Adding a Java Platform to NetBeans Under Mac OS X

This article describes how to add a Java Platform to NetBeans under Mac OS X. This enables you to compile and run your applications under different virtual machines and also to associate Javadocs and source code with a Java platform so that they can be used by NetBeans for code generation and in-context tips and documentation.

These steps assume that you are running NetBeans 6

1. Select Tools -> Java Platform
2. Click the Add Platform… button. This will open the Add Java Platform window. Here you will seen all of the Java Platforms that are installed your system.
3. Drill down until you find the Home folder. Select it and click the Next button.
4. If you have locally stored copies of source or Javadocs you can associate those with the platform using the Browse buttons. Click the Finish button when you’re done.
5. Click the Close button.
6. You can now select this platform for a project by right-clicking a project and selecting Properties. The setting is under the Libraries node.
7. Finished

Screenshots:

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Using F-Keys in Mac OS X

F-Keys are used for special operating system wide functionality in Mac OS X. In this article we’ll discover how to take control of the Mac OS X F-Keys and use them in applications that map keyboard shortcuts to F-Keys.
By default in Mac OS X the F-Keys provide operating system wide functionality. For instance, F3 and F4 handle volume. F9, F10 and F11 are used for Exposé’s window tricks. That’s nice for being able to get at those features from within any application, but it really messes things up if an application uses F-Keys as a part of their standard keyboard shortcuts. NetBeans is a perfect example. Shift-Command-F4 is the keyboard shortcut for closing all documents, but on Mac OS X, F4 turns down the volume – not the desired output.
The trick on Mac OS X is that little fn key in the corner of your keyboard and a single setting under System Preferences -> Keyboard & Mouse. By default the F-Keys do Mac OS X things. If you want them to do application specific things you can hold down the fn key and then press the desired F-Key. If you’d like to reverse this behavior, check the box next to “Use the F1-F12 keys to control software features.” With that box checked everything is reversed. The F-Keys will do application specific things and to access the Mac OS X features, you will need to hold down the fn key while you press the desired F-Key. Pick your poison. In either case you have all of the functionality, it’s just a matter of which one you have to hold the extra key for.

Joshua Smith

Resources

Amazon Book: Mac OS X for Java Geeks
Amazon Book: Mac OS X Panther Hacks
Using NetBeans on Mac OS X
Marc Liyanage Blog: NetBeans Mac Customization
Marc Liyanage Blog: More NetBeans on Mac OS X

Technorati Tags: mac, macosx, netbeans