Oracle yesterday announced a major new version of the NetBeans integrated development environment (IDE), NetBeans IDE 7.0. Allowing developers to take advantage of the latest developments across the Java Platform Standard Edition (Java SE), NetBeans IDE 7.0 introduces language support for the upcoming JDK 7 release, currently available as a Developer Preview.
Oracle says that NetBeans IDE 7.0 is currently the only open source IDE available to provide support for the JDK 7 Developer Preview. The release is also hoped to produce enhanced integration with Oracle WebLogic Server 11 g and support for Oracle Database, GlassFish Server Open Source Edition 3.1, and Oracle GlassFish Server 3.1.
As a technology in its own right, the NetBeans platform is designed to enable developers to rapidly create web, enterprise, desktop, and mobile applications using the Java platform, as well as with PHP, JavaScript, Ajax, and C/C++. NetBeans IDE 7.0 is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Oracle Solaris and is available in English, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, and Chinese.
"Oracle continues to enhance the NetBeans platform, providing developers with a feature-rich, open-source IDE for the creation of Java-based mobile, web, and desktop applications," said Ted Farrell, chief architect and senior vice president, tools and middleware, Oracle. "NetBeans IDE 7.0 is the industry's first IDE to support the upcoming JDK 7 release enabling developers to take advantage of the latest developments in Java and to deliver higher quality applications, faster and easier."
The latest version of the NetBeans IDE provides support for editor enhancements including code completion and hints, Maven 3 support, JUnit 4.8.2 integration, and additional JUnit improvements. Remote HTTP URLs are supported for Javadoc in libraries and Java platforms, providing support for "remotely hosted" javadoc — and an improved visual customizer for GridBagLayout.
