I am a newbie interested in becoming a software engineer. I recently applied to an entry level position and was asked to do a coding assignment. This is why I am asking this question.
The feedback I got was that I should learn to use Java deployment tools so that other developers with built jars can to run my code, rather than just sending the raw code.
My question is assuming I have a simple java program HelloWorld.java and want to send this code to someone, what is an example of a java deployment tool (And steps to use it) to use so I can provide other developers with built jars to run the code, rather than just sending the raw code.
Thanks in advance for any feedback
You need to read up on the JAR file format and how to pack JARs. Pay close attention on how to make your JARs runnable.
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/jar/
Making a JAR runnable is detailed in "Working with Manifest Files: The Basics" / "Setting an Application's Entry Point". Really, read the entire site on JAR files. You will probably never read it twice, but if you at least read it once you'll have a strong grasp on what you can (and can't do) in the packaging and distribution of your code.
For example, I still encounter people who don't know that JARs can be sealed, have various tamper-proofing capabilities, can contain class-paths, can embed version numbers, etc.