This text is intended for readers who mean to write modules to extend the NetBeans platform or to use the platform as the basis for a standalone application. NetBeans is well suited for such usages, and the authors make it clear that a lot of thinking has gone into making it well suited. As this text has little competition, it is easy to recommend that the user having any interest in considering NetBeans for this purpose obtain a copy; but even with stiff competition, it would undoubtedly weather well. Familiarity with NetBeans (or even Eclipse) will be very helpful in contextualizing the points being made. Modern IDEs differ considerably from those used in the past, and the productivity features introduced in those two competing platforms have made life vastly simpler for the working developer. We can but hope that their competition will continue to produce such results.