Re: Netbeans in education

I think this is the real power of NetBeans.
NetBeans is implemented as a real 
component-oriented IDE. So you can just
de-install the components you don't want
your students to use and re-package it.
After all this is the advantage of using
an open source Java-IDE.

It's important to let freshmen students using 
javac on the command prompt (not only by clicking 
the compile icon) to understand the process 
itself. This is for sure. But after a while they also 
should enjoy the fun of assembling a Java GUI with 
drag&drop capability of NetBeans. The only
disadvantage of NetBeans is that you don't
have a true "two-ways-views" between the GUI code
and the GUI designer. This two-ways-views could help 
them to understand the coding of GUI in Java a lot.

Depending on the subject you are teaching, going back 
to the notepad is not a solution. I think, the students
nowadays don't have to experience the "old" time as
I had to work with notepad and command prompt at
my first year. They have to continue searching
for some new ideas and expand their knowledge. 
They should not look back at the ancient time of 
programming...

Best regards,
-- 
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Blasius Lofi Dewanto
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OpenUSS (Open University Support System)
http://openuss.sourceforge.net
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> If Netbeans wants to become more widely used in education, it's not a
> matter of what it needs, it's more a matter of what it doesn't need. The
>   standard release right now is very much feature driven, with students
> new to Java 'drowning' in IDE functionality.
> At my university, the tendency now is to get rid of the IDEs again
> (after having used VisualCafe for 4 years in first year computer science
> education), returning back to Notepad.
> A freshman student who has to become familiar with the basics of
> programming really doesn't need JSP support, CVS support, etc.  I think
> the release of a lite version of NetBeans with only the basic modules
> included will be a good step in the right direction.


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