Sun Microsystems has announced the version 6.0 release of the NetBeans IDE, which features the integration of all NetBeans products into one package. The IDE is available for free under the GPLv2 license and Sun's Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL). The new version provides enterprise Java, C++, and Ruby/JRuby/Ruby on Rails support. Several new RoR features are included, such as Rake build tool integration, the Fast Debugger extension for Rails, debuggers for pure Ruby and JRuby, support for Test::Unit, Auto Test, and RSpec, and an integrated Ruby Gems packaging system.
NetBeans 6.0 also includes the drag-and-drop Swing GUI design tool, formerly called Project Matisse, and improvements for creating web apps, UML modeling and C/C++ development. It also features new mobility tools including a new Visual Mobile Designer and a new Game Designer.
If you're only interested in a single language, several smaller download bundles are provided. The complete NetBeans IDE package is 169 MBs and is bundled with the GlassFish V2 and Apache Tomcat 6.0.14 servers. NetBeans 6.0 has also been tested successfully with several other app servers, including JBoss 4.0.4, Websphere 6.0, and WebLogic 9.2 and 10.
Sun is also providing the NetBeans IDE 6.0 Starter Kit DVD with all language packs, JDK 6.0 Update 3, the Java Tutorial, and a collection of NetBeans tutorials and videos. The DVD includes installers for Windows, Linux, Solaris x86, SPARC and MacOS X. Only the English language DVD is available immediately. A multilanguage DVD with support for Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2008. For more information, visit www.netbeans.org
