NetBeans. I’m hooked. I admit it. Here is the short version of how it happened:

I have always been a plain text kind of guy.  When working on a project, I generally use a text editor ( emacs usually ) and command line build tools.  I have never understood the IDE mentality.  In case you are wondering why then I would use emacs, the answer is emacs’ ease of use as a text editor.

So a few weeks back, a friend of my grandmother needed help installing her digital converter box.  I volunteered to help out.  Several days later I got a thank you card in the mail, with a gift card to a bookstore enclosed.  Overjoyed, I went book shopping, and found a book dealing with server side Java.  The book highly advised that even if one prefers not to use an IDE, to at least use NetBeans while doing the exercises in the book.  I went along with this suggestion, and installed NetBeans.

It was love at first sight pretty much.

The only thing difficult about it is pulling myself away from it to do other things, such as post in this blog.  : )

So, you might ask, what am I using it to develop?  About a year ago, I wrote a crude webapp that could be used by a diner or small restaurant to track sales and such.  I am doing a total rewrite of that webapp.  Just for the fun of it.

As always, I love Java.  It’s fun.  : )