Rahul's Blog

Difference Between NetBeans IDE & NetBeans Platform

In the last NetBeans User Group, Nagpur (NUGNagpur) Skype chat meet I’ve seen most of the members were confused between the NetBeans IDE & NetBeasn Platform.

So  I have decided to write a post on “NetBeans IDE & NetBeans Platform”

What is IDE?

Most of the people don’t know what basically is an IDE. An integrated development environment (IDE) also known as integrated design environment or integrated debugging environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to software programmers  developers for software development. An IDE normally consists of:

• a source code editor
• a compiler and/or an interpreter
• build automation tools
• a debugger

Sometimes a version control system and various tools are integrated to simplify the construction of a GUI. Many modern IDEs also have a class browser, an object inspector, and a class hierarchy diagram, for use with object-oriented software development

Some open-source IDEs such as Code::Blocks, Eclipse, Lazarus, KDevelop and Netbeans, which themselves are developed using a cross-platform language (e.g., Free Pascal or Java), run on multiple platforms including Windows, GNU/Linux, and Mac OS.

What is Platform?

In computers, a platform is an underlying computer system on which application programs can run. On personal computers, Windows 2000,XP,Vista, Linux and the Mac OS X are examples of different platforms.

In other words a platform is any base of technologies on which other technologies or processes are built.

Now its clear from the above the what is the meaning of the IDE & Platform. Let’s take a look on the difference between NetBeans IDE & NetBeans Platform

NetBeans IDE

The NetBeans IDE is an open-source integrated development environment. NetBeans IDE supports development of all Java application types (Java SE including JavaFX, (Java ME, web, EJB andmobile applications) out of the box. Among other features are an Ant-based project system, Maven support, refactorings, version control (supporting CVS, Subversion, Mercurial and Clearcase).

Modularity: All the functions of the IDE are provided by modules. Each module provides a well defined function, such as support for the Java language, editing, or support for the CVS versioning system, and SVN. NetBeans contains all the modules needed for Java development in a single download, allowing the user to start working immediately. Modules also allow NetBeans to be extended. New features, such as support for other programming languages, can be added by installing additional modules. For instance, Sun Studio, Sun Java Studio Enterprise, and Sun Java Studio Creatorfrom Sun Microsystems are all based on the NetBeans IDE.

License: From July 2006 through 2007, NetBeans IDE was licensed under Sun’s Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL), a license based on the Mozilla Public License (MPL). In October 2007, Sun announced that NetBeans would henceforth be offered under a dual license of the CDDL and the GPL version 2 licenses, with the GPL linking exception for GNU Classpath.

NetBeans Platform:

The NetBeans Platform is a reusable framework for simplifying the development of Java Swing desktop applications. The NetBeans IDE bundle for Java SE contains what is needed to start developing NetBeans plugins and NetBeans Platform based applications; no additional SDK is required.

Applications can install modules dynamically. Any application can include the Update Center module to allow users of the application to download digitally-signed upgrades and new features directly into the running application. Reinstalling an upgrade or a new release does not force users to download the entire application again.

The platform offers reusable services common to desktop applications, allowing developers to focus on the logic specific to their application. Among the features of the platform are:

• User interface management (e.g. menus and toolbars)
• User settings management
• Storage management (saving and loading any kind of data)
• Window management
• Wizard framework (supports step-by-step dialogs)
• NetBeans Visual Library

The NetBeans Platform offers, aside from the generic advantages of a rich client platform,

numerous frameworks and several further specifics that can be particularly useful to your

applications.

What Is a Rich Client?

In a client server architecture the term “rich client” is used for clients where the data processing occurs mainly on the client side. The client also provides the graphical user interface. Often rich clients are applications that are extendable via plugins and modules. In this way, rich clients are able to solve more than one problem.

Rich clients have the advantage that they are easy to distribute and update, such as via an automatic online update function within the client itself or through a mechanism that enables the rich client to start over the Internet (for example, via Java Web Start).

The important characterstics of the rich client are:

• Flexible and modular application architecture

• Platform independence

• Adaptability to the end user

• Ability to work online as well as offline

• Simplified distribution to the end user

• Simplified updating of the client

What Is a Rich Client Platform?

A rich client platform is an application lifecycle environment, a basis for desktop applications.

Most desktop applications have similar features, such as menus, toolbars, status bars, progress

visualizations, data displays, customization settings, the saving and loading of user-specific

data and configurations, splash screens, About boxes, internationalization, help systems, and

so on. For these and other typical client application features, a rich client platform provides a

framework with which the features can quickly and simply be put together.

Advantages of a Rich Client Platform

Aside from the modularity offered by a rich client architecture, which simultaneously implies

a high degree of robustness and end user value, the extensive development support it provides

needs to be highlighted as well. These and other advantages of rich client platforms are briefly

described here:

• Reduction in development time

• User interface consistency

• Updating

• Platform independence

• Reusability and reliability

Let’s look each in turn,

Reduction in Development Time

A rich client platform provides a multitude of APIs for desktop application development. For

example, these can be used by developers to manage windows and menus or support the

display of customization options. Through the reusability of many predefined components,

developers are able to concentrate very closely on the business logic of the application in

question.

User Interface Consistency

Usability of an application is always of crucial concern, in particular when the application is

intended to be used by professionals of a particular domain. A rich client platform makes available a framework for the display of user interfaces, while taking particular care of its

consistency, accessibility, and usability.

Updating

Using a rich client platform, it becomes possible to quickly and efficiently distribute new or

updated modules to end users. As a result, not all the clients of an application need be informed by developers to switch to a new version. Updates can be distributed and installed in the form of modules, so distinct features can be developed and delivered by independently operating teams. The modular architecture of the application ensures that completed modules can be distributed without having to wait for other modules to be finalized.

Platform Independence

Rich client platforms are based on international standards and reusable components. As a

result, Java applications based on them can be automatically deployed to multiple different

systems, such as Windows or Linux, so long as an implementation of the Java Runtime Environment is available. Since the feature set and the applicability of applications keep changing, it is very important that they are developed in such a way that they are extendable and can be deployed to different target systems. All this is provided by a rich client platform, saving time and money. Applications based on rich client platforms do not require further libraries or components, other than the Java Runtime Environment.

Reusability and Reliability

Rich client platforms make a range of features and modules available, which can be used in the

developer’s own applications. If the module does not completely match the application’s

requirements, it is entirely possible to use it as a starting point, while extending it or changing

it as needed. Since most platforms also make their source code available, it may also, in some

cases, be worth considering changing or extending the platform itself. These factors imply a

high degree of reliability and freedom.