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NetBeans

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NetBeans IDE
Developer(s)Sun Microsystems
Stable release
5.0 / February 1, 2006
Repository
Operating systemCross-platform
Type Java IDE
LicenseSun Public License
Websitewww.netbeans.org
File:Netbeans.JPG

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 extended by third party developers.

History

NetBeans began in 1997 as Xelfi, an impressive 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.

Source: A Brief History of NetBeans

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. Installing 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 the developer to focus on the logic specific to his 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)

NetBeans Mobility Pack

The NetBeans Mobility Pack is a tool for developing applications that run on mobile phones.

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. One can easily integrate third-party emulators for a robust testing environment.

NetBeans Profiler

The NetBeans Profiler is a tool for the optimization of Java applications: It helps you find memory leaks and optimize speed.

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.

The NetBeans IDE

The NetBeans IDE is an open-source integrated development environment written entirely in Java using the NetBeans Platform.

The current version is NetBeans IDE 5.0, which was released in February 2006. As of this version 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.

NetBeans IDE 5.0 introduces comprehensive support for developing IDE modules and rich client applications based on the NetBeans platform, the new intuitive GUI builder Matisse, new and redesigned CVS support, Weblogic 9 and JBoss 4 support, and many editor enhancements.

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.

Sun Studio, Sun Java Studio Enterprise, and Sun Java Studio Creator from Sun Microsystems are all based on the NetBeans IDE.

NetBeans IDE is licensed under the Sun Public License, which is similar to the Mozilla Public License.

See also

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