System News for Sun Users

The Most Interesting NetBeans Release is Out: 7.3

2013-04-30T16:00:00+01:00

Juergen Kress writes, "NetBeans 7.3 - probably the most interesting release ever is out. I use 7.3 dev builds since JavaOne 2012 and completely switched all of my HTML development to NetBeans (from Koda 2, Espresso, BBEdit, TextMate etc.). NetBeans 7.3 comes with great support for CSS 3, HTML 5, JavaScript, Chrome Plugin combined with GIT, SVN and Mercurial as well as integrated issue trackers. The CSS, HTML formatting and code completions alone were worth for me to drop commercial tools in favor of NetBeans.

Java EE, Java FX and Java SE are also well supported but this is nothing new :-).

If you are new to NetBeans, do not be disappointed. After a single double-click you will have to start to work immediately. You would not get any extra days to download the plugins and make your IDE work :-) ..."

NetBeans Is a Vital Tool in Development of NASA's Deep Space Flight Dynamics Support System

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

The Deep Space Flight Dynamics Support System (DSFDSS) is a proposed prototype for auxiliary ground system support on NASA's Lagrange point missions. Geertjan Wielenga blogs on the development of DSFDSS, which relies heavily on NetBeans. The role of NetBeans in all of this, he continues, is that it allowed for a rapid prototype to be bootstrapped on an otherwise thin mission budget. The wizard framework makes daily operational procedures simple and greatly reduces risk of failure. The docking system makes drag and drop actions simple, allowing for highly interactive analyst workflow. The simplicity of JavaFX interop facilitated adding non-traditional web-based visualizations seamlessly.

NetBeans IDE 7.3 now in GA

2013-02-22T17:00:00+01:00

NetBeans IDE 7.3, featuring advanced HTML5, JavaScript and CSS development capabilities, is now in GA. Oracle's press release reports 7.3 improves support for the Java platform with feature enhancements including hints and refactorings in the editor and improved support for editing FXML layout files in JavaFX projects. Among the other improvements in NetBans IDE 7.3 are Code completion support for jQuery; support for responsive Web design-based applications; CSS Styling support and code completion for new CSS3 rules; live code and Web page synchronization facilitated by deep bi-directional integration with Google Chrome and the internal WebKit-based browser; and JavaScript client generation from existing Java REST services.

The Latest News on NetBeans: Podcast #63

2013-01-30T17:00:00+01:00

The guests on NetBeans Podcast #63, the first in 2013, are Petr Jiricka, Hermien Pellissier, Toni Epple, Adam Bien, and M.A. Hossain Tonu. Contents of the 54-minute podcast include news on the release of NetBeans IDE 7.3; details on the activities of recently elected NetBeans Governance Board #20; Adam Bien on the Java EE 6 workshop series; and an interview with the author of "PHP Application Development with NetBeans," M.A. Hossain Tonu.

NetBeans 7.3 RC1 Newly Released

2013-01-30T17:00:00+01:00

NetBeans 7.3 RC1 has just been released Ondrej Brejla reports, providing a download link. Brejla also lists the main new and improved features now available:

Parsers for Namespaced Annotations (Symfony 2, Doctrine 2, etc.),
Basic Composer Integration (Dependency Manager for PHP),
Twig Code Completion (with documentation),
Smarty Braces Matching for Related Tags,
Smarty Parser Errors of Unmatched Tags.

Changes in Hierarchy Window of NetBeans IDE 7.3

2013-01-17T17:00:00+01:00

The improved hierarchy window in NetBeans IDE 7.3 is a welcome change, Geertjan Wielenga posts. The supertype and subtype information, shown in previous releases only in modal dialogs, is now shown in the window. Several small helpful related changes, he continues, include integration with the Javadoc window, which updates itself based on what is selected in the Navigator, Hierarchy window, or editor. A screen shot of the window that he provides makes Wielenga's point that the cleaner user interface, with all related information immediately and contextually available in the IDE's supporting windows, is a big improvement.

NetBeans Podcast #62 Recaps Events of the NetBeans Community at JavaOne 2012

2012-11-16T17:00:00+01:00

News abounds on NetBeans Podcast #62 with hosts Geertjan and Tinu, who provide links to recaps of the NetBeans Community events at JavaOne 2012. Also included is an announcement of the outcome of the elections to the NetBeans Governance Board, with congratulations to new members Anton Epple and Hermien Pellissier. There is a download link to NetBeans IDE 7.3 Beta and to videos of HTML5 support in NetBeans and an event-packed NetBeans Calendar for this fall. Comments from various NetBeans community members are also available on video links, as are the two parts of Reflections on JavaOne 2012 by the NetBeans Community.

