Java is of undoubtedly one of the most popular programming languages. So, it is not surprising that there are numerous tools for java programmers. It can be overwhelming to choose among them. I am trying to solve this problem by providing a list of the best software for java programmers.
If you are writing software for the Java platform then hopefully the answer to this post’s title is obvious. However, one can write “Java” software in many languages, not only Java. The only requirement being that the software should run on a JVM (Java Virtual Machine). This should come as no surprise, since I have written about other non-JVM languages in the past.
Our developers spend a lot of time buried in Java code and we use a variety of different IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) to develop Java code, so I thought it would be good to compile a list of the best free IDEs out there for Java programmers, developers and coders.
Java is one of the leading programming languages. Widely employed for developing robust and secure desktop apps, enterprise applications, mobile apps, and web applications.
There is a multitude of free Java IDEs available for working with Java. While Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans are the big three of Java, there are numerous other IDEs for developing apps effectively using Java.
Want to master Java? Java Programming Masterclass is a highly recommended Java course to start your Java programming journey.
In this article, I will be taking a look at 11 different IDEs. Everyone has different requirements and we feel one of the strengths of the Java world is the choice available.
These IDEs offer a variety of features: building Java applications, TestNG, debugging, code inspections, code assistance, JUNIT testing, multiple refactoring, visual GUI builder and code editor, Java, Maven build tools, ant, do data modelling and build queries, and more.
NetBeans
NetBeans is an open-source Integrated Development Environment written in Java. Development of NetBeans has really accelerated since it became part of the Apache project.
The NetBeans IDE supports the development of all Java application types (Java SE, JavaFX, web, EJB and mobile applications) out of the box. NetBeans is modular in design. This means it can be extended by third-party developers who can create plugins for NetBeans to enhance functionality (Our PDF Plugin for NetBeans is a good example).
NetBeans has now moved to Apache, making it easier for people to get involved and contribute. They have a new website explaining more about Apache NetBeans.
The NetBeans IDE can be used to develop in Java, but also supports other languages. These include PHP, C/C++, and HTML5.
NetBeans features include an Ant-based project system, support for Maven, refactoring and version control (supporting CVS, Subversion, Git, Mercurial and Clearcase). It is also released under a dual license. These consist of the Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL) v1.0 and the GNU General Public License (GPL) v2.
NetBeans is cross-platform and runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris and other platforms supporting a compatible JVM. It can also be used for working with Cloud applications. This useful guide covers how to use the NetBeans IDE with the Google App Engine.
If you would like to find out more about NetBeans we have a series of articles which includes lots of tips and tutorials.
. Eclipse
Platform – Linux/macOS/Solaris/Windows
First Released – November 2001
A dedicated Java IDE, Eclipse gets listed as one of the big three of Java IDEs. The modern integrated development environment is available in both desktop and cloud editions. The cloud edition of the Eclipse, named Eclipse Che, allows programmers to develop apps via a web browser.
Both editions of the Eclipse IDE equips with required/additional functionality utilizing plugins. There is an array of plugins available for the IDE on the Eclipse Marketplace. To facilitate the incremental compilation of Java code, Eclipse comes with a custom compiler.
For Java programmers looking to develop specific functionality for Eclipse, a PDE (Plugin Development Environment) is available. To help Java developers hasten the application development, Eclipse flaunts powerful tools for charting, modelling, reporting, and testing.
Eclipse supports application development in several programming languages via plugins. C, C++, Clojure, Groovy, Haskell, JavaScript, Julia, Perl, PHP, Ruby, Rust, and Scala are some of the various programming languages supported by Eclipse.
Features:https://83760003353b32719d04db33ad0b28f3.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
- a runtime core,
- a collection of libraries,
- a modelling and control language,
- a development environment,
- interfaces for embedding into host environments,
- interfaces to third-party solvers.
2. NetBeans
Platform – Linux/macOS/Solaris/Windows
First Released – 1997
Another name in the big three of Java IDEs is NetBeans. It is also free java ide. NetBeans is the official IDE for Java 8. The open-source IDE facilitates Java programmers to build desktop, mobile, and web applications by offering a range of potent tools and features.
