WAR, JAR, EAR, and TAR are archive file formats with distinct purposes. WAR packages Java web applications, containing servlets, JSPs, and web resources, and is deployed on servers like Tomcat. JAR bundles Java classes and libraries, used for standalone applications or dependencies. EAR is for enterprise-level Java EE applications, combining WARs, JARs, and EJB modules for deployment on servers like JBoss or GlassFish. TAR is a general-purpose archiving format for storing any file type, often used with compression (e.g., .tar.gz). Each format caters to specific use cases: WAR for web apps, JAR for libraries, EAR for enterprise apps, and TAR for general file archiving.
Here's a detailed comparison between WAR, JAR, EAR, and TAR files:
- WAR (Web Application Archive)
Purpose: Used to package and deploy web applications in Java.
Contents:
Servlets, JSP files, HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
Libraries (.jar files).
Configuration files like web.xml.
Static resources (images, styles, etc.).
Usage: Deployed on a web server or application server like Tomcat or JBoss.
Structure:
MyApp.war
├── WEB-INF/
│ ├── web.xml
│ ├── lib/
│ └── classes/
├── index.html
├── styles.css
└── script.js
Focus: Web application-specific packaging.
- JAR (Java Archive)
Purpose: Used to package Java classes and their associated resources into a single file.
Contents:
Compiled .class files.
Metadata (in META-INF/MANIFEST.MF).
Libraries.
Usage:
As a standalone application.
Shared libraries for other applications (e.g., dependency in Maven/Gradle).
Command to Create:
jar cf MyApp.jar -C compiled_classes_directory/ .
Structure:
MyApp.jar
├── META-INF/
│ └── MANIFEST.MF
├── com/
│ └── example/
│ └── MyClass.class
Focus: General-purpose packaging for Java applications or libraries.
- EAR (Enterprise Archive)
Purpose: Used to package enterprise applications (multi-module apps) in Java EE.
Contents:
Multiple WAR and JAR files.
Deployment descriptors like application.xml.
EJB (Enterprise Java Beans) modules.
Usage: Deployed on Java EE-compliant servers like JBoss, WebLogic, or GlassFish.
Structure:
MyApp.ear
├── META-INF/
│ └── application.xml
├── MyWebApp.war
└── MyEJBModule.jar
Focus: Enterprise-level multi-module applications.
- TAR (Tape Archive)
Purpose: A general-purpose archiving format, not limited to Java.
Contents: Any type of files (text, binaries, images, etc.).
Usage:
Archiving files together for storage or transfer.
Often combined with compression (e.g., .tar.gz).
Command to Create:
tar -cvf MyArchive.tar file1 file2 directory/
Structure: No specific structure; it depends on the files added.
Comparison Table
Summary:
WAR: For web apps.
JAR: For libraries or standalone Java apps.
EAR: For enterprise, multi-module apps.
TAR: For general file archiving (non-Java-specific).
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