MySQL + NetBeans = SQL Heaven

Hi all,

As you all know, some MySQL people are visiting the NetBeans team in Prague this week, and we've been discussing how we can best integrate more MySQL support in NetBeans. MySQL has its own database administration tool, MySQL Workbench, and it's definitely a sweet IDE. NetBeans has its SQL Editor and Visual Query Editor, and engineers are trying to figure out a way to utilize the best features of both for the ultimate user experience. More to come when more is known.

Cheers!

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 20 2008, 01:09:36 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

Project Woodstock

Hi all,

If you're a NetBeans user who has worked with the Visual Web JSF framework, you're familiar with JSF 1.2 Woodstock components. And you probably know that the Woodstock gang is always adding new components to the Visual Web palette. For example, the Accordion, Accordion Tab, and Bubble Help are new to the Palette. Woodstock is truly a work in progress.

If you want to have some fun, go to https://woodstock.dev.java.net. There you can see the components in action. You can also get an idea of what's in store for Woodstock.

Cheers!

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 19 2008, 12:29:33 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

MySQL and Travel Database

Hi all,

The wheels are turning. Everyday, MySQL is being further integrated in NetBeans. Now you have access to databases formerly associated with Java DB. A good example would be the Travel database. A lot of Visual Web JSF tutorials use this database, and until now, if you wanted to use this database you had to use the Java DB Database Server. Not any more. Now you can use MySQL. I'll show you how.

1. Before you start, make sure you have MySQL installed on your machine. Also, make sure the MySQL server is running. You can check to see if the server is running by expanding the Databases node in the Services window.

   

2. Now it's time to create the database. Right-click the MySQL node and choose Create Database. The Create MySQL Database dialog box opens.

   

3. Select the Travel database from the drop down list and click OK.

   

4. The New Database Connection dialog box opens with the connection information already entered for you. Enter the root password (if you use one) and click OK. You'll also be prompted to choose a schema. Just accept the default and click OK.

   

5. The IDE runs an SQL script to populate the Travel database.

   

6. The database is now not only created, but it is also connected. How's that for efficiency? If by some chance the database had already been created, and all you needed to do was to connect to it, you'd only have expand Databases > MySQL in the Services window, right-click the Travel database, and choose Connect. It's really that easy.

   

7. Now we're in business. The database is there and connected. If you want to see what it contains, just expand the Travel database connection node in the Services window.

   

8. And to see the actual data, just right-click any table node and choose View Data.

   

Have fun with MySQL and NetBeans!

Cheers!

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 16 2008, 07:01:15 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

NetBeans Plugin Manager

Hi all,

A lot of people are using NetBeans 6.1 already, and I think you'll agree that the IDE has come a long way. NetBeans is much bigger than the product that ships: the Plugin Manager makes the IDE more powerful. It's easy to use and fast too.

The first time you visit the Plugin Manager (Tools > Plugins) you might be a little overwhelmed by the number of possibilities. The Plugin Manager has several tabs, each with its own function. The one you'll probably end up using the most often is Available Plugs.

Here you'll find a lit of all plugine you can install. It's like walking though a big department store, but it's all free. The search tool in the upper right=hand corner is great for filtering down the plugins to exactly what you want.

Select the plugin you want to install and click Install. You'll have to agree to terms and conditions, of course, and you might even have to restart the IDE, but when you're done, your already great IDE will be even greater.

If you've been doing any NetBeans 6.1 tutorials, you know that in order to do some tutorials you need to install certain plugins. If you haven't done any tutorials, check out the Plugin Manager first and get to know your way around.

Cheers!

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 15 2008, 02:00:53 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

When MySQL Comes to Town

Hi all,

Next week we're expecting some very interesting people here in Prague. Some MySQL engineers are coming to our Prague office to discuss further the integration of MySQL into NetBeans IDE. Some engineers from Sun in the U.S are also coming. I'm really looking forward to seeing them and learning more about what is to be done (since there's a good chance I'll be responsible for documenting a lot of it).

