NetBeans CLDC/MIDP Development Quick Start Guide

This document takes you through the basics of using NetBeans IDE to create a Java™ Platform, Micro Edition (Java™ ME platform), Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) application and is designed to get you going as quickly as possible. The tutorial takes you through some of the basic steps of working with the project system. We show you two ways to create a Java ME MIDP project named "MyHello" that displays the text "Make my day" in a device emulator. This tutorial prepares you to use other IDE features for developing CLDC/MIDP applications.

Contents

Requirements

You must have JDK 5 or better and the NetBeans IDE Mobility or Full edition (download) installed before you can start Java ME MIDP/CLDC development. For help getting your system set up, please see the installation instructions. MacOS X users should refer to the MIDP development on Mac OS set up guide.

Creating a MIDP Application Using the Visual Mobile Designer

The NetBeans IDE provides a wizard that enables you to quickly create a MIDP project. When creating the project, you can choose to develop your application in the Visual Mobile Designer (VMD) or in the Source Code Editor. Using the Visual Mobile Designer gives you the ability to graphically plan out the flow of the application and design the screens the application uses. The designer automatically creates the code for the application.

Creating a MIDP Application Using the Source Editor

Using the Source Code Editor, you manually create the code for your MIDlets. Creating code in the Source Code Editor gives you more flexibility when editing the code, and enables you to insert preprocessor code blocks. Next we create the MyHello application using the New Project and New File wizards, and complete the code using the Source Editor.

public class HelloMIDlet extends MIDlet

public class HelloMIDlet
extends MIDlet implements javax.microedition.lcdui.CommandListener
{

    private void initialize() {
        javax.microedition.lcdui.Display.getDisplay(this).setCurrent(get_helloTextBox());
    }

    public void commandAction(javax.microedition.lcdui.Command command, javax.microedition.lcdui.Displayable displayable) {
        if (displayable == helloTextBox) {
            if (command == exitCommand) {
                javax.microedition.lcdui.Display.getDisplay(this).setCurrent(null);
                destroyApp(true);
                notifyDestroyed();
            }
        }
    }

    private javax.microedition.lcdui.TextBox get_helloTextBox() {
        if (helloTextBox == null) {
            helloTextBox = new javax.microedition.lcdui.TextBox(null, "Make My Day", 120, 0x0);
            helloTextBox.addCommand(get_exitCommand());
            helloTextBox.setCommandListener(this);
        }
        return helloTextBox;
    }

    private javax.microedition.lcdui.Command get_exitCommand() {
        if (exitCommand == null) {
            exitCommand = new javax.microedition.lcdui.Command("Exit", javax.microedition.lcdui.Command.EXIT,
                    1);
        }
        return exitCommand;
    }
    javax.microedition.lcdui.TextBox helloTextBox;
    javax.microedition.lcdui.Command exitCommand;

  public void startApp() {
initialize();
}

Next Steps

The next step to developing MIDP and CLDC applications is knowing how to use multiple device emulators in the IDE and create custom configurations that allow a project to be deployed to multiple devices.