You can use wizards to quickly and easily bundle the following items
with your module:
- Libraries. External JARs can be included in your NetBeans
Platform modules in various ways:
- If you are extending the IDE, you can add a new library
to the Library Manager, which enables the user to add
the library to the classpath of their application.
For this you need a Java SE library
descriptor, which the IDE can create for you.
- If you are creating extensions to the IDE or
are creating your own applications on the NetBeans Platform,
you can include external JARs, NetBeans modules, and OSGi bundles.
You can also include groups and combinations of these items.
The IDE provides support for all of these scenarios.
For details, see Bundling a Library.
- Project Templates. Project templates are used when users begin to create
their own project. For example,
in the IDE a user chooses the 'Web Application' project template in the New Project wizard, then the IDE
creates a project consisting of a JSP file, a web.xml file, a server-specific deployment file,
and project metadata within a specific structure that is useful for web application projects.
For details, see Bundling a Project Template or Sample.
- Project Samples. Project samples that illustrate
some aspect of project functionality are often provided by modules
that inject a new technology into the IDE. For example,
in the Samples directory within the New Project wizard, an Anagram Game is included
to demonstrate Java SE functionality. A sample is a kind of project template; it
has the same behavior as a project template, but it is used for a different purpose.
For details, see Bundling a Project Template or Sample.
- Update Center URLs. When you bundle the URL to
a update center,
you help your users, because they will not need to register your update center
manually. Instead, when they install your module, your update center
will automatically be accessible via the Plugins manager. As a result, when
your users go to Tools > Plugins manager, they will immediately see your
update center in the 'Select Update Center(s) to connect' list. An update
center declaration consists of the URL to the autoupdate descriptor and
a display name.
For details, see Bundling an Update Center's URL.
- JavaHelp Help Sets. The IDE provides a number of JavaHelp help sets. You can
add your own, or, if you are creating an application on top of the NetBeans Platform,
you can provide a help set specifically for your application. (You can also hide help
sets provided by other modules.) The files required
for a JavaHelp help set can be generated for you by the IDE. Registration of the
help set in the IDE can also be automated. As a result, you do not need to think
about these infrastuctural matters, so that you can focus your time and
energy on the content of your help set.
For details, see Bundling a JavaHelp Help Set.
- License. With the creation of any software, there
is often a need for that software to have a software license.
The IDE's support for creating modules allows
you to add a license to the module that is under
creation.
For details, see Bundling a License.