Setup Wizard - enables you to set up the IDE on the first start. You can
set the proxy, the HTML browser, and Update Center options.
You can also disable modules you do not plan to immediately use, which can
decrease the IDE's memory consumption and startup time.
Should you later want to change these settings, you can choose Options |
Setup Wizard to run the setup wizard again.
MDI and window system enhancements - option to run the IDE in MDI (multiple document
interface) mode, which means that the IDE appears as a single frame that contains
all of the windows and dialog boxes internally.
The Update Center wizard was reimplemented to be more user
friendly.
The IDE's auto update facility can use more than one Update Center server. You can maintain
the list of servers within the IDE.
There is a new API which enables module writers to create services connecting
to their own Update Center server.
Installing a module by right-clicking it's downloaded NBM file in the Explorer and choosing Open,
navigating to the NBM and selecting it using File | Open File, or right-clicking Modules in the Options
window and choosing New | Module From NBM File.
New form designer - more solid, more WYSIWYG, usable in MDI (even with
AWT components), enables design view zooming, etc.
Selecting of components improved - resizing effect gone, TAB and Shift-TAB
for selecting next/previous component, Ctrl and Alt modifiers for selecting
lower/upper component.
In-place editing of text labels of common components (like labels, buttons,
textfields, etc).
Enhanced drag&drop capabilities in form designer window (for moving
and resizing components).
Standard "Look And Feel" defaults are used for designed forms (not affected
by the IDE settings) - for really WYSIWYG forms.
New Test Form action - replacing and improving old test mode, further step
to true WYSIWYG design.
Improved Component Palette - more interactive, beans can be chosen also
from a menu (facilitating work with large amounts of beans).
Support for ButtonGroup - ButtonGroup can be added as a non-visual bean
to the form, buttons can be attached to it.
The Class wizard was reimplemented with a clearer user interface.
A tool for managing import clauses was added.
The icons now indicate whether the class file is up to date or the source
needs to be compiled.
Refactoring. The Java module was refactored. The module was divided into
several support classes and subsystems that can be used independently of
the module itself. Refactoring of the module also includes adding support
for vetoable listeners and improvement of the Java hierarchy updates.
Javadoc can be generated by invoking external Javadoc. This feature solves
some problems with the internal Javadoc which was the only option
in earlier releases.
The concept of plugable search engines was introduced. New search engines can
be written to search types of documentation other than JDK 1.2 (e.g. internationalized
documentation, documentation produced by 1.1 doclet, HTML fulltext etc.)
Doclets are also plugable, so its possible to add support for other types
of doclets (the MIF doclet, for example).
Help updated for many of the enhancements and changes in the IDE since 3.1, but not
yet completed or thoroughly reviewed. Updates will be made available periodically
after the NetBeans 3.2 release.
LookAndFeel tutorial and accompanying source removed because of two recently-discovered
and relatively severe bugs.
Enables use of an external HTML browser. Currently Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator are
supported on the Microsoft Windows platform. Netscape is supported on Unix platforms.
The JNDI specification covers uniform access to naming and directory
services such as CORBA CosNaming, RMI Registry or LDAP.
The JNDI browser enables you to mount these naming contexts, browse them,
and modify them. The module uses standard providers which are included in
JDK 1.3. It is also possible to install and use a new provider.
It is possible to use the browser for generation of the binding or
accessing code to clipboard. This code can be put in the source editor to
enable you to program handling of objects in directories.
Provides the RMI Stub Compiler which enables you to generate
stubs and skeletons. You can also use the RMI Executor to execute remote
objects using dynamic class loading.
The RMI Registry Browser enables you to browse RMI registries that
are running on your local machine or elsewhere on the network. You
can see the remote interfaces and remote objects that have been
registered with the naming service and perform operations such as
copying client-side binding code.
The Activation System Browser enables you to browse Activation Systems that
are running on your local machine or elsewhere on the network. You
can use customizers to see and modify registered groups, activation
objects, and serialized data. It is also possible to perform special
operations like copying client-side binding code, shutdown,
activation, inactivation and registering an activation object into
the RMI Registry.
You can create a new RMI Object using the RMI Wizard or RMI
templates. There are predefined templates for UnicastRemoteObject,
Activatable and PortableRemoteObject (RMI-IIOP).
The IDE runs in the mode separating user's settings
and IDE installation directory by default. The directory where to
store the user settings can be specified on first start or as
an option in the launcher (see the accompanying README file).