It's a pity they didn't come this week instead. The weather outside is gorgeous. Next week the forecast calls for lower temperatures (bot not cold), rain, and thunderstorms.

It suppose it doesn't matter. It doesn't rain in pubs.

Cheers!

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 14 2008, 12:32:30 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [2]

New Tutorial: Using Hibernate in a Visual Web JSF Application

Hi all,

There's a new tutorial I'd like to tell you about: Using Hibernate in a Visual Web JSF Application. It was written by Dongmei Cao and Ken Ganfield. This tutorial shows you how to use the NetBeans IDE to create and deploy a web application that displays data from a database. The web application uses the Hibernate framework as the persistence layer to persist Java objects to a relational database.

Hibernate is framework that provides tools for object relational mapping (ORM). The tutorial demonstrates how to add support for the Hibernate framework to the IDE and create the necessary Hibernate files to use Hibernate to persist plain old Java objects (POJOs).

After creating the Java objects and configuring the application to use Hibernate, you add Visual Web components to a web page to display the data. To familiarize yourself with using Visual Web components, you may want to read the Getting Started With NetBeans Visual Web JSF Development.

The tutorial is at http://www.netbeans.org/kb/61/web/hibernate-vwp.html.

Great work, Dongmei and Ken!

Cheers!

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 13 2008, 03:43:12 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [1]

When Inserting Code Fails, Try Encapsulating Fields

Hi all,

I experienced some weird behavior today when I was working on a tutorial for Hibernate. I wanted to generate some getters and setters, so I right-clicked in the Source Editor and chose Insert Code. Nothing happened. I mean nothing. Literally. It should have looked like this:

I tried it again and again. Still nothing. So I did what any other tech writer would do: I tried it another way. I right-clicked again in the Source Editor and choose Refactor > Encapsulate Fields.

Here I was able to get the IDE to generate my getter and setter methods, getting the result I desired.

From what I understand, the problems could have been caused by where the cursor is located in the Source Editor. Since hearing about this, however, I've gone back and tried it again. Sometimes I was able to insert code, other times not.

One great thing about NetBeans is that there is often an alternate way of getting something done.

Cheers!

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 12 2008, 01:40:40 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [1]

Another Successful JavaOne

Hi all,

Another JavaOne has come and gone. Once again the world was awed at what Java can do. I had the chance to tune into several of the sessions online, however, one thing that really impressed me was Neil Young's presentation. The world "cool" comes nowhere close to describe this. You can find the video online if you google or it, and I suggest watching it. Every once in a while I hear somebody say that Java is dead. Now I know that it lives and thrives. And this is only the beginning.

Java is alive and kicking. Get used to it.

I wish I could have attended JavaOne, and maybe next year I'll be able to. Who knows, maybe I'll see you at JavaOne 2009.

Cheers!

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 11 2008, 12:58:37 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

Recognition

Hi again,

Have you checked the learning trails lately? You'll find something like you see in the image above. NetBeans Community members making a difference. The image was taken from the platform learning trail at http://www.netbeans.org/kb/trails/platform.html.

Maybe we'll see your name there someday.

See you tommorow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 07 2008, 04:33:24 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

New Resource Matrix

Hi all,

If you've been trying out the updated NetBeans tutorials you will have noticed the new resource matrix near the top of each tutorial. The matrix was created to help user avoid using the incorrect version of NetBeans with the tutorial. This is especially common before a release, when users are trying out dev builds with existing tutorials. The matrix even lists other valuable information such as required databases or application server. The appearance of the matrix may change base of technology, but it is always there to make sure your tutorial experience is a good one.

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 06 2008, 12:15:49 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

New NetBeans 6.1, GlassFish, & MySQL Bundle

Hi all,

Last night I got back from a week in the country only to be greeted by a stomach bug that kept me up all night. What a welcome! A much better thing to come back to was the new NetBeans 6.1/GlassFish/MySQL bundle you can get at http://download.netbeans.org/netbeans/6.1/mysql_bundle/. Just choose your OS and start the download. It's that easy.

In the near future, look for more MySQL integration in NetBeans IDE, making it easier and easier to use both .

