Tools for Rich Client Application Development
All the tools you need to start building on the NetBeans Platform are included in the IDE:
If you already have the IDE, you do not need to download the platform separately.
However, if you would like to download the platform separately (without the module development tools),
you can download the
NetBeans Platform ZIP archive.
Modularity
Applications based on the NetBeans Platform can load modules dynamically,
so you no longer need to download the entire application
to get an upgrade or a new release.
Instead of writing the same code over and over again,
you can even assemble an application from already existing modules and
benefit from work contributed by others.
There are lots of useful open-source modules
written by the NetBeans community that are ready to be embedded,
such as TaskList, SpellChecker, etc.
Consistency
Applications based on the NetBeans Platform are write-once, run-anywhere.
Use the platform and the modules you develop as the basis
for multiple applications that share common logic.
Bundle your modules up with the NetBeans Platform,
and you have a beautiful, branded, cross-platform application.
New APIs 
Integrate handy IDE features such as the QuickSearch SPI
into your own desktop applications and modules.
In application based on the NetBeans platform,
you can now customize Window System properties.
Use OutlineView as fully compatible replacement for the deprecated TreeTableView.
Other APIs include Visual Library API for data visualization,
the NetBeans Preferences API for storing user settings,
and the Lexer API for creating tokens from a textual input.
Java 5.0 generics are used throughout the NetBeans APIs and
the NetBeans API ErrorManager has been deprecated,
in favor of the standard JDK Logger mechanism.
Platform Development Learning Trail
Platform API Documentation and Tutorials
Platform Developer FAQ
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