NetBeans

NetBeans IDE
NetBeans 6.0
Developer	Sun Microsystems
Latest release	6.0 / December 3, 2007
OS	Cross-platform
Natural language(s)	Multilingual
Genre	Java IDE
License	CDDL or GPL2 + "certain source files" allow classpath exception
Website	www.netbeans.org

NetBeans refers to both a platform for the development of Java desktop applications, and an integrated development environment (IDE) developed using the NetBeans Platform. The NetBeans Platform allows applications to be developed from a set of modular software components called modules. A module is a Java archive file that contains Java classes written to interact with the NetBeans Open APIs and a manifest file that identifies it as a module. Applications built on modules can be extended by adding new modules. Since modules can be developed independently, applications based on the NetBeans platform can be easily and powerfully^[1] extended by third party developers.

History

NetBeans began in 1997 as Xelfi, a student project under the guidance of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University in Prague. A company was later formed around the project and produced commercial versions of the NetBeans IDE until it was bought by Sun Microsystems in 1999. Sun open-sourced the NetBeans IDE in June of the following year. The NetBeans community has since continued to grow, thanks to individuals and companies using and contributing to the project.^[2]

The NetBeans Platform

The NetBeans Platform is a reusable framework for simplifying the development of other desktop applications. When an application based on the NetBeans Platform is run, the platform's Main class is executed. Available modules are located, placed in an in-memory registry, and the modules' startup tasks are executed. Generally, a module's code is loaded into memory only as it is needed. Applications can install modules dynamically. Any application can include the Update Center module to allow users of the application to download digitally-signed upgrades and new features directly into the running application. Reinstalling an upgrade or a new release does not force users to download the entire application again. The platform offers services common to desktop applications, allowing developers to focus on the logic specific to their application. Among the features of the platform are:

• User interface management (e.g. menus and toolbars)
• User settings management
• Storage management (saving and loading any kind of data)
• Window management
• Wizard framework (supports step-by-step dialogs)

The NetBeans IDE

The NetBeans IDE is an open-source integrated development environment written entirely in Java using the NetBeans Platform. NetBeans IDE supports development of all Java application types (J2SE, web, EJB and mobile applications) out of the box. Among other features are an Ant-based project system, version control and refactoring. The current version is NetBeans IDE 6.0, which was released in December 2007. NetBeans IDE 6.0 extends the existing Java EE features (including Java Persistence support, EJB 3 and JAX-WS). Additionally, the NetBeans Enterprise Pack supports development of Java EE 5 enterprise applications, including SOA visual design tools, XML schema tools, web services orchestration (for BPEL), and UML modeling. The NetBeans C/C++ Pack supports C/C++ projects. NetBeans 5.5.1 builds on the functionality of NetBeans 5.5 and also provides several bug fixes. NetBeans IDE 6.0 builds upon the previous version 5.5.1, which introduced comprehensive support for developing IDE modules and rich client applications based on the NetBeans platform, a new GUI builder (formerly known as "Project Matisse"), new and redesigned CVS support, Weblogic 9 and JBoss 4 support, and many editor enhancements. Modularity: All the functions of the IDE are provided by modules. Each module provides a well defined function, such as support for the Java language, editing, or support for the CVS versioning system. NetBeans contains all the modules needed for Java development in a single download, allowing the user to start working immediately. Modules also allow NetBeans to be extended. New features, such as support for other programming languages, can be added by installing additional modules. For instance, Sun Studio, Sun Java Studio Enterprise, and Sun Java Studio Creator from Sun Microsystems are all based on the NetBeans IDE. License: From July 2006 through 2007, NetBeans IDE was licensed under Sun's Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL), a license based on the Mozilla Public License (MPL). In October 2007, Sun announced that NetBeans would henceforth be offered under a dual license of the CDDL and the GPL version 2 licences, with the GPL linking exception for GNU Classpath^[3]

NetBeans IDE Packs and Add-Ons

NetBeans Mobility Pack

The NetBeans Mobility Pack [1] is a tool for developing applications that run on mobile devices; generally mobile phones, but this also includes entry-level PDAs, among others. The Mobility Pack can be used to write, test, and debug applications for the Java Micro Edition platform (Java ME platform) technology-enabled mobile devices. It integrates support for the Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) 2.0, the Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) 1.1, and Connected Device Configuration (CDC). One can easily integrate third-party emulators for a robust testing environment. Currently, the pack is available as two separate clusters, one covering CDC and the other, CLDC devices.

