Book excerpt: Pro NetBeans IDE 6 Rich Client Platform Edition is the second Apress book to cover the agile, open source NetBeans IDE platform. The book focuses on the new features of NetBeans 6 as well as what has changed since NetBeans 5.5, empowering you to be a more effective and productive developer. Enables you to click and use any of the Java Swing and other desktop Java graphical user interface (GUI) APIs available in Java SE 6 or prior Covers working with rich client platform features available in NetBeans for building web–based application front ends Shows you the web–tier development plug-ins available including JSF, Struts Action Framework 2.0, and JRuby for bringing the Ruby on Rails feature set to Java via NetBeans For building back–end, server–side Java applications, pick up Pro NetBeans IDE 5.5 Enterprise Edition, which is based on APIs found in the Java EE 5. What you’ll learn Easily install and set up your NetBeans IDE platform environment, and organize your projects Use the NetBeans source editor, code compiler, refactoring, software development, profiler, collaboration, database, and debugger tools Develop your Java Swing application for your desktop from start to finish Deploy your Java Swing or other GUI application using Java Web Start features embedded in NetBeans Build rich client applications using NetBeans plug–in module tools/features from start to finish Extend your NetBeans IDE wish list to building Struts 2 and even JRuby (Ruby on Rails) based Java web application front ends Who this book is for Intended for Java developers of varying skill who may or may not be familiar with NetBeans IDE or Java IDEs in general.