All right, so I’ve been looking for a new Java compiler or Java IDE, also known as an integrated development environment. I thought, why not ask ChatGPT for some recommendations? First, let me explain what I’m looking for.
I’ve used Eclipse before, but I found it to be quite complicated, especially when dealing with the virtual machine or the JDK (Java Development Kit). It just didn’t work well for me. So, I decided to explore other options.
One popular choice is IntelliJ IDEA, developed by JetBrains. It’s a powerful and feature-rich Java IDE. However, I’ve been coding with JCreator for almost two decades, and it’s been my favorite IDE. Unfortunately, it seems that JCreator has been discontinued. I checked their website, and it was down. So, I’m looking for a Java IDE that is similar to JCreator.
ChatGPT suggested a few alternatives. NetBeans is one option, but I’m not a big fan. I haven’t tried IntelliJ yet, so that might be worth considering. Another suggestion was BlueJ, which is more of an introductory IDE for teaching purposes. Since I’m already familiar with Java, I don’t need a teaching app.
Then there’s Visual Studio, but that’s mainly for other languages like VB (Visual Basic). I prefer something lightweight and customizable, without all the ads that come with online IDEs. Eclipse was mentioned again, but I’m not convinced. I want something simple where I can create .java files, compile them, and run them. Is that too much to ask for?
ChatGPT assured me that it’s a reasonable request. Some other options to consider are Visual Studio, BlueJ, JGrasp, and DrJava. However, I’m not a fan of DrJava as it tries to auto-complete everything for you, which can be annoying.
I’ll give IntelliJ a try and see how it goes. Hopefully, it will provide the straightforward experience I’m looking for in a Java IDE.