NetBeans Profiler

The NetBeans Profiler [2] is a tool for the optimization of Java applications: It helps you find memory leaks and optimize speed. Its is integrated into the core IDE since version 6.0. The Profiler is based on a Sun Laboratories research project that was named JFluid. That research uncovered specific techniques that can be used to lower the overhead of profiling a Java application. One of those techniques is dynamic bytecode instrumentation, which is particularly useful for profiling large Java applications. Using dynamic bytecode instrumentation and additional algorithms, the NetBeans Profiler is able to obtain runtime information on applications that are too large or complex for other profilers. NetBeans IDE 6.0 will support Profiling Points that let you profile precise points of execution and measure execution time.

NetBeans C/C++ Pack

Netbeans running a C++ application with NetBeans C/C++ Pack, under Slackware Linux.

The NetBeans C/C++ Pack [3] adds support for C/C++ developers to NetBeans IDE 5.5. This pack lets C/C++ developers use their specified set of compilers and tools in conjunction with NetBeans IDE to build native applications for e.g. MS Windows, Linux, and Solaris. The pack makes the editor language-aware for C/C++, and provides project templates, a dynamic class browser, make file support, and debugger functionality. Developers can also extend the pack with their own additional functionalities.

NetBeans Enterprise Pack

The NetBeans Enterprise Pack [4] extends support for Enterprise application development and Web services in NetBeans IDE 5.5. The Enterprise Pack extends the IDE's capabilities to write, test and debug service-oriented architecture (SOA) applications using XML, BPEL, and Java web services. The pack adds visual design tools for UML modeling, XML schema, and web services orchestration, and support for secure identity-enabled web services. It also installs and configures the necessary runtimes, including a BPEL engine and identity management server integrated with Sun Java System Application Server.

NetBeans Visual Web Pack

The Netbeans Visual Web Pack [5] provides an easy and intuitive drag and drop interface for developers to create rich UIs for web development. These components are based on JSF and help in easy development for user interfaces. This visual web pack is considered to be a much better and improved version with a lot of good features compared to the previous releases of sun java studio creator. The source code for the UI component set is also open source and available for download at: https://woodstock.dev.java.net

NetBeans Ruby Pack

Since version 6.0, Netbeans allow IDE development with Ruby and JRuby, as well as Rails for these two implementations of Ruby [6] [7]. The Ruby Pack includes editor functionalities as :

• basic editing,
• syntax highlighting for Ruby
• code completion,
• occurrence highlighting,
• integrated documentation pop-ups for Ruby API calls,
• semantic analysis with highlighting of parameters and unused local variables,
• Ruby code debugging.

It is also possible to create directly Ruby projects or Ruby on Rails projects, using the reference Ruby implementation, or using JRuby (the Java implementation of Ruby).

NetBeans JavaScript Editor

NetBeans JavaScript Editor [8] provides extended support for Javascript and CSS. Features: 1. JavaScript editor:

• syntax highlighting,
• code completion for native objects and functions,
• all NetBeans editor's features,
• generation of JavaScript class skeleton,
• generation of AJAX callback from a template;

2. CSS editor extension:

• code completion for styles names,
• quick navigation through the navigator panel,
• display CSS rule declaration in a List View,
• display file structure in a Tree View,
• sort the outline view by name, type or declaration order (List & Tree),
• create rule declaration (Tree only),
• refactor a part of a rule name (Tree only).

Localization

As of January 2007, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, German, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish language packs are available for Netbeans 5.5.1.[9] Albanian, Azerbaijani, Czech, Dutch, French, Greek, Indonesian, Italian and Swedish language packs are in progress.

Notes

1. ^ http://platform.netbeans.org/tutorials/
2. ^ A Brief History of NetBeans
3. ^ Why dual license Netbeans faq

See also

• Sun Microsystems
• Java
• NetBeans BlueJ Edition
• Comparison of integrated development environments
• Eclipse IDE

External links

• Introduction to NetBeans Platform -- NetBeans Mobility Pack -- NetBeans Profiler -- NetBeans Enterprise Pack -- NetBeans C/C++ Pack
• NetBeans Feature Demos (Flash movies)
• Build Your RCP Application on the NetBeans Platform + RCP Tutorials
• NetBeans Programming Tutorials: Swing GUIs, Web and Enterprise, Mobility, Profiling...
• NetBeans GUI Builder "Matisse"
• Blogs about NetBeans
• NetBeans plugin catalogue and NB Extras to extend IDE functionality
• NetbeansIDA-Interactive DisassemblerToDecompiler Netbeans module with Interactive Disassembler
• NetBeans codeBeamer Module for Collaborative Software Development & Application Lifecycle Management
• Netbeans Archived User Forums
• ajaxnetbeans.dev.java.net This is a project hosted by java.net, with different Ajax samples in NetBeans project ready, so that people can build and run the applications with minimum effort.
• Netbeans Ready - developing open-source(TomCat, JRuby, JEdit, JUnit,...) and existing applications in NetBeans
• NetBeans for ruby on rails beginners (in Russian)