The NetBeansTM open source project is proud to announce Early Access
release 2 of the NetBeans IDE 4.1.

For downloads of this release go to:
http://www.netbeans.org/downloads/index.html

For the quick start guide, see:
http://www.netbeans.org/kb/41/quickstart-j2ee.html

This early access release has over 15 new modules for developing Java 2
Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EETM) 1.4 applications and is built on
the novel and breakthrough NetBeans 4.0 technology. Users can develop
programs for Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SETM), Java 2
Platform, Micro Edition (J2METM), and now J2EE Enterprise Java Bean
(EJB)components and Web Services. Using the free SunTM Java System
Application Server Platform Edition 8.1 Release Candidate as the
deployment runtime and with NetBeans guiding the developer and
automatically building the underlying J2EE infrastructure, learning
about and developing J2EE 1.4 applications has never been easier. To
further assist the developer, J2EE Java BluePrints catalog is also
included.

With a pure Java technology integrated development environment and
cross platform availability for Windows, Linux and the SolarisTM
Operating System, this is the best time to get a look at the future.

The next release is the Beta release and planned for February, 2005.

Key Features

Create an EJB Module (Container Managed Persistence, Message Driven
Beans and Session Beans)

* The NetBeans IDE guides the user through the process to easily learn
how to write MDBs, CMP EJB components as well as Session Beans
* Deployment Descriptor editing is available through both a visual and
XML editor with code completion and validation
* All infrastructure methods are generated automatically and are hidden
in a power code fold
* The NetBeans project structure matches J2EE Java BluePrints standards
(integrated into the release) and relies on the Ant open standard for
the build system

Develop Web Services

* Developers can create Web Services from existing Java files, WSDL or
scratch and deploy, package and test them from the IDE.
* Developers can register existing Web Services to the IDE, and then
easily add the code that will call these Web Services
* Developers can test all the registered Web Services from the IDE by
simply entering the input parameters of each operation
* The NetBeans IDE guides the user through the process to easily learn
how to write EJB components and J2EE Applications to select a web
service and perform required tasks

Other J2EE Elements:

* Enhanced Debugger so that you can see just your application code
stack; not the server runtime stack.
* Improved J2EE Project logical views: libraries, deployment
descriptors, and unit tests
* Improved J2EE artifacts consumption: Call EJB component,Send Message,
Use Database, Use Web Service
* Refactoring is available for code and deployment descriptors.
* J2EE verifier tool integrated into this release.