"what's the best way to distribute java applications? [closed]" Code Answer

there are a variety of solutions, depending on your distribution requirements.

just use a jar. this assumes that the user has the the correct java version installed, otherwise the user will get "class-file format version" exceptions. this is fine for internal distribution inside a company.
use launch4j and an installer like nsis. this gives you a lot more control, although the user can still do stupid stuff like un-installing the java runtime. this is probably the most popular approach, and what i currently use.
use webstart. this also assumes that the user has the correct java version installed, but it's a lot easier to get going. my experience is that this is fine for tightly controlled intranet environments, but becomes a pain with larger deployments because it has some many weird failures. it may get better with the new plug-in technology in java 1.7.
use a native-code compiler like excelsior jet and distribute as a executable, or wrap it up in an installer. expensive, and it generally ties you to a slightly older version of java, and there is some pain with dynamic class-loading, but its very effective for large-scale deployment where you need to minimise your support hassles.

By Jakub Oboza on July 13 2022