A Generic Desktop Application Framework
The NetBeans Platform is a generic base for desktop applications.
It provides the services common to almost all large desktop applications:
window management, menus, settings and storage, an update manager, and file access.
Get a head start by reusing these standard components,
allowing you to concentrate fully on your application's business logic.
What's
New in NetBeans Platform 6.8
Tools for Rich Client Application (RCP) 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.
Thanks to Suite Chaining, you can even integrate NetBeans modules
(including sources and javadoc) from other
projects into your RCP application in one user-friendly step.
Bundle your modules up with the NetBeans Platform,
and you have a beautiful, branded, cross-platform application.
New APIs
Use handy IDE features such as the QuickSearch, Toolbars,
and the Window System into your own desktop applications and plugins.
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.
Additional to customizing your RCP application's layer.xml file,
you can now use annotations to add metadata
for Lookup, EditorActions, ServiceProviders, and more.
 Platform Development Learning Trail
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