How the JDK Finds Classes
Unlike many other language or compiler systems, Java doesn't link all your code into one big, freestanding program. Instead, it leaves everything in separate classfiles. Packages, and hence directory paths, impose some order on that. The JDK always knows where to find the Java run-time library classes, but the run-time class loader still needs to know where to find your classes.
The first point to note is that you can zip all your class files into a jar file, so you don't really need umpteen levels of directory on the customer's system. A jar file (Java Archive) works exactly like a zip file and can be used to store a whole directory tree in a single file. You can put other files that the application needs, such ...
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