NetBeans is a free to use Java IDE from SUN and for the boys to get a book printed by O'Reilly is a real bonus. Is the book warranted? Well I think the answer is yes.

It starts with downloading and installing the JDK and IDE and even building NetBeans from the source. The book takes each different area of Java development and explains how to do it in NetBeans. These include Beans, CVS, compilation, Javadoc, XML and JSP modules.

Well that is half the book, the other half is to do with extending the IDE with your own modules detailing the APIs and the 'New Module Wizard' and the internals of running a module in NetBeans.

This book is really an end-to-end tutorial and reference book for using and expanding NetBeans. If like me you only use NetBeans the book is still a bargain. I struggled for a while with creating a Bean, two nights of reading the Beans tutorial and I'd cracked it.

There is so much that NetBeans does for you, wizards that make jobs easier and maintenance easy. I've missed most of them and have only found them and NetBeans real power by reading sections of this book.

If you've got NetBeans then get this book.