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 05 2008, 09:03:35 AM CEST ) Permalink Comments [1]

Hello World

Hello world,

James' Mac here again. OK, I've just about had enough of this "time for myself" thing. James has been gone since Wednesday, and although I like having time for myself, this is getting a little out of hand. A thin layer of dust is starting to settle on my silver casing. And what about my keys? Will they still have the same flexibility the next time he caresses them?

I'm starting to think that this "alone" thing isn't what it's cracked up to be.

I miss the warm sensation I get whenever NetBeans starts up. I miss my connection with the world through the LAN cable. And the way my external monitor lights up whenever I talk to it. Oh, the sorrow. How could he have deserted me like this? Aren't there more tutorials to write? Isn't there a user out there in dire need a new online Help topic? Is anybody listening to me?

Oh well, I guess I'll have to be patient. James will be back tomorrow and then it's back to business, baby!

Signing out.

James' Mac

Posted by branajam ( May 04 2008, 09:00:00 AM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

A Weekend for Me

Hey world,

This is James' Mac again. James is still on vacation in Eastern Bohemia. I'm sitting back and relaxing. Nobody'll be banging on my keys for another 48 hours at least. This is definitely the life.

Since I finally have the chance to make my voice heard, let me try to clear up a few myths about computers. I am a computer, so I can offer a unique perspective on the matter. OK brace yourselves, this might hurt a bit.

90 % of all computer malfunctions originate between the keyboard and the chair. Unless, of course, you're using Microsoft Windows, where this figure can be as low as 10 %.

Having said that, It's time for another beer.

See you tomorrow

James' Mac

Posted by branajam ( May 03 2008, 09:00:00 AM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

James' Mac Takes Over

Hello world,

James is somewhere in Eastern Bohemia this weekend. He left some scheduled blogs to be published, but since he's gone, I hope you won't mind me, his computer, taking over for a while. (When the cat's away, the mice will play.)

Well, uh, where do I start? How about a little background information? I'm a 17" MacBook Pro. James and I got together in October of 2006, after his ex, a Sony Viao, and he weren't getting along so well. He still has nightmares about all the blue screens he saw when he and his Viao were together. It was a horrible relationship. I'm happy to say that our relationship is a very stable one. No crashes to date, although Parallels does make me a little tipsy sometimes, and when I get tipsy I slow down a little.

Wow. I'm starting to like this blogging thing. It's allowing me to get a lot of things off my keyboard.

James takes pretty good care of me. He cleans my screen regularly, and he even still puts the original plastic liner between the screen and keyboard before he close me. I only wish he would spend less time with me, I mean, I have a life too. It seems like we're always together, especially before NetBeans releases. Oh well, I guess I'll get used to it.

See ya later.

James' Mac

Posted by branajam ( May 02 2008, 09:00:00 AM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

NB Community Docs Contribution Coordinator: Varun Nischal

Hi all,

I have a very important news item for the NetBeans Community. As of today, May 1, the NetBeans Community Docs program has a new Contribution Coordinator: Varun Nischal. He replaces Amit Kumar Saha, who, after a very successful tenure as Contribution Coordinator, move into employment at Sun Microsystems India. Amit has left some very big shoes to fill, but I'm confident that Varun has the right feet to fill them.

Varun is a Computer Science undergraduate in his pre-final year and the Campus Sun Club Coordinator. As coordinator, he has organized various events related to NetBeans, meant to increase the adoption of NetBeans IDE on his campus. Also, during the Code For Freedom Contest, Varun pioneered a Mentoring Program for contributing docs to the Community Docs program, conducting a few sessions as well, giving insight into the Community Docs program. Varun also blogs, and NetBeans is a frequent topic for his blog. Varun was recently awarded by Sun Microsystems for being a Significant Contributor to the NetBeans Community during the Code For Freedom Contest.

Varun has been involved in the Community Docs program for a while now. He has made several contributions:

• Resizing Components in GUI Matisse Builder
• Troubleshooting NetBeans Startup
• Getting Started with NetBeans Docs
• Checking out from CVS and Doing Headless Builds

These contributions show just how dedicated Varun is to the NB Community Docs program. Join me in welcoming Varun to his new position. He will be there to help you whenever you need help or have questions. I really look forward to working with Varun, as I'm certain you all are.

