24/03/2017 NetBeansIDE3.

6QuickStartGuide

NetBeansIDE3.6QuickStartGuide
ThisdocumenttakesyouthroughthebasicsofusingNetBeansIDE3.6bycreatingasimpleHelloWorldapplication.This
documentisdesignedtogetyougoingasquicklyaspossible.IfyouwantamoredetaileddescriptionofNetBeansIDEfeatures,
seethefollowingdocuments:

NetBeansOnlineHelp.ThedocumentationincludedinNetBeansIDEitself.PressF1toopentheonlinehelp.
UsingNetBeansIDE:ThecompleteguidetodevelopingJavaapplicationsinNetBeansIDE.Archivedonthe
netbeans.orgsite.
GUIBuildinginNetBeansIDE3.6:AquickguidetobuildinggraphicaluserinterfaceswiththeNetBeansIDEFormEditor.
Archivedonthenetbeans.orgsite.
NetBeansSupportandDocs(forthecurrentrelease)Fulllistofarticles,FAQs,andmailinglistsforNetBeansIDE
users.

ProjectSetup
Task Description

Createanew 1.ChooseProject>ProjectManager(CtrlShiftN).
project 2.ClickNew,givetheprojectaname,andclickOK.

Addasource 1.ChooseFile>MountFilesystem.
directory 2.SelecttheLocalDirectorynodeinthewizardthatappearsandclickNext.
3.OnSelectItemstoMountpageofthewizard,createafolderonyoursystemcalledsrc.
Note:IfyouareonaWindowssystem,youcannotcreateanewfolderinyourMyDocumentsfolder.
4.SelectthefolderandclickFinish.
ThesrcfilesystemnodeappearsintheFilesystemswindow.Thefilesystem'ssourcesareaddedtothe
projectclasspath.
Note:Don'tnavigateintothesrcdirectory.JustselectthesrcdirectoryandclickFinish.

Createanew 1.RightclickthesrcdirectorynodeintheFilesystemswindowandchooseNew>JavaPackage.
package 2.Inthenamefield,typehelloandclickFinish.

Createanew 1.Rightclickthehellopackage'snodeintheFilesystemswindowandchooseNew>JavaMainClass.
file 2.Inthenamefield,typeHelloWorldandclickFinish.

EditingSourceFiles
Task Description

Introduction Inthissection,wewillwritethecodefortheHelloWorldapplication.Wewillusethefollowingtools:

Codecompletion.TheSourceEditorparsesallofthepackagesandclassesintheclasspath,including
thestandardJDKclasses,andautomaticallysuggestsmatchingpackagesandclassesasyoutype.
Abbreviations.TheIDEincludesabbreviationsformanycommonlyusedwordcombinationsthat
expandtothefullwordswhenyoupressSpace.Forexample,typingpsfandpressingSpaceexpands
theabbreviationtopublicstaticfinal.
FastImport.TheSourceEditorletsyouautomaticallygeneratetheimportstatementforanyclass.
Automaticformattinganderrorhighlighting.

Whenyouaredonewiththissection,HelloWorld.javawilllooklikethis:

/*
*HelloWorld.java
*
*Createdon16November2004,11:52
*/

packagehello

importjava.util.Date

/**
*
*@authorme:)
*/
publicclassHelloWorld{

/**CreatesanewinstanceofHelloWorld*/

publicHelloWorld(){
}

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/**
*@paramargsthecommandlinearguments
*/
publicstaticvoidmain(String[]args){
Stringdate=newDate().toString()
System.out.println("Helloworld!It's"+date)
}

