Bye NetBeans IDE

1. Download the NetBeans Platform. Go here, download it, and unzip into a folder:

   http://netbeans.org/downloads/start.html?filename=zip/moduleclusters/netbeans-6.9-201006101454-ml-platform.zip

2. Download the NetBeans Platform Build Harness. Into the same folder where you downloaded the above, unzip this:

   http://netbeans.org/downloads/start.html?filename=zip/moduleclusters/netbeans-6.9-201006101454-ml-harness.zip

   You now have the NetBeans Platform as well as its build harness. Let's start using it.

3. Set Up a Project. In a different folder to where the above two have been unzipped, create a folder named "DemoApp". Inside "DemoApp", create a folder called "nbproject" (so that you'll be able to open the project, sometime in the future when you might want to do so, into NetBeans IDE). Inside the 'nbproject' folder you only need to put three files:

   project.xml

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <project xmlns="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/project/1">
       <type>org.netbeans.modules.apisupport.project.suite</type>
       <configuration>
           <data xmlns="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/nb-module-suite-project/1">
               <name>DemoApp</name>
           </data>
       </configuration>
   </project>

   platform.properties

   nbplatform.active.dir=/home/geertjan/projects/platform-zip/
   harness.dir=${nbplatform.active.dir}/harness
   cluster.path=${nbplatform.active.dir}/platform
   disabled.modules=
   app.name=demoapp
   branding.token=${app.name}
   modules=

   The 'nbplatform.active.dir' above points to the folder where I unzipped the two downloads into.

   build-impl.xml

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <project name="DemoApp-impl" basedir=".." xmlns:sproject="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/nb-module-suite-project/1">
       <property file="nbproject/platform.properties"/>
       <macrodef name="property" uri="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/nb-module-suite-project/1">
           <attribute name="name"/>
           <attribute name="value"/>
           <sequential>
               <property name="@{name}" value="${@{value}}"/>
           </sequential>
       </macrodef>
       <macrodef name="evalprops" uri="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/nb-module-suite-project/1">
           <attribute name="property"/>
           <attribute name="value"/>
           <sequential>
               <property name="@{property}" value="@{value}"/>
           </sequential>
       </macrodef>
       <sproject:property name="harness.dir" value="nbplatform.${nbplatform.active}.harness.dir"/>
       <sproject:property name="nbplatform.active.dir" value="nbplatform.${nbplatform.active}.netbeans.dest.dir"/>
       <sproject:evalprops property="cluster.path.evaluated" value="${cluster.path}"/>
       <import file="${harness.dir}/suite.xml"/>
   </project>

   The above files, within the 'nbproject' folder, are all that's needed to hook the 'platform' and 'harness' downloads into your project.

4. Add a Build Script. On the same level as the 'nbproject' folder, i.e., the root directory, add your build.xml file. A starting point would be as follows:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <project name="DemoApp" basedir=".">
       <description>Builds the module suite DemoApp.</description>
       <import file="nbproject/build-impl.xml"/>
   </project>

   
   

That's it. Go to the project's root directory and do 'ant run'. The NetBeans Platform will start up and you'll see the main window. When troubleshooting the above scenario, make sure the 'platform' and 'harness' folders are really in a different folder to where the 'DemoApp' is in, e.g., 'home/nbplatform/platform' and 'home/nbplatform/harness', with 'home/mywork/DemoApp' is what is needed.

Next time, we'll look at how to add a module to the application.