Overview of Java IDEs

Following are some of popular Java IDE (Integrated Development tools)

Eclipse Java IDE (free and open source)

 Eclipse is an open source community whose projects are focused on providing a vendor-neutral open development platform and application frameworks for building software. The Eclipse Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation formed to advance the creation, evolution, promotion, and support of the Eclipse Platform and to cultivate both an open source community and an ecosystem of complementary products, capabilities, and services.

As it says in the Purposes section of the Foundation’s Bylaws:

The purpose of Eclipse Foundation Inc.,(the "Eclipse Foundation"), is to advance the creation, evolution, promotion, and support of the Eclipse Platform and to cultivate both an open source community and an ecosystem of complementary products, capabilities, and services.

Eclipse has formed an independent open eco-system around royalty-free technology and a universal platform for tools integration. Eclipse based tools give developers freedom of choice in a multi-language, multi-platform, multi-vendor environment. Eclipse provides a plug-in based framework that makes it easier to create, integrate and utilize software tools, saving time and money. By collaborating and exploiting core integration technology, tool producers can leverage platform reuse and concentrate on core competencies to create new development technology. The Eclipse Platform is written in the Java language and comes with extensive plug-in construction toolkits and examples. It has already been deployed on a range of development workstations including Linux, HP-UX, AIX, Solaris, QNX, Mac OS X and Windows based systems. A full description of the Eclipse community and white papers documenting the design and use of the Eclipse Platform are available at http://www.eclipse.org.

You can learn more about the structure and mission of the Eclipse Foundation by reading the formal documents that establish how the foundation operates, and by reading the press release announcing the creation of the independent organization.

For software licensing, website terms of use, and legal FAQs, please see our legal stuff page. Eclipse logos and graphics are found on our eclipse logos page.

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NetBeans JAVA IDE (free and open source)

The NetBeans project is an open-source project. What this means is:

• The NetBeans Platform and IDE are free for commercial and non- commercial use.
• The source code to both are available to anyone, to reuse as they see fit, under the terms of the license
• Development of the Platform and IDE happen in public. Decisions are made on public mailing lists, by consensus.
• Individuals or companies may contribute code to the project; participation is open to anyone who wishes to participate.

With the exception of content that explicitly specifies the license under which it is made available, the software and other content on this site is licensed under the Sun Public License, which complies with the Open Source Definition . Any third-party binaries included in /external/ directories in the source tree, are licensed under their own terms and conditions.

Some highlights of NetBeans IDE 5.0

• Comprehensive support for building IDE plug-in modules and rich client applications on the NetBeans platform
• Simplified and intuitive GUI building using Project Matisse
• Support for Sun Application Server 8.2, Weblogic9 and JBoss 4
• Web services support for Java Enterprise Edition applications
• Enhanced support for JavaServer Faces and Struts
• An expanded number of available refactoring actions
• Various editor enhancements including an error stripe and Java hints
• Faster code completion
• Completely reworked and improved CVS support
• Enhanced debugging which is integrated in the Source Editor
• Streamlined, user-friendly IDE configuration
• The ability to discuss and edit code with other developers with the NetBeans Developer Collaboration feature
• Full-featured profiling functionality
• The award winning NetBeans Mobility Pack which can be used to write, test, and debug applications for the Java Micro Edition platform

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 Jcreator JAVA IDE (JCreator Pro  $69 JCreator LE   Free)

JCreator is a powerful IDE for Java. JCreator provides the user with a wide range of functionality such as : Project management, project templates, code-completion, debugger interface, editor with syntax highlighting, wizards and a fully customizable user interface.
With JCreator you can directly compile or run your Java program without activating the main document first. JCreator will automatically find the file with the main method or the html file holding the java applet, then it will start the appropriate tool.

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IntelliJ® IDEA  Java IDE (New User Price $499 )

IntelliJ® IDEA is an intelligent Java IDE intensely focused on developer productivity.
It provides a robust combination of enhanced development tools, including refactoring, J2EE support, Ant, JUnit, and version controls integration. Packaged with an intelligent Java editor, coding assistance and advanced code automation tools, IntelliJ IDEA enables Java programmers to boost their productivity while reducing routine time consuming tasks.

Perhaps the most significant new functionality in Version 5.1 is an unprecedented level of support for internationalization of new and existing Java™ applications. The main new features and enhancements in IntelliJ IDEA 5.1 include:

• The industry's best i18n support: IntelliJ IDEA's greatly enhanced internationalization support now surpasses any other Java localization tool currently available. We even used the new functionality ourselves to create a new version of IntelliJ IDEA in Japanese (concurrently released by our reseller in Japan).
• Improved JavaScript and Web Development support: important improvements to JavaScript support equip both experienced developers and "newbies" with a full arsenal of features. Even AJAX development becomes quick and simple (especially when developing AJAX libraries).
• New JSP debugging support: including source-level JSP debugging when remotely connected to IBM WebSphere™ 5.1 or later.
• More support for plug-in developers: New actions for auto-creating new application, module, and project components; new inspections validate the consistency of plug-in descriptors.

Download  IntelliJ IDEA

Borland® JBuilder® JAVA IDE

Accelerate Your Java™ Development

Borland® JBuilder®, the leading cross-platform environment for building industrial-strength enterprise Java™ applications and the only IDE that supports virtual peer programming

Software development has become more complex than ever – as IT shops are driven to do more with less, supported platforms and standards multiply, and development teams disperse across time zones. Borland JBuilder 2006, the market-leading Java IDE, helps development teams manage this complexity and deliver standards-compliant enterprise-class applications faster.

Innovative peer-to-peer collaboration features such as shared editing, joint debugging, and active differencing support a "virtual peer programming" model that enables developers to collaborate as though working in front of the same workstation, whether they are down the hall or around the world. Additional team capabilities, such as distributed refactoring, UML® code visualization, and integration with application lifecycle management tools, allow developers and other project members to effectively work together and stay in sync from project kickoff to rollout. Built-in unit testing and performance tools help development teams pinpoint and resolve issues before QA begins – speeding the delivery of high-quality applications.

Intuitive Enterprise JavaBeans™ (EJB™), JavaServer™ Faces (JSF™), Struts, and Web Services designers speed the development of robust enterprise-class Java applications, while keeping developers in complete control of the code. Migrate existing J2EE applications to JDK 5.0, while ensuring backward compatibility with J2EE 1.4 servers. Out-of-the-box integration with market-leading application servers and databases – including BEA, IBM, Sybase, Sun, and Oracle – allows developers to focus on core functionality without wasting time on tedious, time-consuming integration tasks.

•  Jointly edit and debug applications in real-time with the only IDE that supports Virtual Peer Programming
• Drive higher application quality with built-in unit testing and performance monitoring
• Bridge J2EE™ 1.4 and JDK™ 5.0 with integrated migration capabilities
• Speed development with out-of-the-box support for leading servers and databases

Download  JBuilder