netbeans36 release notes openvms

This document provides Release Notes for NetBeans™ Version 3.6 on OpenVMS Alpha, published in June 2004, detailing OpenVMS-specific usage information.

Key Highlights & New Features:

• NetBeans 3.6 is a new feature release, upgrading from NetBeans 3.5.1.
• It includes a new OpenVMS FORTRAN Compiler Support Module, available via the Update Center.
• The software requires Java 2 SDK Version 1.4.2 or higher for OpenVMS. Users can specify a different Java SDK location if needed.

Important Usage Information:

• User Directory: The NetBeans user directory, where project properties and user-specific files are stored, must be located on an ODS-5 disk.
• Importing Settings: Existing settings and projects from NetBeans 3.3.1 (or higher, OpenVMS versions) can be automatically imported using the Settings Import Wizard during the first startup of NetBeans 3.6.
• Starting NetBeans: The IDE is launched via RUNIDEOPENVMS.COM. Startup arguments allow customization of the user directory, Java Virtual Machine (JVM) switches, and NetBeans properties (e.g., font size).
• JVM Usage: NetBeans for OpenVMS uses the FastVM for the IDE's main process for performance, but spawned subprocesses (for compilation and debugging) use the Classic VM to support Java debug architecture (JPDA). Users can optionally force the Classic VM for all operations.
• UI Optimization: Guidelines are provided for optimizing the IDE's visual appearance, particularly regarding font settings for users with Excursion systems.
• Modules & Help: The IDE supports Javadoc and JavaHelp, and new functional units can be installed or updated using the Update Center wizard.

Restrictions and Limitations:

• Debugging JSPs (Java Server Pages) is not supported in this version.
• Java source files on ODS-2 disks require entirely lowercase class and package names for correct matching within NetBeans.
• Importing projects from other IDEs (e.g., Microsoft Visual J++, JBuilder) is not supported.
• All file specifications within the NetBeans IDE must adhere to standard UNIX syntax.
• Source files with record formats other than STREAM_LF may require manual conversion to prevent improper line breaks.

Support and Feedback:

• Support is available through existing OpenVMS service agreements.
• Peer support, mailing lists, newsgroups, and a bug-tracking system (IssueZilla) are available on NetBeans.org.
• Technical questions and feedback can be sent directly to the engineering team at NetBeans@hp.com.