Java tutorial: How to install Apache NetBeans IDE on Windows

We are presenting a series of tutorials covering the installation of three Java IDE development environments. In this episode, we’ll show you how to install Java and NetBeans on a Windows machine, step by step.

See also the installation instructions:

• Java IDE Eclipse
• Java IntelliJ IDEA

Apache NetBeans IDE for Java

Apache NetBeans is a popular Java IDE (integrated development environment) with a large user base of Java developers, including professional developers for enterprise, embedded systems, web, mobile, desktop applications, and more. It is supported by Oracle as their official IDE for Java 8 and later versions. On this development platform you can find plugins for all major frameworks such as JavaServer Faces(JSF), Java Persistence API(JPA) and Enterprise JavaBeans(EJB). Its free and open-source nature makes it particularly interesting for IT students.

Among other advantages, we can mention the friendly user interface with easy navigation, GUI Builder, has strong support for Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) development, seamless integration with other popular Java development tools such as Apache Maven and Git etc.

However, it is important to note that the choice of IDE is subjective and depends on personal preferences and project requirements. Some developers may prefer Eclipse or IntelliJ IDEA over NetBeans out of personal preference. It’s always a good idea to try out different IDEs and see which one suits you best.

Before you get started with this Java Guide, it’s important to remember that Java is always installed before NetBeans, because it depends on it and will save you unnecessary trouble later.

Java installation:

Step 1: Download the latest version of Java from the official website.

Windows, Linux and macOS versions are available.

Choose the Windows version.

Tip: We recommend to always choose the latest version of the Java JDK for experimenting with Java, as it contains the most functionality and bug fixes. Businesses, in turn, prefer the Java LTS version.

Step 2: Once the download is complete, double-click on the downloaded file to start the installation.

Step 3: Click Next and choose the path where Java will be installed (I recommend leaving the default path), then click Next to start the installation.

Step 4: After the installation is complete, you can still view the documentation on the Java website by clicking the Next Steps button.

Click Close to complete the installation process.

Step 5: Verify proper installation of Java by opening a command prompt (cmd command) and typing the command java -version. If Java is installed correctly, you should see the version number displayed.

Installing Apache NetBeans

Now that we have our preferred version of Java installed, we will install Apache NetBeans.

Step 1: Go to the official NetBeans website and click on the Download button on the home page.

Step 2: Downloading NetBeans is easy because it will automatically offer the latest version of the program as well as the nearest site to download from. Choose the version for Windows or another operating system and click on it.

Step 3: On the next screen, confirm your selection by clicking on any of the links and start downloading.

Step 4: When the download is complete, double-click on the installation file to launch the installation wizard.

Step 5: The first screen is the introduction screen and after clicking on the Customize button you can choose which components you want to install. Usually all components are selected by default, but you can deselect any components you don’t need.

Tip: We recommend choosing the first three for Java development. If you plan to develop web applications, choose HTML5/JavaScript as well. If you don’t yet know what language you will develop in, select all of them.

Once you have selected your components, click the Next button to continue to the next screen.

Step 6: On the next screen, you must agree to the licensing terms in order to click Next.

Step 7: In the following wizard window, the installer will ask you to choose the folder where NetBeans will be installed. The default folder is usually fine, but you can choose a different folder (depending on your preferences). Also check the path to your JDK, if you have installed it according to our instructions, the default path will be filled in correctly. Click Next.

Step 8: Here’s the last screen before the actual installation, where you have the option to agree to the updates. Click the Install button to start the installation.

Step 9: Click Finish to complete the installation process.

Step 10: You can launch NetBeans via the newly created desktop icon.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Java and Apache NetBeans on your Windows computer. Now you’re ready to start programming in Java.

About the author

Jozef Wagner

Java Developer Senior

Viac ako 10 rokov programujem v Jave, momentálne pracujem v msg life Slovakia ako Java programátor senior a pomáham zákazníkom implementovať ich požiadavky do poistného softvéru Life Factory. Vo voľnom čase si rád oddýchnem v lese, prípadne si zahrám nejakú dobrú počítačovú hru.