Best book on the NetBeans IDE

Question

I am taking an Adv Java class this semester and we are using NetBeans as the IDE. Last semester I used Eclipse and found a good book on that IDE. Can anyone recommend a good book for NetBeans?

I am looking at the following: NetBeans Platform 6.9 Developer's Guide

Any ideas are appreciated.

-Rhonda Tipton

Answer 1

From my perspective, since you are already familiar with Eclipse, and assuming you are using netbeans as an IDE, not as a client platform:

1. Play with netbeans for an hour. Figure out how to map your day-to-day activities in your previous class onto netbeans (create a project, compile, run, debug)
2. Spend some quality time with the tutorials and help at netbeans.org, which will most likely answer 90% of your questions

Sadly, there isn't a great book I've been able to recommend to my folks who use netbeans. It may be worthwhile poking around a bookstore and seeing if you can find one that is closest to the eclipse book that you used (and, presumably, liked).

It also would be worthwhile asking the prof or TA if they have a recommendation. As in any semester long programming class, you are going to be learning a syllabus that is full of the professor's bias, and he may have a book or approach that is most compatible with his classroom approach.

Answer 2

You could find lots of netbeans tutorials here and download some tutorials from here.

Also please check this link to get a good view about keyboard shortcuts used in netbeans.

Answer 3

Please visit the books page on netbeans.org site http://netbeans.org/kb/articles/books.html#about

I will recommend

• Java EE 5 Development with NetBeans 6
• NetBeans IDE Field Guide: Developing Desktop, Web, Enterprise, and Mobile Applications

Also take a look at

• NetBeans Getting started guide
• Many learning trails on NetBeans docs page

The book "NetBeans Platform 6.9 Developer's Guide" you mentioned is for developers who want to use NetBeans Platform as a framework for their Java Applications, for normal Java and Advanced Java learning that book is not suitable.