As a beta tester, you officially test the test and will be able to provide Sun with valuable comments and technical feedback about the Netbeans IDE questions. The Sun beta exam counts towards official Sun Certified Specialist Netbeans IDE (SCSNI) Certification!

Beta Dates: October 15, 2008 thru November 5, 2008

Registration Exam Start Date: October 13, 2008

Passing the exam entitles you to the full status of Sun Certified Specialist Netbeans IDE, and you will receive aSun certification kit. A certification kit will have your certificate, Logo Agreement and Letter.

Candidates will have 195 minutes to complete 160 questions, which should allow you time to respond to all questions and provide your valuable comments while taking the exam.

This beta exam is offered Worldwide at any Authorized Prometric Testing Center!

Recommended Prerequisites

• Candidates should have six to twelve months experience programming with the Netbeans IDE.

Beta Exam Registration ProcedureUnlike other SUN Microsystems certification exams, this exam does NOT require a voucher. To register for theSun Certified Specialist Netbeans IDE, exam number 311-045 Beta exam, you may register online at http://www.prometric.com, and follow the prompts. Or, you may register by phone, by calling your regional Prometric registration office, listed at http://www.prometric.com/Sun/default.htm.

Asia/Australia: 61-2-96405830
Europe: 31-320-239-800
Japan: 81-0120-107737
Latin America: Contact your local Prometric testing center, listed at www.2test.com
USA/Canada: 1-800-795-3926
Please contact [email protected] for any questions.

Exam Testing Objectives

• • 1.1 Demonstrate the ability to configure the functionality available in the IDE, including using enabling and disabling functionality and using the Plugin Manager.
  • 1.2 Explain the purpose of the user directory and the netbeans.conf file and how these can be used to configure the IDE.
  • 1.3 Demonstrate the ability to work with servers in the IDE, such as registering new server instances and stopping and starting servers.
  • 1.4 Describe how to integrate external libraries in the IDE and use them in coding and debugging your project.
  • 1.5 Demonstrate knowledge of working with databases in the IDE, including registering new database connections and tables running SQL scripts.
  • 1.6 Describe how to integrate and use different versions of the JDK in the IDE for coding, debugging, and viewing Javadoc documentation.

Section 1: IDE Configuration

• Section 2: Project Setup
  • 2.1 Describe the characteristics and uses of a free-form project.
  • 2.2 Demonstrate the ability to work with version control systems and the IDE. (Which VCS’s are available, which ones you need an external client for, how to pull sources out of a repository, view changes, and check them back in).
  • 2.3 Describe the ways in which you can change the build process for a standard project, such as configuring project properties and modifying the project’s Ant build script.
  • 2.4 Configure your project to compile against and run on a specific version of the JDK.
• Section 3: Java SE Development
  • 3.1 Demonstrate the ability to create NetBeans projects from the source code of an existing Java SE program.
  • 3.2 Describe how to manage the classpath of a Java SE project, including maintaining a separate classpath for compiling and debugging.
  • 3.3 Demonstrate the knowledge of the NetBeans GUI Builder and the ability to lay out and hook up basic forms using it.
  • 3.4 Demonstrate the ability to package and distribute a built Java Desktop project for use by another user.
• Section 4: Java EE Web Development
  • 4.1 Describe how to create a NetBeans project from the source code of an existing Web application.
  • 4.2 Distinguish between a visual web application and web application.
  • 4.3 Demonstrate knowledge of which web frameworks are available in NetBeans IDE and how they are added to and used in a web application.
  • 4.4 Describe how to monitor HTTP requests when running a web application.
  • 4.5 Demonstrate a knowledge of basic tasks related to building and deploying web applications to a server, such as changing the target server and undeploying an application.
• Section 5: Editing
  • 5.1 Describe the purpose and uses of refactoring and demonstrate the ability to perform basic refactoring on Java source code.
  • 5.2 Describe how to use the Options window to change the default appearance and behavior of the Source Editor.
  • 5.3 Describe the ways that the IDE highlights errors in source code and the tools the IDE offers for correcting those errors.
  • 5.4 Demonstrate the ability to use editor hints, such as implementing all the methods for an implemented interface.
  • 5.5 Demonstrate the ability to use live code templates such as automatic generation of constructors, try/catch loops, and getters and setters.
• Section 6: Testing, Profiling, and Debugging
  • 6.1 Demonstrate the ability to work with JUnit tests in the IDE, such as creating JUnit tests and interpreting JUnit test output.
  • 6.2 Describe how to debug a local (desktop) application, including setting breakpoints and stepping through code.
  • 6.3 Describe the difference between local and remote debugging and describe how to debug a remote (web) application.
  • 6.4 Describe the purpose of profiling applications and how to profile a local desktop application in the IDE.

NetBeans IDE 6.5 Beta introduces several new features, including a robust IDE for PHP, JavaScript debugging for Firefox and IE, and support for Groovy and Grails. This release also includes a number of enhancements for Java, Ruby and Rails, and C/C++ development. Java feature highlights include: built-in support for Hibernate, Eclipse project import, and compile on save.

