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NetBeans IDE vs Visual Studio: What are the differences?

NetBeans IDE is a free, open-source integrated development environment primarily used for Java development, while Visual Studio is a comprehensive IDE developed by Microsoft, supporting various programming languages such as C++, C#, and Python. Let's explore the key differences between them.

NetBeans IDE and Visual Studio are two popular integrated development environments (IDEs) used by developers for software development. While both IDEs offer a range of features and tools, there are several key differences that distinguish them from each other.

  1. Language Support: NetBeans IDE supports a wide range of programming languages including Java, PHP, HTML, and C/C++, whereas Visual Studio primarily caters to developers working with Microsoft technologies such as C#, .NET, and ASP.NET.

  2. Platform Compatibility: NetBeans IDE is designed to be cross-platform compatible and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a consistent development experience across different operating systems. On the other hand, Visual Studio is mainly targeted towards Windows-based development, although there are versions available for macOS and cross-platform development using Xamarin.

  3. Extensions and Plugins: NetBeans IDE offers a rich ecosystem of extensions and plugins contributed by the community, allowing developers to enhance and customize their development environment. Visual Studio also has a vast library of extensions and plugins, specifically tailored to the Microsoft technology stack, offering additional functionality and integration with other tools.

  4. Debugging Capabilities: NetBeans IDE provides robust debugging capabilities with features such as breakpoints, stepping through code, variable inspection, and expression evaluation. Visual Studio, being primarily designed for Windows-based development, offers advanced debugging tools and integrations like the Visual Studio Debugger and IntelliTrace, which enable developers to diagnose and fix issues more efficiently.

  5. User Interface and User Experience: NetBeans IDE has a clean and intuitive user interface, making it easy for beginners to get started. Visual Studio, on the other hand, has a more sophisticated and feature-rich interface that offers a comprehensive set of development tools and options, suitable for both beginners and experienced developers.

  6. Integrated Tools: NetBeans IDE comes with a built-in version control system, Apache Subversion (SVN), providing developers with the ability to manage their source code and collaborate with other team members. Visual Studio integrates with the widely used version control systems such as Git, Team Foundation Server (TFS), and Azure DevOps, offering a seamless development workflow and collaboration.

In summary, NetBeans IDE, with its intuitive interface and robust set of tools, is favored by Java developers for its ease of use and extensive plugin ecosystem. On the other hand, Visual Studio offers a rich feature set and strong integration with Microsoft technologies, making it a popular choice for developers working on Windows platforms and Microsoft-based projects.

Advice on NetBeans IDE and Visual Studio

The problem I have is whether to choose Android Studio or Visual Studio? I have to develop a simple app for a school project that can work on both iPhone and Android.

The most important factors for me are Android and iOS compatibility. Although note that i would like to become a Software Engineer when i finish my course. (I'd like to work for Apple, just saying!)

After that id like easy integration for Google Ads and such if i do develop another app that people actually use to support development. (I'd also like to stick with one easy programming language that's compatible with a wide variety of platforms since i'm a beginner and have only ever used Pascal)

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FlutterFlutter

First of all - Android Studio and Visual Studio are IDE's. Tools to create code. What you are asking is programming framework. I assume that when you are talking about Android Studio you mean Native Android Development and by Visual Studio you mean Xamarin.

If you want to create crossplatform app then Native Android Development is NOT a way to go. Xamarin might work for you, BUT - you'd rather recommend you to go with Flutter. It's much more performant than Xamarin, programming model is friendlier for developer and technology seems just more refined. It's also officially supported by google, so no worries about support.

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Pros of NetBeans IDE
Pros of Visual Studio
  • 76
    Rich features
  • 69
    Crossplatform
  • 49
    Plugins(Git, SVN)
  • 38
    Easy to use
  • 38
    Extensible
  • 35
    PHP Support
  • 34
    Java support
  • 28
    File History
  • 21
    Code analysis
  • 18
    MySQL support
  • 14
    Free
  • 14
    Open source
  • 10
    Code completion
  • 9
    Strong Maven Support
  • 8
    NodeJs support
  • 6
    Webdev king
  • 6
    Easy maven project start
  • 6
    Best
  • 4
    Jira Plugin
  • 4
    Foss
  • 3
    Out of the box integration with maven, git, svn
  • 3
    History of changes, friendly tabs
  • 3
    Mandatory
  • 2
    Intuitive ui
  • 2
    Chrome plugin to live update javascript from browser
  • 2
    Groovy support
  • 2
    Native Nette support
  • 2
    I don't like NetBeans
  • 2
    Smarty support
  • 2
    Visual GUI Builder for Swing / AWT
  • 2
    Custom html tags support
  • 1
    Powerful refactoring
  • 1
    Composer commands inside IDE
  • 305
    Intellisense, ui
  • 244
    Complete ide and debugger
  • 165
    Plug-ins
  • 104
    Integrated
  • 93
    Documentation
  • 37
    Fast
  • 35
    Node tools for visual studio (ntvs)
  • 33
    Free Community edition
  • 24
    Simple
  • 17
    Bug free
  • 8
    Made by Microsoft
  • 6
    Full free community version
  • 5
    JetBrains plugins (ReSharper etc.) work sufficiently OK
  • 3
    Productivity Power Tools
  • 2
    Vim mode
  • 2
    VIM integration
  • 1
    I develop UWP apps and Intellisense is super useful
  • 1
    Cross platform development
  • 1
    The Power and Easiness to Do anything in any.. language
  • 1
    Available for Mac and Windows

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Cons of NetBeans IDE
Cons of Visual Studio
  • 2
    PHP debug doesn't support conditional breakpoints
  • 16
    Bulky
  • 14
    Made by Microsoft
  • 6
    Sometimes you need to restart to finish an update
  • 3
    Too much size for disk
  • 3
    Only avalible on Windows

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What is NetBeans IDE?

NetBeans IDE is FREE, open source, and has a worldwide community of users and developers.

What is Visual Studio?

Visual Studio is a suite of component-based software development tools and other technologies for building powerful, high-performance applications.

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What are some alternatives to NetBeans IDE and Visual Studio?
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