Does your netbeans project by any chance have an ant script
(build.xml) associated with it? If so, check for your classpath
there.

Sorry about that, the manifest file (now):

Manifest-Version: 1.0

Name: ConnMetrics
Main-Class: ConnMetrics
Class-Path: C:\projects\CONNSTAT\log4j-1.2.15.jar C:\projects\CONNSTAT
\connMetric\ConnMetrics

... and, at some point, netbeans DID create a lib directory, possibly
after I added the Class-Path: line after your last response?

Now I have another path problem.  It can't find the jdbc.properties
file.  Last Friday I ran this from netbeans and it and two other
properties files were found.  Any thoughts on how it finds resource
bundles?

I'm developing it under C:\projects\CONNSTAT\connMetric\ConnMetrics
directory, which is both the working directory and the project folder.

I'm trying to run it under C:\projects\CONNSTAT\testRun\dist which has
the ConnMetrics.jar and a lib\ subdirectory.

I put the jdbc.properties file in C:\projects\CONNSTAT\testRun\dist
just to see if it would find it but it didn't.

Generally I'd like some understanding of how a jar file created in a
dist\ directory in netbeans looks for jars, classes, resource bundles,
etc.

If you need some configuration information like the manifest please
let me know.  I just don't want to clutter the post with a lot of
useless stuff and I have to be careful to not put out anything that
could be construed as confidential corporate data.

Thanks,

Jeff

Finally got it.

Thanks to Lew and the two Marks.

The fundamental issue has to do with how to tell NetBeans to include
libraries for distribution.  Lew is correct that that is derived from
META-INF/MANIFEST.MF which is bundled in the distributable jar file
but NetBeans is supposed to build that and it was not doing so.

The problem was that I was trying to add the required jar files by
right-clicking the project node and selecting "Properties", which
brings up the project properties window.  In the properties window
there is a Libraries selection which brings up a tabbed window.  The
tabs are "Compile", "Run", "Compile Tests" and "Run Tests".  For each
of those there are buttons to "Add Project...", "Add Library", and
"Add JAR/Folder" and it was here that I made my mistake by using the
"Add JAR/Folder" option to try to bring the external jar files into
the project.

I should have clicked the "Add Library" button (or, from the Projects
pane, right-clicked "Libraries" and selected "Add Library").  The
window that comes up for "Add Library" lists standard libraries not
part of the JDK (this is taken from the site Lew recommended
http://www.netbeans.org/kb/articles/javase-deploy.html).  In this
window you can choose "Manage Libraries..." which brings up a window
that has a button "New Library".  Create a new library, say,
"MyLibrary", click "Add JAR/Folder" and include the jar files you
need.

For the resource bundles I just included them in the "src" directory.
I first deleted the existing project and re-created it as described
above and the dist/lib directory was created, the META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
file it created had everything in it that was needed and the app ran
fine when the dist directory was moved elsewhere.

You raised many very good points, Lew, which I will keep around for
future reference.  In this case the issue primarily was my lack of
familiarity with the NetBeans ide aggravated by the many gaps in my
knowledge of the java programming paradigm.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

Jeff

Lew wrote:

By golly, you're right.  It sure looks like a NetBeans bug to me.

I had gotten so used to web apps that I forgot to double-check application builds.