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Using an IDE
 UC Center for Information Technology & Community Development
 

Using an IDE

 
In the old days, we wrote Java applications with a text editor (often Notepad) and the DOS command line.  Though it worked, it was time consuming and inefficient. 

Next came the IDE, or Integrated Development Environment.  They combined the editing, compiling, debugging, and running of an application into one product.  These IDEs often cost several hundred or thousand dollars per license, but they were well worth it based on the productivity gain.  IDEs often have integrated debuggers, formatting, layout managers for windowed applications, and much more. 

Then came the new millenium, and with it the Open Source IDE.  Among the Open Source IDEs available, the two most popular today are probably NetBeans and Eclipse. 

Starting NetBeans