Good IDE

[Spetnik]

I am looking for a good IDE for Java development. I currently use NetBeans, and I am less than happy. I would prefer a windows-based app as opposed to a java one such as NetBeans, Forte, JBuilder, etc...

I love the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE, but unfortunately, there seems to be no Java IDE which comes even close to it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx,
Aaron

[inkedmn]

/me is a new vim convert...

i used jext for quite awhile, and it's got some cool stuff, but i wouldn't call it an IDE (plus it's written in java), so i really have nothing...

good luck though :)

[_underdog]

If you are looking for a windows java editor you could try JCreator. It is fast (written in c++) and freeware. http://www.jcreator.com/ Does not have any gui wizards or anything cool like that but it works good for me.

[phubuh]

I know you specifically said "no java appz plz," but please give IDEA (http://www.intellij.net/) a chance. Join the EAP program and you'll be able to download the latest builds.

You'll love it, I guarantee.

[jamessan]

If you have some money to shell out, I found Code Warrior (http://www.metrowerks.com/MW/Develop/Desktop/default.htm) to be a pretty good IDE. It's not just a Java IDE. Also has C/C++ and there are versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

[sans-hubris]

Why do you need anything more than Emacs (http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/emacs.html)? The Java Development Environment for Emacs (http://jdee.sunsite.dk/) is simply awesome.

[jamessan]

I actually tend to use VIM, but some people like to use a full-blown IDE.

[Dru Lee Parsec]

As I've said before I don't like "full blown" IDEs. I think they insulate people from the code. I know way to many people who have no idea how to fix a bug in the code they allegedly "wrote". But the IDE wrote the code instead of them.

Also, IDE's don't produce the best code. JBuilder, for example, uses the GridBagLayout layout manager quite a bit when it builds GUIs. GridBagLayout is one of the worse, most convoluted messes that ever got put into Java.

Another problem with IDEs is code maintenance. Quite often an IDE will write some code for you and then you have to make changes to that code to tweak it to your liking. If you ever regenerate the code then it regenerates right on top of your changes. All your work is gone.

For the last 4 years I've been using Jext from www.jext.org as my editor. I compile using ANT (Another Nice Tool) from the jakarta project of apache.org. I've used these tools to write small personal projects and I've used these tools (as I am today) to build very large distributed systems using Enterprise Java Beans to pass data between multiple servers and databases.

Best of all, both of those tools are free. Check them out.

[fortytwo]

last project i did i used wordpad :P i've also been known to use pico/nano

[_underdog]

I just downloaded jEdit a few days ago. I really like what I have seen so far. It is fast, shows Java applications do not have to be slow and clunky. It has lots of good plugins including plugins for ANT integration.

[acro]

Depending on the situation, I typically use NetBeans. For quick fixes or little programs, I use VIM.

NetBeans is amazing, so I'm curious why you want something else.

[Zap!]

I used to use TextPad because of my beginning Java class. I haven't been able to find a program that is as simple right off the install. I've been trying to use jEdit, but sometimes it just doen't have what I want or how I would like it. I'm now going to try Jext just on the recommendation of you all here, but I liked the way that jEdit handled the plugins.

[_underdog]

If you did not like jEdit then you really will not like Jext. I tried Jext out because I heard about it here and I know a lot of people like it but I found it to be slower, harder to use and less configurable than jEdit. I really like the plugins in jEdit too.

[Zap!]

I tried out IDEA, but of someone who doesn't need all of that it offers, there in no sense in using something that complex. I didn't sit down to learn every function, I just did the basic open a previously working program, complie, and run. But I felt as if it wasn't for me, which it probably isn't. But it looked great. Setup was easy enough and the installer was extensive.

TextPad was nice because it did its job well and simple: to color text and to compile without much prompting.

I'm still learning much of the Java language as I've only had one semester of a course as an introduction. I don't feel as if i need to struggle with a complex IDE.

[inkedmn]

seriously, look at Vim. you can write macros to simplifiy all your mundande development tasks (like compiling, running, javadoc, etc).

you can teach it how to make you freakin' dinner if you want to :)

[LucasMedaffy]

I used to use Textpad all the time but I've started to use Eclipse ( www.eclipse.org ), a free IBM product. It's really slick, has method completion, "hot" syntax checking and lots of little tools like automatic try/catch block generation and getters and setters.

I don't plan on going back to Textpad.

[Zap!]

Originally posted by LucasMedaffy
I used to use Textpad all the time but I've started to use Eclipse ( www.eclipse.org ), a free IBM product. It's really slick, has method completion, "hot" syntax checking and lots of little tools like automatic try/catch block generation and getters and setters.

I don't plan on going back to Textpad.
I see there was another Textpad monkey. It was a good program, but I just couldn't pay in pounds.

Edit: I say, Eclipse looks nice! The only problem is that everything is very very cramped in at 800x600, which is the max res on this computer.

[DJ_Java]

IntelliJ and Eclipse are great IDEs. IntelliJ is very intelligent and lives up to its name. but it does not have a GUI designer. so it is mostly for non-GUI stuff, unless you actually want to code all the deisgn stuff manually.

Eclipse is great too. It comes closest to native performance. In fact it uses native widgets. There is a framework called SWT. I like SWT. I dont really care for 100% cross-platform. SWT is good enough. I love the fact that the interface is feels so much lighter. Makes me feel free. But agiain, like IntelliJ, it does not have a GUi designer. It has some pretty cool handy features that u may have read earlier.

For IDEs with GUI designers, I think JBuilder and forte/netBeans are probably the best. Oracle has an IDE which I thought performed exaclly like JBuilder.

Bottom line:
GUI Editing: JBuilder or Forte
Non GUI : Eclipse or IntelliJ

Personally I think Microsoft makes the ultimate IDE when it comes to ease of use/interface design. It is very unfortunate that most non-java tools have a much steeper learning curve than MS stuff. VS.NET.

[hackermx3]

I use JCreater at home... very fast IDE

at school we have CodeWarrior which is also fast


both are windows java editors

[Dru Lee Parsec]

I now use WSAD (WebSphere Studio Application Developer) full time at work. It's basically just Eclipse with extra plug ins. It's very nice once you learn how to find your way around the HUGE gui.

[BillLeeLee]

I'm not one to use IDEs for anything, but for my software engineering project right now, my team and I are all using Eclipse.

It has all the features we need, like JUnit testing, CVS server interaction, and syntax checking.

Best of all, it's free.

[MJPhill]

Has anyone tried jGRASP? Its Java based but the interface is clean and very user-friendly.