🚀 go-pugleaf

I've just bought & started using JBuilder 4 Foundation to try out the
IDE.  Up until this point I've been using VisualAge & Forte.  I am really
enjoying the Java language (and I am still a newbie ;-)

I'm still trying to find a low-cost IDE that I can afford that supports
J2EE on Linux.  Jbuilder 5 Enterprise is just way beyond my means.

Has anyone come up with a way to protect Java bytecode from reverse
engineering?  I'm talking beyond code obfuscators.  This isn't so much of
an issue with the normal types of things you see Java being used for
 (server-side, enterprise code).

But for instance, I am debating what toolset to use to develop a fairly
extensive desktop application.  I'd like something cross-platform.  I'd
like to use Java, although I am looking at Kylix/Delphi as well, but I
don't necessarily want to have to learn another language/toolset/etc.

The only way I could think of having truly protected code would be a
non-standard JVM w/ some sort of additional layer of encryption.  The
other option is to compile to native code, but this isn't truly
cross-platform + requires additional administration/management of 
deployed binaries.

Has anyone toyed with this at all?  I don't see very many full-blown desktop
applications out there developed in Java.  It seems the J2EE job market
is pretty hot, but that's not what interests me.

Of course, I could just go with the current trend and develop it as a web
application, but I don't want to jump into that just yet.  

Thanks for any thoughts,

Joe