My top 10 reasons to use NetBeans IDE 6.1 Beta

There are many reasons people use NetBeans IDE. When I started thinking about why I use NetBeans IDE 6.1 Beta many reasons popped in my mind. This is a list oftop 10 of my major reasons for liking and using NetBeans IDE 6.1 Beta.

1. Everything I need is available

Many required features are available out of the box. I can just download the pack I need and start using it right away. The software is explorable that means I can just start navigating the functionality and can explore ways to do things through the intuitive GUI of the software.


2. Modular structure of the platform

I like the modular structure of the platform. There is an ecosystem built around the IDE with useful modules. I can search for some extra functionality which is available as a plugin may be contributed by some NetBeans Guru and use it instantly by installing it as a plugin to the system.


3. Curiosity for the unknown

There are many areas in NetBeans which are unknown to me. It is exciting to travel the unknown territories of NetBeans and explore new things. We as human beings always have passion for mystery and the areas I haven't used are exciting to traverse and conquer.


4. Opportunity for module development

The modular platform and feature of extensibility provides an opportunity to learn module development and write my own modules for NetBeans. This way my desire to work for some open source project will come true.


5. Pure Java based platform

I am impressed by the platform independence and run anywhere philosophy brought by Java. NetBeans follow the same path and is developed in pure Java which is worth exploring.


6. Modeling and GUI building tools support

I love the Matisse GUI builder provided by NetBeans. It increases the productivity while developing desktop applications. I can now concentrate on the business logic more efficiently.


7. Support for multiple packs

Netbeans has become feature rich and I can select the appropriate packs for my different needs. NetBeans adds support for major Java Standards like Mobility, Java EE


8. Supportive Community backing

I get surprising support for my queries from the NetBeans community through mailing lists and blog posts


9. Opportunity to contribute to documentation

I feel elated to contribute to an open source project through documentation. The NetBeans community docs initiative binds me with the NetBeans IDE and the passion for technical writing. NetBeans community lets me write help pages and tutorial about my experiences while I use NetBeans IDE in my day to day programming tasks.

10. Opportunity for learning professional programming practices

I have a habit of scanning the NetBeans sources every now and then to study how the modular architecture was used, how documentation is done, how standard design patterns are followed. The open source nature of the project lets me do this type of exploration.

There are many more reasons, as I go on thinking new reasons and ideas cross my mind. This is a list of major reasons why I feel I am attracted towards this IDE and which is making me continue my journey to explore it more.

with regards
Tushar Joshi, Nagpur