langtools/make/netbeans/README

Using NetBeans to work on the langtools repository.

Netbeans 6.0 or later is recommended.

The "langtools" project in this directory allows you to
edit, run, test and debug the tools in the OpenJDK langtools
repository.

The repository contains a number of tools:
    javac, javadoc and its doclets, javah and javap.

Build Properties.

To build this repository, you must set some properties for Ant.
You can set these properties in a number of ways:

- Set the properties in the Properties panel under Tool> Options> Ant.
  Properties set this way will apply globally to all the langtools 
  repositories you may be working on.

- Create a file build.properties in the root directory of a
  langtools repository, and set the properties in that file.
  These properties will be specific to that repository.

To build the repository, at a minimum you must set the "boot.java.home"
property.  To run the tools, you must also set "target.java.home". To
run the regression tests, you must set "jtreg.home".

By default, the build and test targets will build and test all
of these tools. The run and debug targets will prompt you for the
name of a tool to execute.

As an alternative, you can focus on a single tool.  When you do
this, you will still see all the source code for all the tools,
but the various Ant targets will now be focussed on the selected tool.
To focus on a tool, bring up the context menu on the "langtools"
project (i.e. right-click on the project) and select "Select Tool".
This brings up a dialog which allows you to specify which tool you
wish to work on, and the arguments to use if and when you run it.