Oracle Announces NetBeans IDE 7.3 Preview Release

2012-10-05T16:00:00+01:00

The preview of NetBeans Integrated Development Environment (IDE) 7.3 is available for download, featuring new advanced HTML5, JavaScript and CSS development capabilities that enable rich Web and mobile applications to be developed faster and easier. Users can now employ HTML5 editing with code completion for new HTML5 elements; the new JavaScript editor and debugger; and the code completion feature for jQuery built into the editor. The release also features support for responsive design-based applications and code completion for new CSS3 rules; deep integration with both Google Chrome and a WebKit-based internal browser; and JavaScript client generation from existing Java REST services.

NetBeans Podcast #61: A Preview of NetBeans Community Days at JavaOne 2012

2012-09-13T16:00:00+01:00

An impressively full and engaging schedule awaits listeners to NetBeans Podcast #61, where they will hear about the NetBeans events at the upcoming JavaOne 2012 Conference. The podcast also features interviews with Çağatay Çivici, the lead architect and founder of PrimeFaces; Timon Veenstra, the architect behind Agrosense, an open-source farm management system built on the NetBeans platform; and Jarda Tulach, who discusses API Design. All this in under 40 minutes. Listeners' interest in NetBeans will be well repaid.

Top 10 New Features in NetBeans IDE 7.2

2012-08-15T16:00:00+01:00

Geertjan Wielenga writes, "Start spreading the news! NetBeans IDE 7.2 is out with, as always, its clean and neat user interface."

Here's are some of the top 10 features you'll find in this release:

Static code analysis support, in particular, FindBugs integrtion; Smoother startup and faster project scanning; New, better, and faster tools throughout the Java Editor; Enhancements for Java EE developers, such as JPA code completion and PrimeFaces 3.2.

Read on for all 10.

Oracle Releases NetBeans IDE 7.2

2012-07-24T16:00:00+01:00

Oracle has released NetBeans IDE 7.2, a free, open source IDE available for Windows, Mac, Oracle Solaris, Oracle Linux, and other Linux distributions, that enables developers to rapidly create web, enterprise, desktop and mobile applications for the Java platform, PHP and C/C++. New in Release 7.2 are:

Enhanced Developer Productivity featuring native integration with FindBugs
Improved Performance by up to 60 percent with smarter project scanning
Expanded Support, featuring interoperability with the early access release of JavaFX Scene Builder with Java FX Scene Builder.

NetBeans IDE 7.2 also includes FXML and CSS3 enhancements.

Download NetBeans 7.2 RC1

2012-07-09T16:00:00+01:00

NetBeans 7.2 is now available and can be downloaded. Ondre Brejia outlines the new and improved features, which are:

Support for PHP 5.4
PHP editing: Fix Uses action, annotations support, editing of Neon and Apache Config files and more
Support for Symfony2, Doctrine2 and ApiGen frameworks
FTP remote synchronization
Support for running PHP projects on Hudson

NetBeans IDE 7.2 Beta

2012-05-28T16:00:00+01:00

NetBeans IDE 7.2 Beta, newly released as noted in a post by Geertjan Wielenga, provides a significantly improved performance and coding experience, with new static code analysis capabilities in the Java Editor and smarter project scanning. The release also includes notable features such as integration with Scene Builder for visually creating JavaFX forms; support for multiple PHP frameworks; updated Groovy support; and many other enhancements in Java EE, Maven, C/C++ and the NetBeans Platform, Wielenga writes. He adds the observation that the NetBeans project is supported by a vibrant developer community and offers extensive documentation and training resources.

NetBeans Podcast #60

2012-04-17T16:00:00+01:00

In the 43 minutes of NetBeans Podcast #60 listeners will hear Tinu and Geertjan discuss the latest news on NetBeans 7.1 and hear Joel Murach, author of Murach's Java Programming, now in its fourth edition, explain his preference for NetBeans IDE as a tool for teaching developers how to create programs in Java. In contrast to most other texts on Java programming, Murach opts for the IDE rather than the CLI because NetBeans itself, he feels, is more intuitive for beginning programmers to use. Guest Martin Janicek also appears to discuss his work on Groovy support in NetBeans IDE.

NetBeans 7.1.1 - Made for GlassFish 3.1.2

2012-03-16T16:00:00+01:00

The release of GlassFish 3.1.2 and NetBeans 7.1.1 presents users with a powerful combination, given that NetBeans probably has the best Java EE 6 out-of-the-box support and this 7.1.1 release fully supports GlassFish 3.1.2, posts Alexis Moussine-Pouchkine, adding that since this NetBeans release is also available as a patch update to 7.1, you need to either download GlassFish 3.1.2 separately or do a fresh install of a 7.1.1 bundle which includes GlassFish ("Java" or "All").

