When we talk about popular programming languages, it is important to remember Java! In fact, it is currently the most popular programming language in the world with approximately 70 Lakh Developers using it daily. And one of the reasons for this is the versatile nature of Java. Be it desktop apps, mobile apps or web applications, you name then and Java can create them!!!
Because of this popularity, Java has many IDE’s that you can use. These IDE’s or Integrated Development Environment provide immense help in the application development process. By using them, you can save time and effort as well as create a standard development process in your team or company. While the most popular Java IDE’s in the world are Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, NetBeans, etc. there are many other IDE’s that you can use according to your specifications.
So check out the Best Java IDE’s in this article so that you can decide on the one you wish to use based on their features and your needs.
1. Eclipse
Eclipse is a Java IDE that is one of the 3 biggest and most popular IDE’s in the world. It was written mostly in Java but it can also be used to develop applications in other programming languages apart from Java using plug-ins. Some of the features of Eclipse are as follows:
- PDE (Plugin Development Environment) is available in Eclipse for Java programmers that want to create specific functionalities in their applications.
- Eclipse flaunts powerful tools for the various processes in application development such as charting, modeling, reporting, testing, etc. so that Java developers can develop the application as fast as possible.
- Eclipse can also be used to create various mathematical documents with LaTeX using the TeXlipse plug-in as well as packages for the Mathematica software.
- Eclipse can be used on platforms like Linux, macOS, Solaris and Windows.
2. BlueJ
BlueJ is a Java IDE that is widely used by Java programmers in the world. While it was originally developed for educational purposes, it is also useful in software development, although on a smaller scale. Some of the features of BlueJ are as follows:
- The basic design of BlueJ is different from other IDE’s as it was mainly created to teach OOPS to beginners. So the interactive interface is clean and easy to use.
- The main screen on BlueJ shows the class structure of the current development application where objects can be easily accessed and modified.
- All the OOPS elements like classes, objects, etc. can be easily represented on BlueJ in a visual format using a diagram similar to UML.
- BlueJ can be used on platforms like Linux, macOS, and Windows.
3. IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA is a Java IDE that is one of the 3 biggest and most popular IDE’s in the world. It has two versions, namely the free open-source community edition and a paid Ultimate edition. Some of the features of IntelliJ IDEA are as follows:
- Both versions of IntelliJ IDEA support various programming languages like Java, Scala, Kotlin, Groovy, etc.
- There are many features in IntelliJ IDEA that make programming simpler such as debugging, code completion, code inspections, XML editing support, code refactoring, unit testing, TestNG, etc.
- Some of the other tools that are only offered in the paid Ultimate version duplicate detection, JavaScript and database tools, Perforce integration, etc.
- IntelliJ IDEA can be used on platforms like Linux, macOS, and Windows.
4. jGRASP
jGRASP is a lightweight Java IDE which is written using Java and can run on all platforms using a Java Virtual Machine. It is an integrated debugger as well as a workbench with various tools for Java developers. Some of the features of jGRASP are as follows:
- Things like complexity profile graphs and UML class diagrams for an application can be easily generated using jGRASP.
- jGRASP is a lightweight Java IDE but still, it can produce static visualizations of the application source code structure and its data structures at runtime.
- Although jGRASP is written using Java, it can still create CSDs (Control Structure Diagrams) for other programming languages such as C, C++, Python, Ada, Objective-C, etc.
- jGRASP can be used on platforms like Linux, macOS, and Windows.
5. JCreator
JCreator is a lightweight Java IDE that has an interface like Microsoft’s Visual Studio. It has 3 editions, namely the Lite Edition (LE), Pro Edition (Pro) and Lite-Pro Edition. Some of the features of JCreator are as follows:
- Since JCreator is a Java IDE that is programmed in C++, it doesn’t need a JRE for executing Java code. This means it is faster than other Java IDEs that are programmed in Java.
- The paid version of JCreator has various features similar to other Java IDEs such as Ant support, project management, code wizards, and a debugger. However, it has no advanced features like automated refactoring, support for common frameworks, etc.
- Despite some drawbacks, JCreator is a great Java IDE for beginners because of its compact size and higher speed.
- JCreator can be used on platforms like Linux (via Wine) and Windows.
6. NetBeans
NetBeans is a Java IDE that is one of the 3 biggest and most popular IDE’s in the world. This is an open-source IDE that allows Java programmers to build various applications using module sets. Some of the features of NetBeans are as follows:
- NetBeans is available for a variety of operating systems like Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, etc. It is also available in a feature-limited OS-independent version.
- It is very easy to create custom software applications using NetBeans as it highlights Java code syntactically as well as semantically. Also, there are many tools that help in writing bug-free code.
- While NetBeans is primarily a Java IDE, it has extensions for working in other programming languages such as C, C++, PHP, HTML5, JavaScript, etc.
- NetBeans can be used on platforms like Linux, macOS, Solaris and Windows.
7. Greenfoot
Greenfoot is a Java IDE that was developed for providing education to high school and undergraduate students. It is free software that is maintained with support from Oracle. Some of the features of Greenfoot are as follows:
- Two-dimensional graphical applications can be easily developed using Greenfoot, Prime examples of these are simulations, interactive games, etc.
- Greenfoot has the ability to display many OOPS features such as class & object relationships, methods, object interactions, parameters, etc.
- Also, it has easy access to animation and sound as it was intended to be a learning medium.
- Greenfoot can be used on platforms like Linux, macOS, Solaris and Windows.
8. JDeveloper
JDeveloper is a freeware Java IDE provided by the Oracle Corporation. It can be used to develop applications in various languages apart from Java such as XML, HTML, SQL, PL/SQL, JavaScript, PHP, etc. Some of the features of JDeveloper are as follows:
- JDeveloper provides various features for the entire development lifecycle of an application which is designing, coding, debugging, optimizing, deploying, etc.
- JDeveloper also simplifies the application development procedure by providing many visual development tools for applications along with all the tools needed to create an advanced coding-environment.
- JDeveloper can integrate with the Oracle Application Development Framework (Oracle ADF) which is an end-to-end Java EE-based framework. This ensures that the application development procedure becomes even easier.
- JDeveloper can be used on platforms like Linux, macOS, and Windows.
9. MyEclipse
MyEclipse is a Java IDE that is built on the Eclipse platform and offers a different feature set. It has 5 editions namely a Professional Edition, Standard Edition, Blue Edition, Spring Edition, and Bling Edition. Some of the features of MyEclipse are as follows:
- There are multiple tools available in MyEclipse such as database tools, persistence tools, visual web designers, Spring tools, etc. which can be used for Java application development and web development as well.
- MyEclipse provides support for web languages and frameworks such as HTML, JavaScript, Angular, TypeScript, etc.
- Some other features provided by the MyEclipse IDE are Maven project management, Swing GUI design support, Spring Tooling, WebSphere connectors, database connectors, etc.
- MyEclipse can be used on platforms like Linux, macOS, and Windows.
10. DrJava
DrJava is a free lightweight Java IDE that was created mostly for students and beginners in Java. However, it also has more powerful features for experts in Java. Some of the features of DrJava are as follows:
- DrJava can interactively evaluate Java code from a console and also present the output in the same console.
- Unlike some other IDE’s, DrJava has a consistent appearance on different platforms. This is because it was developed using the Sun Microsystems’ Swing toolkit.
- Some features for expert Java programmers available in DrJava are commenting, autocompletion, syntax coloring, automatic indentation, brace matching, etc.
- DrJava can be used on platforms like Linux, macOS, and Windows.