NetBeans IDE 6.5 Beta Highlights:

PHP

• Code Completion
• Quick Fixes and Semantic Checks
• FTP Support
• Debugging with Xdebug
• Support for popular Web Services

Ajax/JavaScript

• Debugging support for Firefox and IE
• HTTP client monitoring
• Bundled popular JavaScript libraries

Java

• Groovy/Grails support
• Compile/Deploy on Save
• Eclipse project import and synchronization
• Built-in Hibernate support
• JSF CRUD Generator now Ajax-enabled

Database

• Editor Improvements

C/C++

• Improved code completion and error highlighting
• Remote Development

Ruby

• Support for Ruby Tests
• Improved support for Rake build tool

GlassFish v3 “Prelude”

• Small footprint, fast startup and deployment
• Support for scripting, including jRuby

For more details on NetBeans IDE 6.5 Beta visit New and Noteworthy.
One can download the NetBeans IDE 6.5 Beta here.

Organized By: Sun Microsystems Inc.

Key Dates:
Contest Begins: May 5, 2008
Deadline for Contest: June 6, 2008
Judging Period: June 7- June 20, 2008
Winner’s announced: June 25, 2008

About NetBeans 6.1 and OpenSolaris OS:
OpenSolaris is a full-featured OS with compelling software features such as ZFS, Dynamic Tracing (DTrace), Predictive Self-Healing and Solaris Containers, and it is built to give student developers like you a risk-free platform to quickly build, test, troubleshoot and deploy your innovations.

NetBeans is an IDE supporting whole loads of languages namely Java SE, Web & Java EE, Mobile Platform, UML, SOA, Ruby, C/C++ and servers namely GlassFish V2 UR2 and Apache Tomcat 6.0.16. In the latest 6.1 release, the award-winning NetBeans IDE has cool new features for developing AJAX web applications using JavaScript technology and delivers tighter integration with MySQL database.

Download OpenSolaris OS here
Download NetBeans IDE 6.1 here

About the Contest:
Details about the contest can be found at Let Me Know.

First post on NetBeans. More number of them yet to come.

Major improvements in NetBeans IDE 6.1 Features

I had been using Eclipse IDE all these days. Reason- had never thought NetBeans IDE was so powerful and so easy to use. But today i thought of trying it out. And to my shock its much faster than Eclipse. The time take for the Application to start is much lesser than the same in Eclipse IDE. I downloaded the version for Java SE– Thanks to the Internet Speed at my home- couldn’t afford for more. The breeze installation of NetBeans- was simply superb. I had to just key in the directory of installation and the only other time my response was required was only to click on “Finish“. Its said “First impression is the best Impression“. Thats what i felt after the installation.

One more thing i forgot to mention- There are many versions of NetBeans available. For more information visit the site here. One can even get a free DVD here.

Recently i have been using Microsoft Visual studio for my project. I had spoken to the person at the company where i am doing my project and he had told me that there is no editor as powerful as Microsoft Visual Studio and that too especially for Java and now i think i can give him a fitting reply- NetBeans IDE to the rescue.

After the installation i opened the Application from the start menu. Alas!!!! it was up and running in no time. Oh!!! i had to wait for ages for Eclipse IDE to start up So another positive point there for NetBeans IDE…..

Now i did not have to waste much time in getting along with my work. But what work?. I had no work in my mind. So i just created a new Project. Even there i had whole lots of options to choose from. I had been thinking right from the moment i clicked on new project, to build a project related to Swing. And NetBeans provided me with a template sort of Desktop Application. So i chose from the new Projects menu- Java Desktop Application.

Soon after this i was shocked to see a complete GUI already built with- JMenuBar and Two JMenus, one JPanel, another JPanel which acted as Status Panel and a JProgressBar. So my work was reduced drastically. So now i could think on the main implementation part and leave the GUI part to NetBeans IDE Tools. Thats the best thing in NetBeans IDE. One can leave out the worries regarding building a GUI and can concentrate more on the Implementation aspect of the Project being developed. Building a GUI is just clicks away. There is a tool bar on the right hand side of the Application which contains all the Swing Tools- just click and then drag and drop- looks its so simple. Then there is also one thing called Properties. Every Swing Tool/ Object has certain Properties associated with them. There is a tool bar below the Swing Toolbar by name “Properties”. One can set Properties or Bindings or Events or Code of the particular swing object.

Using all these features i created a basic application which would take two points and draw a line. Can anyone imagine how much time i took to do that. Not even 5 minutes

I suppose i couldn’t write more about here due to lack of experience in using NetBeans IDE. Today was the first time i used NetBeans IDE and i put up a post on my experience. I hope to put up a lot more in the future as my experience about the application increases.

I don’t see any point in quoting the technical features here. As they can be read any time from NetBeans homepage. I will provide the links for most of the necessary items.

Note: For Screen shots of the application IDE and how to start about here
( The tutorial consists of building Java application )

NetBeans IDE 6.1 Features
NetBeans Plugin Portal
NetBeans Docs and Support
NetBeans Community
NetBeans Partners