'Murbach's Java Programming' Gets Thumbs Up from Geertjan

2012-02-24T17:00:00+01:00

There is high praise for "Murach's Java Programming" in Geertjan Wielenga's recent post, where he writes, "The book is really driven via NetBeans IDE 7 and uses Java 7, so you'll be using the latest version of Java, together with the tools created to support it. With 23 chapters, 802 pages, 340 illustrations... it seems like a very worthwhile book to buy. I know I'm going to get it and will report back on my findings soon!"

Oracle Announces Release of NetBeans IDE 7.1

2012-01-05T17:00:00+01:00

With the release of the free, open source NetBeans IDE 7.1 there is now an IDE that supports JavaFX 2.0 and JDK 7, available for Oracle Solaris, Oracle Linux, other Linux distributions, Mac and Windows. Support for Java EE includes cluster and instance deployment support for GlassFish Server; 50+ CDI support enhancements in the Java editor; and JSF component suite supporting improvements in Java Persistence, Web Services, EJB; and support for Oracle WebLogic Server 12c. NetBeans platform enhancements include Windows system APIs and support for multiple window layouts; enhanced TopComponentGroup behavior; visual window layout designer; and pluggable multiview components.

The Definitive Guide to NetBeans Platform 7

2012-01-02T17:00:00+01:00

Heiko Boeck's new book The Definitive Guide to NetBeans Platform 7 has caught Geertjan Wielenga's attention, which is reflected in his post that lists the book's entire table of contents. Boeck's publisher, Apress, says of the book that it " ... provides a completely updated definitive guide to the NetBeans Platform, using the latest APIs, coding patterns, and methodologies. Focuses strongly on business features in an application, since Oracle's customers are particularly interested in business-related aspects. For example, how to use OSGi, how to add authentication/security, how to monetize from a modular application."

Using the Paint Application to Achieve Deeper Integration of JavaFX in NetBeans RCP

2011-12-19T17:00:00+01:00

It is possible (and relatively easy), writes Geertjan Wielenga, to have changes in sales properties be reflected in the javafx.scene.chart.BarChart. Wielenga began with the Paint Application, added JavaFX code and a node hierarchy to obtain the desired result. The simplicity of this exercise, he contends, suggests just how well JavaFX can be made to fit into what he terms the "real world of existing Java desktop applications." He advises against dismissing Swing, which he terms unnecessary.

NetBeans IDE 7.1 Release Candidate

2011-12-01T17:00:00+01:00

For a rundown on what's new in NetBeans 7.1 see Arun Gupta's post on the availability of the download for NetBeans 7.1 RC1. Among the new features or improvements Gupta notes are Support for JavaFX2; enhanced Java editor; enhancements to support for Java EE; and changes involving CSS3, GUI Builder, Git, Maven3, etc. Gupta cites as his favorite the ability to create a Java EE 6 application, deploy on GlassFish, and then re-deploy the same application by changing the target to Oracle WebLogic Server 12c (internal build), which enables users to see the same application deployed to both servers.

NetBeans at JavaOne 2011: A Compliment

2011-10-24T16:00:00+01:00

The most impressive aspect of JavaOne 2011 blogger Geertjian Wielenga was the incorporation of NetBeans in the JDK Roadmap. His blog includes a slide from Oracle's Yoshio Terada that was presented to the Japanese JUG. Of the JDK Roadmap Wielenga writes, "I love the fact that the JDK roadmap is so tightly coupled with NetBeans, of course. As someone working on the NetBeans project for quite a few years, ... with NetBeans so prominently positioned within [the roadmap, this] is the greatest official compliment and clearest statement of confidence the NetBeans Team has thus far attained, ever."

NetBeans IDE 7.0.1 Now Available for Download

2011-08-10T16:00:00+01:00

NetBeans IDE 7.0.1 is now available for download with full support for the Java SE7 platform. Among the notable changes in this update are the following:

Full JDK 7 support: Running NetBeans IDE on top of JDK 7, and support for the final version of the JDK 7 language features

Integration of recent patches

Performance improvements

Users with NetBeans IDE 7.0 already installed can launch the IDE and an update notification will appear. Clicking the alert-box will begin installation of the updates.

Java JDK 7, NetBeans 7.0.1, GlassFish 3.1.1 Released

2011-08-08T16:00:00+01:00

Bloger Alexis Moussine-Pouchkine writes about the "troika" of Java summer releases comprising Java JDK 7, GlassFish 3.1.1, and NetBeans 7.0.1. He notes that "this release has full support for Java 7 (including running on JDK 7 itself) and GlassFish 3.1.1. It also includes numerous bugfixes and performance improvements across all areas. Current users of NetBeans 7 will get all the updates via the IDE's update center."

