Summary
The Netbeans project released the 5.5 beta 2 version of the NetBeans IDE. This is mainly a bug-fix release, improving the stability of the IDE's support for the Java Persistence API, EJB 3, and JAX-WS 2.0.
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Netbeans 5.5 Beta 2 is mainly a bug-fix release of the IDE, providing better support for the Java Persistence API, EJB 3, and JAX-WS 2.0.
While NetBeans now claims to be the IDE with the most complete support for Java EE 5, it features other innovative tools, such as the Matisse GUI builder and layout manager, as well as support for J2ME, and a profiler.
Some notable features in the NetBeans 5.5 beta 2 are:
Updated API support for Servlet 2.5, JavaServer Pages 2.1, JavaServer Faces 1.2
Ability to generate Java entity classes from existing DB schemas. Also, create entity classes in the IDE and lets the server generate the DB relying on the DB-from-Java feature in the Glassfish app server
Wizards for creating complete web application for manipulating data in the database using Java Persistence
Enhanced Java source editor with code completion, on the fly error checking and verification, and hints specifically targeting Java Persistence as well as EJB 3.
Generates JAX-WS 2.0 artifacts for SE 6 and EE 5 projects
High-level user actions that generate common code patterns, such as calling a web service
Simplified development of session beans and message driven beans
NetBeans has come a long way, and Sun's support of both the tool and the NetBeans developer community has been impressive. At the same time, some have called on Sun to join the Eclipse project, instead of continuing with a competing IDE effort. To what extent do you think having a strong open-source alternative to Eclipse helps the developer community?
> <p>At the same time, some have called on Sun to > join the Eclipse project, instead of continuing with a > competing IDE effort. To what extent do you think having a > strong open-source alternative to Eclipse helps the > developer community? </p>
I know this isn't an original thought and I'm definitely not the first one writing it down, but I think that competing IDEs are good for developers. Wouldn't it be a very small world if we couldn't have at least two enterprise Java-IDEs?
I work mostly in Eclipse, but I'm both curious and a bit excited about the possibilities in NetBeans. Great work by Sun!
What I would like is a common plug-in framework, but I guess that would be (at least almost) impossible because of the differences in architecture and implementation (Swing, SWT).