Which is the best free Java Obfuscator?

Question

Hello,
I am planning to deploy my application using Java Webstart and to protect my code from reverse engineering wondered - which is the best free Java Obfuscator?
thanks,
Anil

Answer 1

Herko,
Thanks for your insight. With your explanation, I have more respect for your approach. I am a (struggling) one-man startup trying to get this thing off the ground. Yes, my idea can be learned by seeing it in action. That is why, advisors have told me to yank the demo from the web site (http://juwo.com)
I would hate to see someone else steal what I have done with a lot of trouble and even worse, use my own source code to do so. In short, I dont want to be a fool.
thanks,
Anil
I know the Proguard product, as well as several other
obfuscation tools. I know obfuscated stacktraces can
be reversed (as long as you go through the extra
trouble of maintaining the obfuscation mappings for
each version of the software you release). That was
not my point.
I work for (and am part owner of) a small software
development company. We have invested 9 years into
writing enterprise-quality software that is provided
to customers all over the world. We used to think we
needed to obfuscate our software too. However, we
have found that the source code is by far the
least important aspect of what we do as far as
most of the outside world is concerned. Which
is why we have been developing a major part of our
software as Open Source since 1999. Which is why we
have switched completely to an Open Source strategy
earlier this year. That's right: all of our code is
(or soon will be) freely available to anyone,
anywhere.
We have learned over the years that the most
important aspect of our work is not the code, but the
idea behind it. Obviously, this idea can not be
obfuscated without defeating the entire purpose of
the software. This means others are able to learn
about the idea just by seeing the software in action.
That alone enables them to implement that same idea.
The fact that they might use our source code to do it
is largely irrelevant.
Going one step further, the most important aspect of
our work is actually the way we - the people who
made the software - use that idea solve the real
problems of our customers. It is that knowledge our
customers ultimately pay for, not the code.
With very, very few exceptions the basic idea of your
code will not be unique on a global market like the
Internet: sooner or later (and from our experience,
it's always sooner) someone will have the same idea.
Their implementation of that idea might be better
than yours, or it might be worse. What ultimately
matters, though, is wether or not you are able to
convince customers that the idea itself is sound.
Customers buy solutions, not code.