Important Message: NetBeans 6.10 Changes to NetBeans 7.0

  Hello NetBeans Community,

The NetBeans Team would like to inform you of changes to the NetBeans 
roadmap <http://netbeans.org/community/releases/roadmap.html>. We are 
renaming the next release, NetBeans 6.10, to *NetBeans 7.0*.

*Why is this change being made?*
We do not expect this to be a major surprise. The change allows the 
NetBeans IDE versioning to be more clearly aligned with the Java 
platform, reflecting Oracle's strategy as outlined in Oracle EVP Thomas 
Kurian's keynote speech 
<http://ondemandpreview.vportal.net/main.cfm?m=browse.au&auid=%20118> at 
the recent JavaOne 2010 conference.

*What does this change mean for the NetBeans IDE and its users?*
Two main releases for NetBeans are planned in 2011. In March 2011, 
NetBeans 7.0 will provide support for JDK 7 language features and JDK 7 
Beta. When JDK 7 production is released a patch release of NetBeans 7.0 
should provide support for this final version. In the Fall, we plan to 
follow up with NetBeans 7.1 which will focus on support for Client Java 
and JavaFX Java APIs, amongst other things.

As announced at the JavaOne conference, JavaFX Script language will be 
discontinued. Therefore, future releases of NetBeans will not offer 
support for JavaFX Script. We recommend that developers who need this 
specific feature use NetBeans 6.9.1.

Additional primary themes for NetBeans 7.0 include support for GlassFish 
3.1, WebLogic, Maven 3, and Oracle DB. For a detailed list of planned 
features, please visit the NetBeans New and Noteworthy page 
<http://wiki.netbeans.org/NewAndNoteworthyNB70>.

In the meantime, NetBeans 7.0 Milestone 2 is due next week. We encourage 
you to download the build when it becomes available and to give us your 
feedback on our mailing lists and forums 
<http://www.netbeans.org/community/lists/top.html>, on Twitter 
<http://twitter.com/netbeans>, or by writing to us 
<http://www.netbeans.org/about/contact_form.html?to=2>.

Thank you for your continued support of NetBeans.
The NetBeans Team