Thread: IDE Selection

Which IDE you use doesn't really matter. It's a bit like asking somebody how they write papers- using Word, WordPad, Google Docs, etc. Each one has different features that may or may not appeal to you personally, so asking other people what you should use is a bit like asking what you should eat for dinner. We can tell you what we prefer, but it doesn't really have any bearing on what you'll prefer.

But I would say that beginners shouldn't even use an IDE at all. Stick to a basic editor like JEdit and use the command line for compiling and running your programs. When you get used to writing code, using the API, classpaths, packages, etc, then you can start using an IDE.

For more info: When Not to use an IDE

--- Update ---

By the way, I've moved this to the IDEs forum.

Try them out and see which one you like best. Or use multiple IDE's. Personally I like Eclipse, but Netbeans is a perfectly fine IDE, too.

You can also take Kevin's suggestion and try using an advanced text-editor (something that semi-smartly auto indents and has syntax highlighting). My personal favorites are Notepad++ on Windows, GEdit, and VIM on Linux, but there are many other good ones out there.