Best IDE for developing Java Desktop Applications

Question

I've been developing Java Web apps using Eclipse as the IDE. Planning to start developing a desktop app based on Java.

Can someone suggest the best IDE for developing Java based desktop apps? (One that would have drag drop for building the interface like Visual Studio)

Answer 1

The latest version of Netbean IDE and it is free!

Check out Swing GUI Builder Features

Answer 2

this http://www.eclipse.org/ or this http://www.netbeans.org/

Answer 3

Netbeans has the best support for creating GUIs

Answer 4

+1 for Netbeans for GUIs, however IntelliJ is still my favourite general-purpose IDE for work. Unfortunately, it's not free.

UPDATE: There's an open sourced version of IntelliJ Idea suitable for Java Desktop Development

Answer 5

I'd say it depends on which GUI framework you are going to use:

• For Swing, the NetBeans Swing GUI builder seems to be the best choice (though there are visual editors for Swing in Eclipse too)
• For JavaFX, the choice is pretty clear
• For Eclipse (i.e. SWT, JFace, RCP) the Eclipse IDE for Java plus the visual editor would probably be the best way to go

Now which to choose, of course, is a different question.

Answer 6

I've always liked Eclipse (http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/) + Instantiation's Window Builder (http://www.instantiations.com/windowbuilder/)

Answer 7

In some ways it doesn't matter which tool you use as long as you put the effort into learning it in depth. Know your tools! Read the Free Manual!

In practice: you would want to pick Eclipse for SWT and Netbeans for Swing (Matisse is great when you are getting started). I haven't used IntelliJ but I am sure it is excellent.

Answer 8

A couple of years ago, I used Eclipse with Visual Editor, which I found very useful. I liked the code that it generated - it was really easy to take that and add the extra functionality I needed.

Answer 9

Response to RTFM messages: I agree reading the manual is a good way to learn more about the tool. The OP is trying to figure out a few tools to learn more in depth and finally zero in on one (or a subset to meet varying requirements). To get to the first list before reading the accompanying manuals, one would require some directions and help based on experience. If you had to read manuals of all related tools before identifying the tool that meets your requirement, a new tool would have come in or your project would have gone past you!

Response to original question on best IDE based editor:

1. Eclipse (strong community + well designed and documented plugin architecture)
2. GNU Emacs (a text editor engine with ability to infinitely extend... Your imagination is the limit)

Answer 10

if you aim for windows only than Visual studio is the best choice. For multiple platforms Mono is very good and it does not have java's performance issues. Of course you would use C# rather than Java if going with Mono or VS.