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NetBeans 4.0 Release
An anonymous reader writes "Various news sources are reporting the 4.0 release of the free Java-based NetBeans IDE. You can read the anouncement, or proceed directly to the downloads. Perhaps the most significant improvement is that the IDE's native build system is the latest version of Apache Ant. I see this as a distinct advantage over its competitor Eclipse (and NetBeans is pure Java). If you create desktop applications in Java, you may wish to read up on the NetBeans 'platform' as well. Enjoy."
"I can't debug a language that I know nothing about" is so idiotic that it doesn't deserve a response. But I'll give you one.
Java has a lot of shortcomings, but you've demonstrated only one of them: you can't paste code into a window and expect it to run. So I guess Java programs aren't as easy to use as a short perl script. (Note that a longer perl script would be in several modules and have similar problems.)
But you know what? Not every problem can be solved with a short perl script. You're basically condemning every compiled language because you can't just paste things into a text editor an expect them to run.
Good work. Very convincing.
Both practices might not be ideal, but that doesn't mean that the IDE shouldn't handle them. IDE's get used in the real world where sometimes concessions are made when it comes to writing code the way that Sun wants it written.
What if my job asks me to make changes to a file with 9 inner classes that was written 4 years ago by a developer who has long since left the company? I've had this happen with constructs much worse than 9 inner classes on quite a few occasions. Should I tell them that I need to take a week to re-write the entire class because it's doing something conceptually wrong? Or should I simply open it in Eclipse (since Eclipse seems to have little problem with such things) and make the necessary changes?
Any IDE that limits you to doing it the "right" way isn't worth using because there are always going to be instances where external circumstances force you to do something the wrong way. IDEs should encourage the right way while giving you the flexibility to do it wrong as well.
Instead of copying and pasting the source code from one window to another, try copying the _file_ to the projects src/ directory (I'm guessing your not using packages.) Try running through some of the tutorials on how to use netbeans. I started using Netbeans almost 4 years ago when I entered college and can honestly say it's the reason I know the language as well as I do. My favorite feature is code completion so I don't have to read through 200 pages of javadoc to find what I'm looking for. Why don't your class mates like Java? Only they can answer that, but I'm guessing it's because many of them are having bad experiences in your class and therefore take that out on the language they are learning. One of my favorite strengths of the language is being able to write on my laptop, then transfer that to the Linux desktops on campus and never have to worry about making system specific changes to compile it.