 2 years ago), and IDE's have also caught up.
If you don't have the option of using Websphere application developer, there might be a way for netbeans to make an ear file for you. But that's more of a netbeans question.

So I'll move your thread to the IDE forum for you.

[Marek Sobotka]

Sounds you are right. It's more related to IDE ... . As you said I have no chance to use any of WebSphere tools. Searching over the Internet I found some indicies there is a chance to create EAR with NetBeans once it's integrated somehow with Ant and XDoc. But I haven't found any detailed description. On other hand I am ready to use any other tool/IDE which is available to download from Internet for free or limited amount.
M.