Getting Started (Part I - Downloading the IDE)

Getting Started

Part I - Downloading the IDE

Welcome to the “Java - Getting Started” blog. The goal of this site is to give the novice Java programmer practical solutions to some of the typical roadblocks encountered when trying to create a Java database application for the first time. This site is more geared towards the ends (how to make it work) than the means (the detailed explanations of why it works).

Why use Java?

A Java application can run on any Java Virtual Machine (JVM) regardless of the computer architecture (i.e. it can run on any operating system - Windows, Mac, Linux as long as that computer has the JVM installed). Creating a database for your business using Java will give you much more flexibility compared to other standard database software programs (such as Microsoft Access).

Downloading the IDE

First and foremost we need to download the tool we will be using to create our Java program. We will be using the Netbeans IDE to help us write our Java database program. An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a software application that allows the programmer to visually develop the application.

1) Download and install the Netbeans IDE:

http://netbeans.org/downloads/index.html

2) Be sure to check out the Netbeans tutorial page. This page has many great tutorials that I will refer to in future posts:

http://netbeans.org/kb/trails/matisse.html

Stay tuned for future posts on topics such as:

- JDBC - Using the “Embedded Derby” driver

- Creating a Java Desktop Application with Multiple Database Tables

- Dynamic Internationalization - How to allow users to dynamically switch the language of the program while it is running

- Using the JCalendar Java date chooser bean

- Creating Reports - Using iReport and Jasper Reports to create your database reports

- Exporting your reports to Excel and .PDF