class.getResource Problem

[Dipse smith]

My program has a very simple help system that uses HTML files. These files are loaded as follows:

URL url = HelpDialog.class.getResource("help"+File.separator+children[i].getName());   

This worked fine when developing the program. The html pages loaded and were displayed in a JEditorPane, but when i put the classes and the other files needed (including the help files) into a jar file the html files cannot be found and i get a invalid url error. What am i doing wrong?

[Rob Spoor]

Inside the JAR file, in the same folder as the HelpDialog.class file, is the help folder there as well?

Another thing, with resources you can just use / on all platforms. No need for the use of File.separator there.

[Joel McNary]

What happens if you change your resource path to "/help..."?

[Dipse smith]

I have tried all your suggestions and have also tried a few other things in the last few days and have been unable to get it to work. The program is a petrol pump simulator and is a project for school. The help files are located in the jar file in a folder called help. The problem i believe is to do with the fact i am accessing them as a URL because i also have a txt file in the jar file in a folder called data which the program can read and write from perfectly well. So at the moment i am stumped. Any suggestions are welcome, i am willing to look at other method other than using URL url = HelpDialog.class.getResource("help"+File.separator+children[i].getName());
TO get the HTML files so they can be displayed in the JEditorDialog.
Thanks so far for the help and for any future help.

[Dipse smith]

Still have not found a solution to the problem does anyone know of another way to display HTML documents in java?