I'd cast my vote for Eclipse, even if you only think you'll be using Java for a few months. Having a capable IDE to provide error-checking and auto-completion capabilities will save you a bundle of time over using any basic text editor. (And, as The Elite Gentleman has already pointed out, if you take to the environment, you can always continue to use it to develop in a variety of other languages after the course is over!)

Answer from Steve V. on Stack Overflow
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnjava › lightweight ide to learn java
r/learnjava on Reddit: lightweight IDE to learn Java
August 19, 2022 -

Hi, I am trying to learn Java.

I'm probably going to learn it on both Mac and Windows.

For Mac, is there any lightweight IDE recommendation you guys have?

Then, for Windows, is it possible to use Notepad++ or is it recommended for java? I am working through a textbook "Programming and Problem Solving with Java".

I like Notepad++ because it is very lightweight, and I have past experience from botting Diablo II using it.

Best!

🌐
Brilworks
brilworks.com › blog › top-ides-for-java-development-on-mac
Top IDEs for Java Development on Mac
September 4, 2025 - In this guide, we compare the best Java IDEs for Mac: IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, NetBeans, Visual Studio Code, and Oracle JDeveloper, highlighting their pros, cons, and key features so you can pick the one that fits your project needs.
Discussions

macos - Simple Java IDE for Mac? - Stack Overflow
I am looking for a FREE app that's a bit smarter than a text editor. I want something that can compile Java programs, as a bonus it may have some kind of code-sense. The programs I'll make are sim... More on stackoverflow.com
🌐 stackoverflow.com
Which IDE is better for Spring development, IntelliJ or Netbeans?

if a library is so complicated then it forces you to one IDE vs another, then you need a different library.

I've used Spring across all IDEs, no issues. So pick whatever you prefer.

More on reddit.com
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18
0
August 11, 2014
lightweight IDE to learn Java
Please please please use intellij. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnjava
47
22
August 19, 2022
Recommended Java IDE for Mac?

IntelliJ with the Darcula theme.

More on reddit.com
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10
3
April 20, 2014
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I'd cast my vote for Eclipse, even if you only think you'll be using Java for a few months. Having a capable IDE to provide error-checking and auto-completion capabilities will save you a bundle of time over using any basic text editor. (And, as The Elite Gentleman has already pointed out, if you take to the environment, you can always continue to use it to develop in a variety of other languages after the course is over!)

Answer from Steve V. on Stack Overflow
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-best-IDE-for-coding-in-Java-on-a-Mac
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It wont make any IDE good or bad for others. So consider this answer very opinionated and not the facts. For simple projects or seasonal devs: Jetbrains IntelliJ is the best choice, as this IDE is as...
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JetBrains
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BlueJ
bluej.org
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Oracle
java.com › en
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blog.idrsolutions.com › home › the top 11 free ide for java coding, development & programming
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October 15, 2024 - Projects can be configured to use specific Java Development Kits. Android Studio, which is distributed under the Apache License 2.0, can be downloaded for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It has taken over from Eclipse as Google’s main IDE for developing native Android applications.
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