A lot of developers tend to be pretty passionate about their IDE choice, sometimes overstating the importance of the IDE. Unlike C++, Java IDEs are nothing more than editors, some fancier than others. The use of one IDE over another does not affect the legality of the syntax, but certain IDEs can make the development process easier with features like syntax highlighting, code completion, managing the package system, and getting set up in new environments. In this entry, I'm going to discuss the major Java IDEs.