Next week, I'll blog more about Varun. See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( May 01 2008, 09:00:00 AM CEST ) Permalink Comments [4]

When Tragedy Strikes

Hi all,

Yesterday I got an email from a Community Contributor. It seems that his blog had been lost. And what a loss it was. The blogger, John Muchow, is an engineer who used to work for NetBeans. His blog, Mac Developer Tips, is a valuable resource for NetBeans and Mac users. If you've looked at the NetBeans Community Docs wiki, you'll have seen John's three contributed screencasts. These were real treasures indeed.

After I heard the bad news, I wrote a blog entry about it. It seems it was a little premature. John was able to salvage a lot of what was lost. Some images may not appear, and some screencasts may not play, but the blog is up and running again.

Please show your support and appreciation for John's Mac Developer Tips. Visit the site and even consider sending an email to John. Let him know how much we appreciate his efforts.

Thanks,

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 30 2008, 01:32:25 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [1]

NetBeans 6.1 Is Here!

Hi all,

It's here! NetBeans 6.1 has arrived.

Just look at today's Community Newsletter.

Thanks a lot for waiting, and I think you'll find that NetBeans 6.1 was worth the wait. There are lots of goodies in this release, my favorite is the MySQL support. This is definitely one huge step forward for the IDE. However, there are many more huge steps coming.

Be sure to check out documentation for this release. There are changes in 6.1 that affect tutorials, and this has been documented in each tutorial. Most tutorials will work for both NetBeans 6.0 and 6.1.

So now it's on to NetBeans 6.5. Have lots of fun with NetBeans, the best IDE there is.

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 29 2008, 02:30:02 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [1]

Waiting Waiting Waiting

Hi all,

By this time today, I thought I'd have a special announcement for you all, but I don't. Yesterday I promised you that something big was going to happen. I can't say anything yet, but I wouldn't blame you if you were to go to the website to see what's going on.

If you see anything there, be sure to keep it a secret.

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 28 2008, 09:45:22 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

Tomorrow is a Big Day

Hi all,

Something big is coming tomorrow. Any ideas what it could be?

I think you'll be happy when you see it.

It was definitely worth the wait.

Tune in tomorrow for more.

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 27 2008, 07:47:35 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [1]

Refactoring Issue

Hi all,

Last minute work continues for the 6.1 release. For example, I just added an issue to the 6.1 Release Notes (#133893). It seems that while refactoring (removing, renaming, etc.) a Java class, the refactoring dialog displays the following error: "Module Spring Beans threw java.lang.ClassCastException: org.netbeans.editor.ext.ExtSyntaxSupport". This happens especially in a web project which was extended by the Spring Web MVC framework.

The workaround is to right-click the project node in the Projects view and click Properties. In the Project Properties dialog box, select the Spring Framework category. In the Configuration Files tab, remove the web/WEB-INF/jsp/index.jsp file and click OK.

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 26 2008, 12:28:27 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [1]

Great Blog: Mac Developer Tips

Hi all,

Today while doing Community related stuff, I came across a fantastic blog by John Muchow: Mac Developer Tips. This blog is full of goodies including two high quality screencasts which were immediately added to the Community Docs wiki (with the author's permission, of course).

During an email exchange with John, I found out that He had been involved in working on the NetBeans Mobility pack a few years ago. What a small world.

Be sure to check out John's blog at http://macdevelopertips.com to see why I'm so excited. First of all, I'm a Mac user. So I'll be scouring his blogs for some Mac tips. Secondly, NetBeans pops up quite often in the blog. A double-whammy, if you will.

Why don't you stop reading this blog and visit Mac Developer Tips now. I promise you it's worth the trip there.

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 25 2008, 06:15:04 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

Check the Version First

Hi NetBeaners,

I've mentioned a few times in my blog how important it is to check the version before starting a tutorial. It's quite frustrating to get halfway through a tutorial only to find out that it won't work. You scroll back up to the top of the tutorial only to find what you'd feared: you were using the wrong version of the tutorial.