NetBeans Announces 1,000,000 Active Users

2011-08-01T16:00:00+01:00

Initially developed as a Czech Republic student project in 1996, NetBeans IDE, which became Sun Microsystems' flagship Java IDE, has as of July 2011, grown to a community of 1,000,000 active users. "That's not downloads," says John Jullion-Ceccarelli, NetBeans senior manager. "That number represents people who are regularly using NetBeans IDE each month. NetBeans IDE has come a long way.�' The latest release of the NetBeans IDE is closely aligned with Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) and is the first tool to provide support for the new features included in Java 7. NetBeans continues to be developed in the Czech Republic, under Oracle's sponsorship

Language Support for Coding to the Proposed Java SE 7 Specification with JDK 7 Developer Preview

2011-04-27T16:00:00+01:00

Links to NetBeans IDE 7.0 features, tutorials, and videos are provided in Gopalan Raj's blog on the release. He notes that NetBeans IDE 7.0 introduces language support for coding to the proposed Java SE 7 specification with the JDK 7 developer preview, allowing developers to take advantage of the new language features from Project Coin /JSR 334, with editor support for code completion, hints, and in specific cases, converting existing Java SE 6 based code to use the new Java SE 7 based syntax. Raj explains further that the release also provides enhanced integration with the Oracle WebLogic server as well as support for Oracle Database and GlassFish 3.1. Important new capabilities stemming from the Oracle WebLogic server integration enhancements include fast turnaround when redeploying applications; deploy on save; datasource management; server library configuration; the ability to explore deployed applications and resources, and to view server logs and the admin console from within the IDE, he observes in conclusion.

NetBeans Podcast 53

2010-12-20T17:00:00+01:00

For the latest on NetBeans 7.0 beta, log on to the 69 minute Podcast #53 to hear from a variety of players in the solution's development. For a preview, one can also log on to an outline of NetBeans Podcast #53, which reveals that podcast content includes reports from far and wide by the traveling NetBeans team, along with news about enhancements to the NetBeans platform for NetBeans 7.0; a glowing endorsement of the solution from Adam Bien, Oracle Java Developer of the Year; as well as comments from members of the NetBeans engineering team about their favorite highlight in the latest beta release; an API design tip from Jarda Tulach on the ThreadContext ClassLoader; and an interactive feature: the NetBeans Puzzler with Jeffrey Rubinoff. Deadline to submit the puzzler answer: January 7, 2011. Send to: nbpodcast at netbeans dot org.

NetBeans 6.10 Morphs into NetBeans 7.0

2010-10-20T16:00:00+01:00

The newly revised NetBeans roadmap reveals NetBeans 6.10 Changes to NetBeans 7.0, which now releases in March 2011, reports "The Aquarium. NetBeans 7.0 will still have support for GlassFish 3.1 but now will also come with support for JDK 7 language features and for JDK 7 beta. Pelegri blogs that the plan is to issue a minor patch release later when JDK 7 goes final, and later yet there will be a NB 7.1 with support for Client Java and JavaFX Java APIs. NB 7.0 will also add support for WebLogic Server, Maven 3 and Oracle DB.

NetBeans Named One of the Top Java Programming Tools

2010-10-08T16:00:00+01:00

An article in InfoWorld, "Top Java Programming Tools" by Andrew Binstock takes a detailed look at such solutions as Eclipse, IntelliJ, IDEA, NetBeans, and Oracle JDeveloper as each extends the utility and the adoption of Java-based tools for the development community. Binstock cites a survey that found the rate of adoption for NetBeans 6.9 has put it second only to Eclipse as the most employed Java IDE.

NetBeans IDE 6.10

2010-09-22T16:00:00+01:00

NetBeans users may be interested in learning what the IDE has in store for its next release NetBeans IDE 6.10, whose availability is anticipated in January 2011. The main focus will be improving Java EE quality and enhancing supported servers list.

"Running a JavaServer Faces 2.0 Web Application on Oracle WebLogic Server"

2010-09-17T16:00:00+01:00

The tutorial "Running a JavaServer Faces 2.0 Web Application on Oracle WebLogic Server," which uses NetBeans IDE 6.9, demonstrates how to use the IDE to create a JavaServer Faces (JSF) web application and deploy the application to the Oracle WebLogic Server. Users of the tutorial will register the WebLogic Server with the IDE and then configure the domain to enable support for JSF 2.0 as a view framework.