In addition to being available for a variety of platforms, NetBeans also comes in a feature-limited OS-independent version. Each novel version of the NetBeans boasts an improved and reworked Java editor.
By highlighting Java code syntactically and semantically, it makes it easier for Java programmers to build custom software apps. Inbuilt tools in NetBeans makes it possible to refactor the code as well as writing bug-free code.
To design and develop GUIs for Java SE, a GUI Builder is put on offer by NetBeans. The dedicated Java IDE is available in 28 different languages. NetBeans has extensions available for working in C, C++, HTML5, JavaScript, PHP, and other programming languages.
Features:
- Cross-platform support
- Multiple language support
- Visual debugger
- NetBeans Profiler
- Static analysis tools
- Project management
- Code editor
- Batch code analyzers
- Code converters
3. IntelliJ IDEA
Platform – Linux/macOS/Windows
First Released – January 2001
IntelliJ IDEA is one of the big three of Java IDEs. It is available in 2 different editions, an Apache 2 Licensed community edition, and a proprietary commercial edition. To allow developers to dive deeper into the Java code, IntelliJ IDEA boasts cross-language refactoring and data flow analysis features.
Other features offered by IntelliJ IDEA that eases the life of a Java developer are chain completion, language injection, smart completion, and static member completion.
In addition to supporting Java and a galore of Java frameworks, IntelliJ IDEA also provides support for other JVM-based programming languages, such as Kotlin.
Features:
- Smart completion
- Chain completion
- Static members completion
- Data flow analysis
- Language injection
- Cross-language refactorings
- Detecting duplicates
- Inspections and quick-fixes
4. BlueJ
Platform – Linux/macOS/Windows
First Released – March 1999
BlueJ is an (integrated development environment) IDE for Java and . Though mainly designed with educational intent, BlueJ is apt for small-scale software development. Despite being developed as a ready-to-go IDE for beginners, Java veterans widely prefer this Java IDE.
The primary screen of BlueJ displays the class structure of the application under development. It also allows for interactively creating and testing objects. The multi-platform Java IDE allows programmers to interact effortlessly with objects.
Developers can call methods on objects, inspect object values, and pass objects as parameters using the BlueJ Java IDE. Other powerful Java application development features offered by BlueJ include creating dynamic objects and scanning the code visually.
Features: (Blue J)
- IDE interface
- Runs on multiple platforms
- Designed for teaching
- Scope colouring
- Runs without USB stick installation
- Object bench
- Supplementary BlueJ textbook
- Portal of teaching resources
- Interaction among objects
- Code Pad
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition is a free Java IDE (Integrated Development Environment). It is mainly used for Android app development, Scala, Groovy, Java SE and Java programming. It is lightweight in design and comes with useful features like JUnit testing, TestNG, debugging, code inspections, code completion, and support for multiple refactoring. Plus Maven build tools, ant, visual GUI builder and code editor for XML and Java.
There are some features missing from the Community Edition. If you require more you can buy a license to unlock all the features.
IntelliJ Idea Community Edition is is released under the Apache 2 License.
Android Studio
Android Studio from Google is mainly designed for developing on the Android Platform. However it is capable of running and editing some Java code.
Originally it was built on the IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition created by JetBrains. It features a Flexible Gradle-based build system, build variants and multiple APK generation. It has expanded template support for Google Services and various device types and a rich layout editor with support for theme editing. It also has Lint tools to catch performance, usability, version compatibility, and other problems.
Android Studio also comes with ProGuard and app-signing capabilities. It also features built-in support for Google Cloud Platform. Projects can be configured to use specific Java Development Kits.
Android Studio is freely available under the Apache License 2.0. It is available for download on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It replaced Eclipse as Google’s primary IDE for native Android application development.
Conclusions
Java is a programming Language like C and C++, the difference is that the code in Java uses objects. If you want to make programs with graphics or games ,you should use JAVA language.Here we will give u best software to make your work easy in java language.