Key Concepts
To work in the IDE, you need to be familiar with these concepts:
Templates
To begin a new project, first select a template for the kind of
object you want to create. The template determines the initial
appearance and behavior of the object, thus reducing the amount of
time and effort involved in creating your application. Java
components, such as Swing and Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT)
containers, are provided as standard
templates. Templates are also provided for applets, classes, dialog
boxes, HTML files, text files, and bookmarks. Choose File
New to find
the template you want to use. After choosing a template, provide a
name for the new object you are creating and provide a
package name. You can then add that package to the filesystem.
Filesystems
In the IDE, the Filesystems pane shows a
hierarchical organization of the Java class path and its directories.
By following each node in the Explorer window down to its lowest level,
you can see which objects, classes, methods, or files exist in a particular
directory within the classpath. When you work in a particular project, you
can go to the Filesystems pane in the Explorer window and expand a filesystem
node to view the objects contained within it. Select an item and
right-click to view an object's properties, modify the properties, change the
object itself, and more. If you want to work on applications or
filesystems created outside of the IDE, you must mount the filesystem
as instructed in the section on Filesystems in the IDE.
Modules
The IDE is built entirely from modules, independent pieces of software
that are compiled separately. Even features central to the
environment, such as the Source Editor, debugger, and Form Editor, are
modules. You can expand this modular structure with extensions. View
the modules currently installed in your environment by choosing Tools
Options to open
the Options window. Expand IDE Configuration and then expand System.
Select Modules to see the list of modules. Right-click a module and choose
Properties from the contextual menu to view or edit properties. Every module
in the IDE can be customized to better suit your needs. You can also add
or update modules by using the Update Center wizard, which you can access by
choosing Tools
Update
Center.
When you work in the IDE, you are working on a project, which organizes the
files required to produce an applet or an application. When you organize your
files into a project, you can operate on the files as a whole. For example, when
you compile a project, you compile all of the Java source files in it. You create
and manage projects by using the Project menu in the main window. To view the files
in the current project, click the Project tab in the Explorer window. The Project
tab is always labeled with the name of the current project.
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