NetBeans is my favorite Java IDE. Some time ago, I started to write my first book. Since the pages are written using a special flavored markdown dialect, I tried some markdown editors. I discovered a markdown plugin for NetBeans [1]. Thus I continued to write my books with NetBeans. The big advantage of NetBeans is the tight integration from the application source and the books pages. No need to leave this environment.

Although this plugin offers the ability to render the source quickly, I disclaimed its usage: It is not very hard to imaging the output. But depending on the NetBeans version (and I try a lot), it takes some time to re-install or just activate the plugin.

To create a book, I need a small given file structure to fit the requirements of the publisher. I simply added a POM. That’s all NetBeans needs to open this as a NetBeans project.

After my technical books (as shown on the right), I now made the experiment of a photo book. Some years ago, I started to take photos from bees (or even bumblebees) hunting for nectar. Now I assembled these photos to a book.

Visitors - a photo bookIf you want to enjoy these photos as much as I do, you may get this book from leanpub [2]. It is available for free. If you like, pay as much as it is worth to you. The photos are available also as an extra. Get them bundled with the book for at least 4.99 US$.

 

[1] plugins.netbeans.org/plugin/50964/markdown-support

[2] leanpub.com/visitors