Usecode 1.Placethecursorattheendofthepublicstaticvoidmain(String[]args){lineandpressEnter.
completion 2.TypeStringdate=newDatandwait.Withinasecondortwo,thecodecompletionboxshould
appear,listingalloftheJDKclassesthatbeginwithDat.Youcanalsomanuallyopenthecode
completionboxbypressingCtrlSpace.
TheSourceEditoralsoshowstheJavadocdescriptionofeachclass,ifavailable.TheIDEextractsthis
descriptionfromtheJavadoccommentsinthesourcecode.Formoreinformationonworkingwith
Javadocdocumentation,seetheUsingNetBeansIDEguide.
3.Inthecodecompletionbox,scrolldowntoDate.NoticetherearetwoDateclassesintheclasspath.
SelecteitherofthetwoandpressEnter.u
Note:Unlessyouuseafullyqualifiednameforaclass,thecodecompletionboxoffersthemethodsof
allclasseswiththesamename.Itthereforedoesnotmatterwhetheryouchoosejava.sql.Dateor
java.util.Datefromthecodecompletionboxinthestepabove.
4.Type(.NoticetheIDEautomaticallyfillsintheclosingparentheses.
5.Gototheendofthelineandtypea.aftertheclosingparentheses.Thecodecompletionsboxopens
listingallofthemethodsintheDateclass.Deprecatedmethodsareshownwithalinecrossed
throughthem.StarttypingtoStringtonarrowtheselectiondown,thenselecttoStringandpress
Enter.
6.Typeaclosing.

Viewerrors 1.Noticethatthelineyoujustenteredisunderlinedwitharedlineandhasa iconintheleft

margin,meaningthatitcontainserrors.
2.Holdthemouseovertheicontoviewtheerror.Sinceyouhavenotenteredanimportstatementfor
theDateclass,thefilecontainsacannotresolvesymbolcompilationerror.

Createimport 1.PlacetheinsertionpointanywhereinthewordDateandpressAltShiftI.
statement 2.IntheFastImportdialogbox,choosejava.util.DateandclickOK.Theimportstatementiscreated
andtheSourceEditornolongershowsanerrorfortheline.

Expand 1.PlacethecursorattheendoftheStringdate=newDate().toString()lineandpressEnter.
abbreviations 2.TypesoutandpressSpace.ThesoutabbreviationexpandstoSystem.out.println("")
3.TypeHelloWorld!It'sbetweenthequotationmarks(besuretoincludeaspaceafterIt's).
4.Aftertheclosingquotationmark,type+date.

Reformatcode Ifthespacingforthecommentlinedoesnotmatchthespacingfortherestofthefile,pressCtrl
ShiftFtoreformattheentirefile.IfanylinesareselectedwhenyoupressCtrlShiftF,onlythose
linesarereformatted.

CompilingandRunningYourProgram

Task Description

Compilethe ChooseBuild>Compile(F9).
program TheOutputwindowopensatthebottomoftheIDEanddisplaysanycompileroutput,including
compilationerrors.Youcandoubleclickanyerrortogotoitslocationinthesourcecode.

Runthe ChooseBuild>Execute(F6).
program TheIDErunstheprogramandprintstheoutputtotheOutputwindow.Youshouldseethefollowing
messageintheOutputwindow(withadifferentdate,ofcourse):

HelloWorld!It'sWedDec1018:15:20CET2003

DebuggingYourProgram
Task Description

Adda Clickintheleftmargin(ShiftF8)ofthefileontheSystem.out.println("HelloWorld!It's"+
breakpointtoa date)line.
file Aredbreakpointiconappearsinthemarginandthelineishighlighted.

Addawatchto 1.RightclicktheworddateintheStringdate=newDate().toString()lineandchooseNew

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avariable Watch(CtrlShiftF7).
2.MakesurethattheWatchExpressionfieldcontainsdate(withalowercased)andclickOKinthe
dialogbox.

Starta ChooseDebug>StartSession>RuninDebugger(AltF5).
debugging TheIDErunsthefileuntilthebreakpointisreached.Usethedebuggerviewsatthebottomofthe
session IDEtomonitoryourprogram'sstate,suchasthevalueofthedatevariable(listedunderbothLocal
VariablesandWatches).

Stepthrough UseStepInto(F7)andStepOver(F8)toexecutetheprogramonelineatatime.
program
execution

Stopa ChooseDebug>FinishSessions(ShiftF5).
debugging
session

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