Downloading the IDE

You can download NetBeans IDE from the netbeans.org web site or the java.sun.com site. Visit http://www.netbeans.org/downloads/index.html for a list of and links to all downloads.

NetBeans IDE 5.0 is available in the following distributions:

• The basic IDE distribution. This distribution includes support for developing general Java libraries, visual desktop applications, web applications, and enterprise tier applications. In addition, it includes a rich set of features for developing plug-in modules for the IDE and for developing standalone rich client applications based on the NetBeans Platform.

  You can get this distribution as an installer (for Microsoft Windows, Solaris, Linux, and Mac OS systems) or as an archive distribution (.zip file or .tar file).

  Use this distribution if you already have the JDK installed on your system (must be version 1.4.2, 5.0, or compatible) and you do not need to download the Sun Java System Application Server (either because you already have it or because you do not need it for the applications you are developing).

• The basic IDE distribution bundled with the Sun Java System Application Server Platform Edition.

  This is the most convenient download if you want to start developing and deploying applications to an application server (and you do not yet have the Sun Java System Application Server).

• The basic IDE distribution bundled with Java SE JDK 5.0.

  This is a convenient download if you do not already have the JDK installed on your system. Both the JDK and the IDE are installed at the same time.

Having just the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed on your system is not sufficient for running NetBeans IDE. You need to have the JDK, which includes a copy of the JRE. The IDE relies on development tools provided by the JDK, such as the javac compiler, and takes advantage of other parts of that download, such as the JDK sources that it includes. You can go to http://java.sun.com/j2se/index.jsp to find and download the latest version of the JDK.

In addition, there are the following optional add-on installers for NetBeans IDE:

• NetBeans Mobility Pack. This installer adds support for developing applications based on Java ME technology for mobile devices.

• NetBeans Profiler. This pack adds the ability to profile your application's performance using dynamic bytecode instrumentation.

As the word "add-on" implies, these installers work only if you have a compatible version of NetBeans IDE already installed on your system.

Installing the IDE

Installing the IDE is simple and is basically composed of these steps:

That's pretty much all you have to do. The installer guides you through selecting a JDK on your system to run the IDE on and ( optionally ) creates desktop icons and Start menu items for the IDE.

See Chapter 10, Introduction to Java EE Development in NetBeans IDE, for information on setting up the Sun Java System Application Server.