Setting up NetBeans IDE

We will now look at how to set up an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that can be used to develop ImageJ as well as plugins for ImageJ. There are many IDEs available for Java. While this section will show you how to set up a specific IDE called NetBeans, many of these settings and configurations can be replicated in your preferred IDE.

The setup I will describe is for the NetBeans IDE, which is developed by the same company that manages the Java language. It can be downloaded in different variants, including a variant for Java development, webpage development, and C++ development. If you only wish to develop plugins for ImageJ, the Java SE (Standard Edition) or Java EE (Enterprise Edition) downloads should be fine. The enterprise edition is similar to the standard edition, but it has additional APIs for multilevel and scalable applications as well as secure network applications. It is possible to extend the basic Java edition and add modules for web development...