How to build cross-IDE java GUI's using "interface builders"?

Question

In a Java project with developers that use different IDEs, say Eclipse and IntelliJ, what's the best way of developing visual components using the tools offered by the IDEs ("Visual Editor Project" for Eclipse and "Swing GUI Designer" for IntelliJ)?

If a developer using Eclipse needs to make changes to a GUI written by another developer in IntelliJ (and vice versa) he will have quite a hard time and maybe even make the code incompatible with the original tool that built it.

Is there a solution or do all developer just need to use the same tool?

Answer 1

I see 2 solutions:

• Don't use GUI design tools at all, code the UI code by hand
• Use a plug-in available for most of the IDEs (such as JFormDesigner)