We used the NetBeans IDE in a Java course I just took.
It seems like a pretty helpful IDE, but as usual, I can see its disadvantages much more clearly.
Disadvantages
- When you start adding new code, loads of ‘errors’ immediately appear in the margin. The whole syntax checking mechanism *should* wait wait several seconds after you’ve finished typing before it checks your code. Otherwise it’s just distracting.
- Despite checking your code too much, there are circumstances where an ‘error’ icon stays stuck on your class file icon in the Projects tab, but there is no error marked in the file. it goes away when you do a clean and compile, but I still consider this a bug. [update: is this a notification of a compile error?]
- There doesn’t seem to be a way to add an existing file to your project (update: There is. You have to right-click copy it from the files tab, and paste it into your project. I was looking for a drag option).
- The auto-suggest-methods doesn’t work if you start typing the first few letters of the method too quickly after the dot.
- There are too many colours and flashy things.
- It doesn’t fix the case for you like .NET
Advantages
- It does all the hard work of renaming and moving files between packages for you.
- If you make any structural changes or rename key files/classes, it automatically refactors the code for you, even allowing a preview so you can see the extent of proposed changes.
- Integrates with JUnit, and produces a set of automatic tests, based on all your existing classes and methods. Sweet!
- Ctrl + the arrow-keys counts capitals as word boundaries for easier navigation (e.g. BufferedWriter).
- If a class is not imported, type Ctrl-space with the cursor at the end of it, to import the relevant package (does not work if cursor is at any other point!)
- You can click on the run-time exception in the output window and be taken to where it occurred in the code.
- it has cool WYSIWYG / .NET-style forms building stuff for all your GUI needs. It then ‘protects’ the GUI code so you can’t change it by accident.
- it has a Windows | Services menu where you can browse databases, start Tomcat in debug mode, etc.
- Easily add in abstract methods required when implementing an interface.
Tags: ide, java, programming, review, whinge
