packing java project

[silversurfer2in]

I have made a java project and want to deliver it to a client but I don't want to deliver it as a jar file as the client can see the source code easily by unpacking the jar file.

How can I pack my java project so client cannot look at the source code or cannot change the source code?

One more thing, Can I integrate a key functionality so that client can only access that software by first registering it with the key provided by me?

Second, can I integrate another functionality through which the software can run only on a single machine through that key?

Any suggestion will be highly appreciated

[JosAH]

I have made a java project and want to deliver it to a client but I don't want to deliver it as a jar file as the client can see the source code easily by unpacking the jar file.

The solution is simple: don't pack your sources in that .jar file.

kind regards,

Jos

[silversurfer2in]

Then what to do...

[JosAH]

Then what to do...

What wasn't clear in my previous reply?

kind regards,

Jos

[silversurfer2in]

please elaborate it....if i won't be putting my source files in the jar file then how will it be going to work...and what about putting license key on the project...please explain

[Tolls]

You put your compiled class files in the jar maybe?

[j2me64]

How can I pack my java project so client cannot look at the source code or cannot change the source code?

usually a java-project have a subfolder called src for sources and a subfolder called bin which contains the compiled byte-code of each class-file. so when you have to deliver your code then deliver only the bin directory. in addition

The basic format of the command for creating a JAR file is:

jar cf jar-file input-file(s)

The options and arguments used in this command are:

* The c option indicates that you want to create a JAR file.
* The f option indicates that you want the output to go to a file rather than to stdout.
* jar-file is the name that you want the resulting JAR file to have. You can use any filename for a JAR file. By convention, JAR filenames are given a .jar extension, though this is not required.
* The input-file(s) argument is a space-separated list of one or more files that you want to include in your JAR file. The input-file(s) argument can contain the wildcard * symbol. If any of the "input-files" are directories, the contents of those directories are added to the JAR archive recursively.

if you have all your files in the same directory, then note that "The input-file(s) argument can contain the wildcard * symbol." so select only your class-files. for more details, read this

[silversurfer2in]

@j2me64

thanx a lot....
please help me in implementing the functionality of putting a license key....

[Norm]

my source files in the jar file then how will it be going to work

There is a basic problem here understanding the relationship between source files and the output of a compiler.

[Lil_Aziz1]

People/programs can read files with the extension .java
People/programs CANNOT read files with the extension .class

With that said, compress files with the .class extension in a JAR file.

One more thing, Can I integrate a key functionality so that client can only access that software by first registering it with the key provided by me?
Second, can I integrate another functionality through which the software can run only on a single machine through that key?

Not with JAR files.

[j2me64]

People/programs CANNOT read files with the extension .class

this is not 100% right. there is a disassembler called javap that allows to diassemble a .class file. if you don't want to let disassemble your code you must use an obfuscator for java bytecode.

[Norm]

don't want to let disassemble your code you must use an obfuscator

You can alway disassemble the code to source. The obfuscator makes the disassembled source very hard to read/understand.

[Tolls]

And considering people have managed to decompile C code, obfuscated Java is only an annoyance.
Put simply if someone wants to pinch your code then they will.