The aim of this post is to introduce you with some of the best open source IDE(Integrated Development Environment) for programming in Java.I found these IDE very useful for java programming-
BlueJ
BlueJ is a integrated java environment developed at a university.BlueJ was specifically designed for teaching java so it’s recommended for beginners.BlueJ is available free and you can download it from it’s official website(Link is specified Below).
Features of BlueJ
- Fully Integrated Development Environment
- graphical class structure display
- built in editor,compiler,virtual machine(JVM),debugger..etc
- interactive object creation/calls
- easy to use interface,so it’s ideal for beginners
- interactive testing
Download BlueJ
Windows users can download ‘bluejsetup-302.exe’ package,and it can be installed usually(Double Click).If you are using Ubuntu then follow the link given below.
How to install BlueJ on Ubuntu
Eclipse
Eclipse IDE is well known as Java IDE but it’s extensible due to plugins available.Eclipse is used for embedded development,enterprise development,application frameworks,internet applications,SOA(Service Oriented Architecture).For beginners,it seems more complicated and boring but it has more functionality then any other IDE.
Download Eclipse
Install Eclipse on Ubuntu 10.04
NetBeans
Netbeans is the official(made by Sun Microsystems) and free IDE for java programming ,although it has support for other languages(C/C++,PHP,Groovy,Ruby..etc) too,by means of plugins.It is very easy to use and so recommended IDE for java projects,specially if you are not an experienced java programmer.
Download Netbeans
install netbeans on Ubuntu 10.04
It was not always so but my favorite IDE is Eclipse. You are correct. The rich variety of stable, mature, and viable plug-ins is what makes Eclipse so good. I can be immediately productive on any OS (Mac, Windows, Linux) and any programming language (Java, PHP, Python, C++, RoR) because I don’t have to relearn a new IDE.
You are also correct about the learning curve for beginners. Here’s a tip. The new features don’t surface until you open the corresponding perspective. There is also usually a new wizard that turns things on for you too.
See http://www.dynamicalsoftware.com/intro/plugins/eclipse for more advise on Eclipse plug-ins and plug-in management tips.
Thanks Glen..for the informative comment..Eclipse is my favorite too..