NetBeans turns 10!

 Tech  1 Response »
Oct 202008
 

If you are a Java developer looking for a powerful IDE that can get you started in no time, you should look no further than NetBeans.

Why?

  • NetBeans is free and open-source. A lot of people list preference with open-source software just because it is free. But beyond just the cost, there is a lot more to open-source software that is exciting and inviting. It means that a community of developers from across the world are pouring in their ideas with the sole intention of creating great software. Plus think of how much testing they can get done from folks who download their betas.
  • NetBeans helps you hit the ground running. A month or so ago, I was giving an overview of Struts to my cousin. He wanted a short demo using Eclipse. However, we couldn’t configure Eclipse for Struts even after some concerted efforts at doing so. The plugins we found were found wanting. NetBeans made the task much easier, with its in-built support for Struts (and a host of other popular frameworks.) There is also support for GUI design, Java EE, PHP, Ruby, C++, the whole works; but yeah, you get the point.
  • NetBeans comes as a full package. NetBeans comes pre-built with GlassFish and Apache Tomcat servers, and JavaDB. So, you don’t need to spend time trying to setup servers and databases just to get a simple Web application up and running. You can throw in MySQL into the mix as well.
  • NetBeans is from Sun Microsystems. The Java guys. They are behind NetBeans. This is reassuring because whether you are a big business trying to adopt a new IDE for your development team or a developer who wants a full-featured IDE, you can trust a name like Sun to have a roadmap for the IDE. Plus they would be able to align IDE development to the developments in the language as well. One might have to mention MySQL again, as it is now a Sun product.
  • NetBeans has a rich set of plugins. You betcha!

So go ahead and give NetBeans, which turns 10 this week, a shot. You are sure to recommend it to all your friends!

P.S.: If you have been using NetBeans for a while, Sun Microsystems is offering a free beta of the Sun Certified Specialist NetBeans IDE exam. Here are the SCSN exam details.

 Posted by Vijay Narayanan at 1:19 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,

McCain and the Blackberry

 Politics  1 Response »
Sep 162008
 

Back in the day when I was part of a large development team, one of my co-workers who was not having much work for a couple of weeks (incidentally, those who know him know well that he has had this lucky streak for years now) decided to borrow a book from the library. The book was called “How Tomcat Works?“; evidently technical in nature, and not for a lay audience anyway, lay being defined as the kind that has had a few years of hands-on experience in server-side technologies.

Now, we had a senior person on our team who was known to embellish his abilities and achievements. For this reason, he was frequently the object of water-cooler, or rather, coffee-vending-machine talk. Now, my friend had a question to ask of this person, and so he invited the latter to his cubicle.

Upon seeing the aforementioned book, the senior person said, “How Tomcat Works. Hmmm, why do you need such a book when you have a Tomcat architect in the team?”

My friend turned around and asked in as earnest a tone as possible, “Who?”

Those in earshot were in splits. And trying very hard (and some, rather unsuccessfully) to not break into a Hillary-esque ear-splitting, stomach-curdling, puke-inducing laughter. The senior person probably failed to sense the irony in my friend’s question, else he wouldn’t have responded, “Why, it’s me.”

Moral of story: “பொய் சொன்னாலும் பொருந்த சொல்லணும்.” (Lie, but convincingly.)

 Posted by Vijay Narayanan at 7:22 pm  Tagged with: , , ,
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