How to make a runtime version of my java program?

[Buster]

Let´s say I have made a small system (5 files) in Java on NetBeans for a customer/friend/whatever and now I want to run it on his computer and without him to see the code in the files (so copying the open source files on to his computer is not an option). How do I make an executable version of the 5 files in this system?
Does he have to install NetBeans on his computer?

[Tolls]

You jar them up and give them the executable jar file.

Netbeans has full documentation on that.
Indeed, if it knows which class is your main class in your project, it does do it automatically.
Is there a dist directory in your project that contains a <your project name>.jar?

[Buster]

Yes, I found a dist directory with a .jar in some of my projects, but not in all and not in the projects that had only one file with all the classes inside this file.
What makes this dist directory?

[DarrylBurke]

Since this question is specific to NetBeans, I've moved the thread from New to Java.

NetBeans comes with a fairly extensive help system. Have you tried to find the answer there?

db

[Tolls]

Do your classes sit in packages?
It's possible (I haven't looked) that Netbeans refuses to jar up default-package projects as they are not a Good Thing.

[DarrylBurke]

It's possible (I haven't looked) that Netbeans refuses to jar up default-package projects as they are not a Good Thing.

Nope. There's a warning (I think when you create a class in the default package) but they're included in the jar, and even the main class can be in the default package.

db