Apache NetBeans has released version 11.1, the first version to be released after becoming a top-level Apache project.
"I've been using this build for my daily work. It's solid and sweet. Thanks everyone!" tweets James Gosling, a prominent NetBeans user who provided feedback during the NetBeans beta period.
The new release features support for the Java 11 and 12 syntax, as well as tight integration with Jakarte EE / Java EE 8 projects through the Payara and Glassfish application servers. Projects can be created directly through Maven and Gradle, using the new webapp-javaee8 archetype. This enables developers to work on and debug applications completely through the native build systems, rather than a separate project file that emulates the build system.
Developers of mobile or desktop applications can leverage Gluon’s contribution of OpenJFX samples in NetBeans. Combined with the community GraalVM, OpenJFX enables developers to code in Java and create native executables that run directly on mobile devices. Gluon describes the tools involved in a blog post, "Java on iOS, for real." Using NetBeans, developers can create and debug these applications prior to deployment within the mobile app stores. NetBeans was also instrumental in the creation of GraalVM, where Thomas Würthinger’s 2007 masters thesis covered the visualization of program dependency graphs, based on the NetBeans Platform. Gosling had previous commentary on the support for native mobile binaries, like what NetBeans helps create. "This is a lovely piece of work. Static packaging has a lot of applications beyond iOS."
Although NetBeans has its history as the first Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE), current releases go beyond this to help with many application types. NetBeans offers first-class support for JavaScript development on client or server-side, as well as native support for PHP 7.4 applications.
Usage of NetBeans has spanned a large number of users over the course of its long history. Notable projects using NetBeans include the European Space Agency, whose SNAP Engine project played a role in the Sentinel 1, 2, and 3 missions to explore the planet. Sentinel missions are deployed across the oceans and in orbit around Earth.
Developers looking to use NetBeans can obtain the download NetBeans 11.1 now. New users can consult a number of tutorials within the NetBeans help pages.