Pro NetBeans

NetBeans 5.5 contained a useful tool called the ‘Javadoc Auto Comment’ feature. With the heavy rewrite of the NetBeans internals in version 6.0, the auto comment tool as we knew it was stripped out. This was down with some howling and protests, but at least there was a good reason (and not simply for the heck of it).

Quoted from NetBeans Wiki:

‘We have intended to replace the AC tool for a long time due to its archaic UI and a weak linkage to the editor, where users usually want to edit source code. Changes in the Java model in NetBeans 6.0 forced us to drop the tool immediately and start to implement particular features that will replace the tool as resources permit. So NetBeans 6.0 contains basic editor hints to create or fix javadoc, and the long-awaited ability to generate javadoc skeleton on /** + <Enter> in the open editor as the first step. Of course, the Javadoc Search and the Show Javadoc were adapted to the new model as well.’

NetBeans 6 did contain Javadoc hints and warning so on a class by class basis you could see what was missing or incomplete. NetBeans 6.1 introduced Javadoc code completion. So far so good, but it wasn’t quite as useful as the old Auto Comment tool.

I recently checked the NetBeans 6.1 update center and discovered a plugin listed called Javadoc Analyzer. I had been following several related bug posts at the NetBeans site and knew they had been working on it, but had not had time to try it out.

Download it from the update center and you’re ready to use it with no configuration.

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The JavaOne Pavilion (basically a trade show and vendor demo space) is always an interesting experience. It’s a mix of IT geeks running around seeking out swag, vendors hawking the next great widget or framework, and interesting “attractions” littered throughout the space.

The obvious things you notice heading up the main aisle are the big sponsor vendors such as Intel, Oracle, etc.

Ever present and ready to discuss a technology…

Then there are always cool technologies on display that utilize Java in some way such as the Perrone Robotics autonomous vehicle.

Seen here are some of the electronics it runs in the trunk :

And of course, always something weird. This live action machine shot marbles through a series of pipes to test and try out real time Java technology.

And finally, and perhaps most bizarre, Intel’s oxygen bar. They touted the slogan as something similar to ‘ since oxygen is essential to life, so is Intel’ [reletive to computing life]. The picture below shows bubbling bottles of 90% oxygen with aromatherapy flavors mixed in. You were given a personal nose tube, slightly uncomfortable, but not too bad given the unique experience. If you haven’t tried it you should definitely try to stop by before the end of ther week.

After a few hours of walking the floor, gathering brochures, and scoping out specific vendors, I enjoyed I few beers and some food as part of the Pavilion Welcome Reception. I’m still amazed at how long the lines get at these things, but hey, it’s free beer at an IT conference!

The first day of the JavaOne 2008 conference, Tuesday, May 6, I was lucky enough to be able to have a book signing for my book, Pro NetBeans IDE 6 Rich Client Platform Edition.

 

I would like to thank all the folks that stopped by to get their copy signed, to briefly chat about NetBeans, or for some strange reason to ask for directions to something (specifically Esplanade rooms, the bathroom, some vendor’s table, you name it..). I guess there’s something about a guy sitting behind a desk/podium that screams “Information Booth”.

 

 Anyways, I had a good time and enjoyed meeting everyone who stopped by. I would like to thank the guys at Apress and DigitalGuru for arranging to have me there.

Throughout Sun’s CommunityOne 2008 (specifically the NetBeans track), they distributed the standard swag one might expect of this type of event (bags, hats, shirts, etc.). At the conclusion of NetBeans Day, they also distributed a new mini-book about NetBeans tips and tricks. Roughly 140 pages, the book was authored by Ruth Kusterer, a technical writer for Sun Microsystems based in the Czech Republic. The book covers 100 tips and tricks that were collected from NetBeans documentation, blogs, forums, and the NetBeans community.

The 100 NetBeans Tips and Tricks book includes the following:

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Greetings everyone! I’m currently attending CommunityOne 2008 in San Francisco, California. I just wanted to provide a quick overview for folks who couldn’t make it here…

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