[NETBEANS-1227] Mark Windows launcher binary as per-monitor DPI aware

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 9.0
• Fix Version/s: 10.0
• Component/s: platform - Launchers&CLI
• Labels: HiDPI pull-request-available

Environment

Windows 8.1 and Windows 10

• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Eirik Bakke
• Created: 07/Sep/18 14:16
• Updated: 03/Nov/19 20:10
• Resolved: 29/Dec/18 13:48

Description

As of Java 10.0.2, support for HiDPI monitors on Windows is quite good. All the standard Swing components appear in high resolution, and Graphics2D surfaces are automatically scaled appropriately for whichever monitor their containing window is located on, including when windows are dragged between monitors in a mixed-DPI multi-monitor setting.

For this to work, however, the EXE file that launches NetBeans must contain a manifest that declares the application to be DPI-aware. Such a manifest currently exists in java.exe and javaw.exe, but not in the custom netbeans64.exe launcher. A workaround for the missing manifest is to right click the "bin\netbeans64.exe" file, or whichever shortcut is being used to open NetBeans, go to the "Compatibility" tab, click "Change high DPI settings", "Override high DPI scaling behavior", and select scaling performed by "Application".

An appropriate manifest should be added to netbeans64.exe to declare NetBeans as per-monitor DPI aware.

To see how the manifest should be declared, we can dump the manifest of javaw.exe:

 

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" xmlns:asmv3="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3" manifestVersion="1.0">
 <assemblyIdentity name="javaw.exe" version="10.0.2.0" processorArchitecture="X86" type="win32"/>
 <description>Java(TM) SE process</description>
 <!-- More stuff goes here. --->
 <asmv3:application>
 <asmv3:windowsSettings xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">
 <dpiAware>true/PM</dpiAware>
 </asmv3:windowsSettings>
 </asmv3:application>
 <!-- More stuff goes here. --->
</assembly>

This reveals that Java 10.0.2 considers itself DPI-aware at the "Per Monitor V1" level (see the Microsoft documentation linked below). The NetBeans launcher binary should declare the same.

References:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/hidpi/high-dpi-desktop-application-development-on-windows
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/mt846517(v=vs.85).aspx
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/sbscs/application-manifests
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mithuns/2009/12/16/random-how-to-quickly-view-a-binarys-embedded-manifest
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sigcheck

 

Issue Links

• is duplicated by: NETBEANS-743 Add a new option to the option screen to choose the scaling setting for hidpi monitors
• links to: GitHub Pull Request #883
• mentioned in: Page Loading...