BlackBerry JDE Plug-In for Eclipse

RIM came out with a beta version of the BlackBerry JDE Plug-In for Eclipse. You can now develop applications for the BlackBerry using my favorite IDE, Eclipse. The plug-in contains a subset of the features included in the BlackBerry Java Development Environment.

From the press release: "RIM values the Eclipse development community and recognizes the need for integrated tools that support the development of BlackBerry applications from within the Eclipse environment,” said David Yach, CTO for Software, Research In Motion. “The introduction of the BlackBerry JDE Plug-in for Eclipse builds on RIM’s robust offering of development tools to further enhance and simplify mobile application development for the BlackBerry platform."

Some of the characteristics are:

• Write, compile, and test Java Micro Edition-based applications that run on the BlackBerry smartphone.
• Simulates a wide range of BlackBerry smartphones.
• Includes several JSRs that you can use when developing your mobile application
• Leverages BlackBerry Enterprise Server
  

Read more about it here.

NetBeans 6.1 + Blogging Contest

NetBeans 6.1 is available, together with a contest. Some of the main features are support for Java Beans, JavaScript, MySQL, Spring Framework, Axis 2, Ruby, and many other. The MySQL support added was expected since the acquisition of MySQL by Sun. I personally am an Eclipse user since I started programming (which was only in my first year of college). From some time now I wanted to try NetBeans out, especially NetBeans Mobility, but I never got around to do it. It's funny, if you are not "constrained" to do something, you hardly do it, unless you really enjoy doing it (not that I don't enjoy playing with IDEs, but I got so used with Eclipse that I don't feel the need to try something else).

Do give it a try when you get a chance. I am sure you will find it exceeding your expectations.

P.S. I have not entered the NetBeans 6.1 blogging contest at this point, but I do hope to have some free time soon, and give NetBeans a try.