Java Software

• You need sofware to develop your Java programs.
• You can use the software in the UMUC computer labs, but most students install Java software on their own machines.
• Fortunately, there is an abundance of free software.
• You must install Sun's J2SE JDK 1.5 (java.sun.com)
• In addition choose one (or more) of the following.
  • TextPad editor (www.textpad.com)
  • NetBeans (www.netbeans.org)
  • jGrasp or JCreator

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

An IDE puts many tools in one package.

• A program text editor
• A compiler (usually Sun's JDK).
• A way to run your programs from within the IDE.
• A debugger to help you find errors in your programs.
• Many other tools, eg, a GUI editor, jar file generator, ...
• Examples
  1. Top ranked: IntelliJ IDEA ($), Eclipse (no GUI editor, not in UMUC labs)
  2. Also good: NetBeans (in UMUC labs, GUI editor), JBuilder
  3. Simpler: jGrasp (in UMUC labs), JCreator (nicer?), ...

NetBeans 5.0 (www.netbeans.org)

• Features
  • GUI editor - Many IDEs don't have one.
  • Formatter for source code fixes indentation errors.
  • Continuous compilation shows errors as you make them.
• Download java.sun.com (with SDK), www.netbeans.org.
• Tutorials
  • faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~arnoldyl/NetBeansTutorials/
  • www.netbeans.org/kb/using-netbeans/36/index.html
  • www.netbeans.org/kb/basic.html

Sun's SDK / JDK

• Sun Microsystems - Software/Java Development Kit
• This is mainly a compiler.
• Download from java.sun.com (53 MB).
  • Latest version is 1.5.0_06, earlier versions of 1.5 are ok too.
    j2sdk-1_5_0_06-windows-i586-p.exe
• Documentation
  j2sdk-1_5-doc.zip (34 MB), install in JDK docs directory.
• [an error occurred while processing this directive] This compiler is the basis for most other Java tools.
• Must be used with a text editor (TextEdit, jEdit, Notepad (yech), ...)