Apache NetBeans Day UK 2018 is fast approaching – Friday 27th April at the University of Greenwich. If you have not yet registered for the event, the signup page can be found here. If you’re a University of Greenwich student, please visit a separate signup link here.
Attending tech events can be a great experience. To ensure it is a success for you, here are five tips to help you prepare for the big day.
1. Bring your laptop
The event will feature talks you can follow along with on your laptop and workshops that will require you to do so. We recommend bringing your own laptop or being prepared to work with a friend who has brought theirs.
Having a laptop at the ready is useful for taking notes on the talks as well as being able to download anything being showcased. This includes OracleJET, GraalVM, PayaraMicro and more. In our workshop, you’ll create a NetBeans Plugin so be sure to bring your laptop and learn to code your own!
2. Install Java 8 or higher
The NetBeans IDE is first and foremost a Java IDE and most talks will revolve around this aspect. We recommend installing the latest version of Java (or at least Java 8). The newest version of Java sports many new language features and the addition of JShell. JShell is Java’s new REPL, similar to what you see in Python and other languages. To make the most of Java, consider installing Java 9 or 10.
3. Install NetBeans 8.2
Most of the speakers giving technical talks will use NetBeans. NetBeans 8.2 is currently the latest stable release and is recommended for standard use.
Additionally – if you would like to be involved in the betterment of NetBeans, consider signing up to the development mailing list to stay informed. This will keep you up-to-date on all the latest discussions and even access to the NetBeans 9.0 Beta. You can find a list of features to expect in the next release here.
4. Bring your power cables
The event spans from 9am to 4:30pm. To ensure you don’t miss out on anything, be sure to bring your power cable. Even if you think your laptop has a long battery life, you can never be too careful.
5. Prepare for networking
In addition to everything you’ll be learning from the talks and workshops, the event will be a great opportunity to meet and interact with professionals and like-minded individuals. If you are seeking opportunities or working on something of your own, be sure to prepare an elevator pitch to help you sell yourself.
This is another useful aspect of bringing your laptop. Want to show something off to your peers? Have it at the ready on your machine.
Lastly, enjoy the event! Have any preparation tips of your own? Be sure to reach out and let us know. We hope to see you there.