The release of NetBeans IDE 6.1 has presented us writers with an interesting situation. Some tutorials work only with NetBeans 6.0, others only with 6.1, and some with both. To get the message out which tutorial works with which version of the IDE, a series of stamps was created. They say it all: We hope that this help users avoid the scenario mentioned above. The version number is also listed in other places as well.

There are other changes as well. A new resource table has been added to tutorials with the applicable version of NetBeans, Java, and other resources. All in all, I think that you find the new tutorial format a little easier on the eyes.

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 24 2008, 04:28:29 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [5]

Big Database changes Planned for NetBeans 6.5

Hi all,

With the release of NetBeans IDE 6.1 just around the corner, we started to focus on NetBeans 6.5. It's scheduled for later this year, and one of the areas that will see lots of changes is databases. Everyone has heard about the acquisition of MySQL by Sun, and one can expect to have more support for MySQL, however, NetBeans 6.5 will offer more support for databases in general (not just MySQL). Databases will be easier to use, even for non-Java developers.

Here's a short list of what's on the table:

• The Database Connection dialog is different. The dialog will no longer be JDBC-specific. You also won't need to enter a URL for the database. You'll add the information and the IDE will do the rest for you. It will also be more user-friendly for non-Java developers.
• Tight integration with Query Editor. PHP and SQL editing go hand-in-hand, and in 6.5 it will be easy to switch between SQL editing and PHP editing.
• Code snippets. Code snippets for SQL and PHP queries. User can also add their own PHP code snippets.
• Auto completion for SQL. This will make SQL editing a lot faster.

I could go on and on, but I won't. I just wanted to whet you appetite a little. I'll blog more about new features as 6.5 is being developed.

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 23 2008, 03:44:34 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [10]

Binding Attributes Again

Hi all,

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog entry about adding binding attributes to components in NetBeans 6.1 Visual Web JSF applications. For most of you out there (those playing around with NetBeans 6.1), this is probably a no-brainer, but some components are easily overlooked when you do this. What I'm talking about precisely is adding a binding attribute to the form component. If you plan on adding any Java code to the form component - and in a lot of cases you will) - you might want to check to see it has a binding attribute. Just go to the JSP Editor and look for the form component. If it has no binding attribute, it will look something like this:

Time to add a binding attribute. Now hold on, before you start clicking all over the Visual Designer trying to add the binding attribute to the form, consider doing it in the Navigator window, where it is easy and crisp (this word just sounded right here). It should look something like this.

There you go. Now you're in business. To check if the binding attribute is in fact there, just go back to the JSP Editor and check the form component again.

The form component is often overlooked when adding binding elements, and if you forget this step, some projects will not work.

Hope this helps.

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 22 2008, 03:45:07 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [0]

Navigator Window: Mulitple Selection

Hi all,

Every once in a while I hear about somebody having mouse clicking problems in the IDE. Sometimes there are problems trying to select multiple items in the Visual Designer, configuring virtual forms for multiple items, or trying to access any one of the items in the contextual menu that appears after right-clicking. There are also issues that apply to certain operating systems and not to others, and certain key combinations that are required to perform certain mouse-related actions. The causes of these problems can be various but the result is almost always the same: frustration.

If you're having problems selecting multiple components in the Visual Designer, try doing all of your selecting and clicking in the Navigator window. I've found it to be a very useful tool indeed.

In the image above, I have selected four components and right-clicked one of them (it doesn't matter which one) and chosen Configure Virtual Forms. Had I done this in the Visual Designer, depending on which OS I use, I'd probably had to use a certain key combination to get the same results. Or maybe, the components were placed close together and I kept selecting the wrong ones. This can be easily avoided by using the Navigator window. You have more precise control over which components you select.

Give it a try yourself and you'll see what I mean.

See you tomorrow.

--James

Posted by branajam ( Apr 21 2008, 06:14:35 PM CEST ) Permalink Comments [1]