obfuscation - How to protect a java application from reverse-engineering or code stealing?

Question

I want to reveal my desktop java application to public, but I'm not sure how to protect it from reverse-engineering or source code stealing?

Is it possible to convert the application to an exe file? and if it is, wouldn't that be enough to protect it?

Answer 1

If it's really worth someone's time to reverse engineer your source from the binary, they will. You might be able to make it slightly harder, but never impossible.