Sun conference sees NetBeans IDE preview

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 08 May 2007 02:54

Business IT - Technology

A preview release of the NetBeans 6.0 Integrated Development Environment (IDE) has been timed to coincide with the opening of Sun's JavaOne conference in San Francisco.

The new version adds support for the Ruby and JavaScript languages, Beans Binding and the Swing Application Framework, and Subversion (the open-source revision control system).

The IDE features improved code editing (including syntax colouring and code completion), inspection and navigation capabilities, local history, and extensive profiling features.

Rather than forcing a 'kitchen sink' installation, the NetBeans 6.0 IDE developers have chosen to deliver a single install program that allows developers to customise their environment by choosing only the tools that they need. The single NetBeans 6.0 IDE installer expedites configuration of the developer's environment and no longer requires the installation of multiple packs to add features to the IDE.

"During the last 30 months, we have seen a surge of interest, with adoption of NetBeans doubling each year. We expect the momentum to further skyrocket with the launch of NetBeans 6. This is just another example of the tremendous momentum Sun is experiencing with its open source initiatives," said Jeet Kaul, vice president of developer programs for Sun. "With all of the features that are being added and the new install experience, NetBeans 6.0 is the only IDE you need."

Like its predecessors, NetBeans 6.0 supports the construction of Java Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition and Micro Edition applications.

The NetBeans 6.0 IDE preview is available for download from netbeans.org. The release version is due in November 2007.