NetBeans, a winner of this year's Jolt Productivity Award in the Development Environments category, is an IDE that innovates at a remarkably fast pace. As a result, it is often an early adopter of new languages. For example, it was the first Java-based IDE to support Ruby — a leadership position it recently expanded by strong support for JRuby. It also supports JavaFX, C/C++, PHP, and Groovy — in addition to the troika of Web languages (JavaScript, HTML, and CSS).
Useful features like a built-in memory and performance profiler, a bare-bones JUnit generator, a top-of-the-line UI designer, and a wizard for internationalizing strings show that the NetBeans team has thoughtfully provided for developer needs.
Despite its many features, NetBeans has an intuitive interface and a responsive feel. These traits make it easy for novices to come up to speed quickly, while letting experts get things done fast. It runs on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Solaris; and is open-source. With its constant innovation, wide support of languages, agile feel, and elegant interface, NetBeans is an environment that can definitely enhance developer productivity.
