A fat jar, also known as an uber-jar, is a self-contained archive that packages an application's classes along with all of its dependencies into a single, deployable file.
Understanding Fat Jars
Essentially, it's a way to bundle everything an application needs to run into one neat package.
Key Characteristics
- Self-Sufficient: Contains all necessary classes and dependencies.
- Convenient Deployment: Simplifies deployment as you only need to distribute one file.
- Uber-jar Alternative: Often referred to as an uber-jar due to its comprehensive nature.
Benefits of Using Fat Jars
- Simplified Deployment: Reduces complexity by packaging everything together.
- Dependency Management: Avoids dependency conflicts by isolating application dependencies.
- Portability: Makes the application easily portable across different environments.
Creating Fat Jars with Gradle
According to a reference article from January 24, 2024, Gradle can be used to create fat jars. This involves configuring the Gradle build script to bundle all dependencies into the final JAR file.
