How should you choose an java IDE?

My favorite happens to be NetBeans, but this doesn't mean it's best for you. Some factors that might be important are:

• If you're already using a full-featured IDE, stick with it.
• It's good to have a support infrastructure - use whatever your friends or coworkers are using.
• Special features might be important to you. Each of the major IDEs has features that the others don't.

If you have no compelling reasons for another choice, I recommend NetBeans. It has nice features that make coding easier, and once you become familiar with its Graphical User Interface (GUI) editor, you can create GUI interfaces very quickly.