Apache NetBeans 28 has been officially released on November 10, 2025. This major update introduces expanded support for the latest JDKs, significant enhancements to Gradle and Maven build tools, and a more refined user interface. This version focuses on stability, performance optimizations, and modernized Java development workflows.
New Features & Major Enhancements
- Expanded Java Support: Added initial support for JDK 25 and JDK 26 across various clusters, including Tomcat, TomEE, and GlassFish.
- Integrated Text Tool: A new built-in widget for Base64, URL, and Hex encoding and decoding has been added to the IDE tools.
- Markdown Support: Users can now utilize a native Markdown file template directly within the editor.
- Advanced UI Components: Improved "Go To" and "Jump To" search windows, plus a new dashed stroke indicator for component drag targets in the Form Designer.
- Modern Theme Updates: Integrated FlatLaf 3.6.2 and added bold font support for declarations in dark color profiles.
Build Tools: Gradle & Maven
Gradle Improvements
- Stability: Resolved several NullPointerExceptions (NPE) related to missing buildscripts and test progress listeners.
- Performance: Added support for Gradle's incremental annotation processing.
- Compatibility: Upgraded netbeans-gradle-tooling to Gradle 8.11.1 and fixed project dependency resolution for Gradle 9.
- Testing: Improved JUnit integration for non-public tests and fixed forked test execution issues.
Maven Enhancements
- Workflow: Added a "Copy" button to the Maven action customizer and improved the UI for re-running Maven goals.
- Documentation: Fixed "Show Javadoc" functionality for modular Maven dependencies.
- Security & Audits: Resolved StackOverflow Exceptions during ADM audits and updated exec-maven-plugin to version 3.5.1.
Language & Framework Updates
- Java: * Enhanced support for enhanced switch statements and module imports.
- Improved syntax highlighting for Javadoc code snippets and Java editor themes.
- Fixed code completion for for-each constructs without explicit types.
- PHP: Added autocompletion for the use keyword within class bodies, traits, and enums. Fixed autocompletion for new keyword with fully qualified names.
- Web & CSS: New support for modern CSS properties including margin-block, scroll-behavior, and conic-gradient. Improved SCSS Navigator readability in dark mode.
- Groovy: Expanded file extension support and synchronized occurrence handling with CSL/GSF APIs.
Platform & Editor Refinements
- Versioning (Git): New actions for adding/removing remotes and improved logic for deleting local branches. The "Diff View" now shows original and changed linefeeds.
- LSP (Language Server Protocol): Now permits multiple LSP servers and includes a refined shutdown request handler for better stability in VS Code environments.
- Enterprise: Added support for GlassFish 8.0.0-M12 and Faces 4 EL implicit objects.
- Environment: The nbexec script now correctly honors the JAVA_HOME environment variable.