Java IDEs (Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, NetBeans)
An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) in the Java programming language is a software application package that provides Java programmers with Java development features and functions. Java developers can select one of the multiple available Java IDEs based on their needs, simplifying the software development process for Java developers. The most popular Java IDE application software choices include Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans. Java developers can select one or more of these IDE software versions based on their needs.
Here, you’ll find a detailed overview of the major Java development IDEs, including their features and functions.
Eclipse Java IDE Software.
Eclipse Java IDE is an open-source, cross-platform IDE software development environment for Java and other popular languages. Eclipse IDE is commercially used for Java programming and web application development. Developers can also use various other programming language development environments by adding numerous open-source plugins to the Eclipse IDE.
Special Features of the Eclipse Java IDE.
- Extensibility – The Eclipse IDE is highly customizable to suit developer needs. Cross-platform open-source plugins are available for Java, C/C++, Python, and many other popular language plugins. Software developers can install these plugins as needed to extend the functionality of the Eclipse IDE software, making it a preferred choice for software developers developing universal projects.
- Integrated Java Development – The Eclipse Java IDE provides software developers with powerful tools and features for development, including a code editor, source code debugger, and program compiler. This makes it easy to create, test, and debug new Java programs.
- Project Management – The Eclipse IDE provides developers with advanced project management features. It includes a built-in workspace to group and organize multiple software projects and supports version control system features like Git and SVN.
- Rich GUI Development – The Eclipse Java development environment includes tools and features like SWT (Standard Widget Toolkit) and JFace for creating application graphical user interfaces.
- Performance – Developers often add multiple plugins to the Eclipse IDE, making the IDE’s resources heavy. Software developers manually install numerous plugins outside of Java. This can often slow down and complicate the development process. The flexibility and extensibility of these plugins make the Eclipse IDE very effective for large-scale software development projects.
Advanced Features of the Eclipse Java IDE.
- Eclipse IDE is open-source, cross-platform, and completely free to use.
- The Eclipse IDE allows developers to make it highly extensible and multi-purpose through the available open-source plugins.
- The Eclipse IDE offers excellent support for multi-language development in Java, C/C++, Python, and many other popular languages.
- The Eclipse Java IDE is ideal for large-volume enterprise applications and complex Java development projects.
Loopholes of the Eclipse Java IDE.
- The Eclipse Java IDE can sometimes be slower and more resource-intensive when a Java developer is working with multiple plugins.
- Its user interface and development environment can be a bit complex for beginner Java programmers compared to other popular IDEs.
Eclipse Java IDE Use Cases.
The Eclipse Java IDE may be the best choice for software developers working on large-volume industry projects who need an open-source IDE software development environment with plenty of plugin support in a single IDE.
IntelliJ IDEA Java IDE Application.
IntelliJ IDEA, developed by JetBrains for Java software developers, is one of the most powerful and user-friendly IDEs for Java application software development. IntelliJ IDEA is available to developers in two editions: a free Community Edition and a paid Ultimate Edition.
Special Features of the IntelliJ IDEA Java IDE.
- Smart Code Assistance – IntelliJ Java IDEA is popular for its advanced automatic code completion features, essential code suggestions, and refactoring tools. IntelliJ Java IDEA’s intelligent code analysis features can automatically guess program code and find the code that software developers need, making source coding faster and more efficient for both new and experienced Java developers.
- Built-in tools – The IntelliJ Java IDE comes with integrated tools for developing, running, and debugging Java applications. It also provides Maven and Gradle support environments for large-volume Java project management and dependency management.
- Powerful Refactoring Tools – The IntelliJ Java IDE provides robust refactoring features, allowing Java developers to easily restructure program code without breaking it.
- Advanced Debugging – The IntelliJ Java IDE program source code debugger is considered very helpful for its features, including inline program variable values, quick evaluation of expressions, and remote debugging support for developed Java applications. It also supports multiple cross-platform operating systems, with versions available for Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux.
- JVM Language Support – IntelliJ IDE supports Java as well as other popular JVM languages, such as Kotlin, Scala, and Groovy, making it an excellent choice for multi-purpose software developers.
- Code Coverage – IntelliJ IDE provides software developers with built-in support for testing JavaScript source code with JUnit, TestNG, and Karma, running and monitoring unit tests.
Advanced features of the IntelliJ IDEA Java IDE.
- IntelliJ IDE provides developers with excellent code completion and navigation tools built-in.
- IntelliJ IDE is available with a user-friendly and easy-to-use UI interface.
- IntelliJ IDE provides developers with strong refactoring and debugging tools.
- IntelliJ IDE provides the best support for modern software development frameworks currently available, such as Spring, JavaFX, and Android.
