How to Open WAR Files

WAR files, identified by the .war file extension, are Java Web Archive files commonly used to package and deploy Java web applications. These files contain a structured set of resources, including Java classes, JSP pages, HTML files, and other web-related components.To open and work with WAR files, you can use the following methods:

Java Decompiler:

If you want to inspect the contents of a WAR file, you can use a Java decompiler to view the Java classes and resources. Popular decompilers include:
JD-GUI
CFR

File Extraction Software:

You can extract the contents of a WAR file using file extraction software that supports ZIP or JAR formats. WAR files use a similar structure to JAR files, as they are essentially a specialized form of JAR archive. Examples of extraction tools include:
7-Zip
WinRAR
Java IDEs:
Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) like Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, or NetBeans can be used to import and work with WAR files. These IDEs provide features for developing and deploying Java web applications.

Web Application Servers:

To run a WAR file, you typically deploy it on a web application server, such as Apache Tomcat, Jetty, or WildFly. These servers are designed to host and execute Java web applications.Command Line (Java):
You can manually extract the contents of a WAR file using the jar command in the terminal. For example:jar -xvf yourfile.war
Replace “yourfile.war” with the actual name of your WAR file.When working with WAR files, keep in mind that they are designed for deployment on Java-enabled web servers. The structure of the WAR file follows Java EE (Enterprise Edition) specifications for web applications.
Choose the method that best fits your needs based on whether you want to inspect the contents, extract files, or deploy the web application.
ZipGenius
IZArc
SpeedCommander
Explzh
EveryZone Zip