

I'm currently trying to replicate the functionality, however, when I export as a runnable JAR in Eclipse, when I try launch it, it prints "Could not find main class launcher.jar.

The Minecraft launcher doesn't need any external Java libraries to run either. If it is not present on the system, it downloads it. Then, after logging in, the launcher then runs the main Minecraft core, minecraft.jar. When the launcher is started, it displays a login screen with news etc. The user can download a JAR (Or a JAR packaged into an EXE), which has absolutely no code for the Minecraft client at all. If you have never played Minecraft, then this is how the mechanics of the launcher work.
