Oracle claims NetBeans 7 is the first open source IDE to support the next-generation Java platform.

Which Java IDE is best? Compare IntelliJ IDEA , Eclipse, and NetBeans for features, usability, and compatibility with your favorite tools and frameworks.

NetBeans IDE 3.6, a major revision to the open source platform, is now available, adding improved windowing, debugging, and backing for J2EE 1.4.

For non-Java developers Oracle has also bolstered NetBeans 7 IDE to include better integration with Oracle WebLogic Server, allowing for faster deployment, Oracle said.

Along with the Java platform NetBeans IDE 7.0 supports PHP, JavaScript, Ajax and C/C++. But Hilwa noted that the new release drops support for the Ruby programming language.

On Tuesday Oracle announced the release of a new version of its NetBeans IDE, 8.0, that takes advantage of the latest enhancements in Java SE 8, among other changes.

Mills claimed that NetBeans 7 is the first open source IDE to support the new Java (though JetBrains offers a beta of its IntelliJ IDE that also supports the draft specification).

Open source Java development environment NetBeans has achieved top-level project status at the Apache Software Foundation. NetBeans is the integrated development environment (IDE) associated first ...