- IntelliJ IDE provides good integration with version control systems.
Loopholes of the IntelliJ IDEA Java IDE.
- IntelliJ IDE has a paid version, the Ultimate Edition, which provides additional features for Java and other developers, such as support for web frameworks and advanced database tools.
- IntelliJ IDE can sometimes place a heavy load on hardware system resources when developers are dealing with large volumes of source code.
IntelliJ IDEA Java IDE Use Cases.
IntelliJ Java IDE can be an ideal choice for software developers who want a smart, easy, and feature-rich IDE development environment for their software development. This is especially true when developers are working with modern frameworks like Spring, JavaFX, or Android.
NetBeans Java IDE Applications.
NetBeans is an open-source, cross-platform operating system IDE application that supports Java and other popular languages. It provides any Java developer with a robust Java development environment. The NetBeans IDE also supports many other popular programming languages and plugins, including PHP, C/C++, and HTML5.
Advanced Features of NetBeans Java IDE
- Java SE and EE Support – NetBeans supports both Java Standard Edition (SE) and Java Enterprise Edition (EE) versions of NetBeans. This makes the NetBeans IDE the best choice for developing and managing all types of software projects, from desktop applications to enterprise-level systems.
- GUI Builder – The NetBeans IDE includes a built-in GUI application builder, which helps NetBeans developers easily design any type of user application interface with drag-and-drop system components like Swing and JavaFX.
- Project Management – The NetBeans IDE provides developers with integration with features like Maven, Ant, and Gradle, making it easier to manage large projects and their dependencies.
- Integrated Debugger – The NetBeans IDE provides a built-in source code debugger for Java programming, allowing Java developers to step through program code one-by-one to debug or error-free, and to easily analyze variables declared in programs.
- Cross-Platform – Like the Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA Java IDEs, the NetBeans IDE is available for download for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
- Version control support – The NetBeans Java IDE also provides Java developers with easy integration with version control system features like Git, Subversion (SVN), and Mercurial.
Features of the NetBeans Java IDE.
- NetBeans IDE is an open-source and free-to-use IDE application.
- With its powerful GUI application builder, NetBeans IDE is the best choice for developing Java desktop applications. It also provides developers with support for a variety of programming languages.
- NetBeans IDE has a simple and clean application development interface environment that is simple and suitable for beginner Java developers.
- NetBeans IDE also provides good support for JavaFX, making it an excellent choice for GUI-based, large-volume Java application development projects.
NetBeans Java IDE’s loopholes.
- NetBeans IDE is slightly slower than IntelliJ IDEA for large-volume software source code bases.
- NetBeans IDE offers developers fewer advanced features for Java development than IntelliJ Java IDEA.
- The NetBeans IDE may be less extensible than Eclipse.
Detail Comparison between Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans ides.
| Software ide License | Open-source free | Free Community Edition / Paid Ultimate Edition case | Open-source platform |
| Platform Support | Open-source free version support Windows, macOS, Linux operating system | Community edition support Windows, macOS, Linux operating system | Open-source version support Windows, macOS, Linux os |
| Ease of Use case | Java ide Moderate (more suited for advanced users) java developer | Paid or ultimate edition version are Very user-friendly, intuitive UI features | Open-source version very Easy to use, beginner-friendly environment |
| Performance wise | Open-source ide Can be slow with many plugins’ addition or support | Paid java ide is very Fast and responsive in nature | Open-source java ide Moderate, can slow down with large volume projects |
| Extensibility version | Open-source ide version Highly extensible with all plugins | Paid version Plugins support is Limited extensibility, but powerful out-of-the-box features | In open source is also Extensible but fewer plugins than Eclipse java ide |
| Debugging Tools support | It provides Advanced, software code customizable features | Debugging in paid version Excellent, real-time code insights features support | Debugging Basic in open-source version, but very functional |
| Support for Modern Java Frameworks | It supports good plugins needed for some according to need | Paid allow Excellent (especially Spring, Kotlin) framework support | In open source Good for Java SE and EE, limited for modern frameworks environment |
| Community Support or not | It’s has own Very large and active community for developers | It has also large community, especially for enterprise level software development | In open-source large community Active, but smaller compared to Eclipse and IntelliJ community |
| Ide Cost | Free (open-source) available for all platform or user | It Free only (Community Edition), Paid (Ultimate Edition) with all advanced features and framework | It’s completely Fre of cost and use in any platform and supportive device |
Use cases for the NetBeans Java IDE.
NetBeans IDE is the best choice for software developers who need an easy-to-use, open-source, free-of-cost Java development IDE for Java software development, especially for desktop applications and projects using JavaFX.
