Hi, I'm Andre Lewis and I'm on the Internet

I just did the last round of updates on PlaceShout using Netbeans 6RC2's Ruby support. Based on my brief exposure, here are some things it offers which made it worth by time in a concrete way.

1. really excellent svn integration
   • it shows you lines you've added/deleted/changed in your regular editing view, as you work -- it's a great visual cue on the extent of your changes without leaving your normal coding flow.
   • the source compare is outstanding, it highlights not just changed lines but parts of lines. Very smart and intuitive, and better than anything I've used before.
2. control-click on any method to go to its definition. This is especially useful in .erb templates to go to a helper definition. If there are multiple definitions, Netbeans gives you a list.
3. as-you-type "jump to class" in addition to "jump to file". Command-o brings it up, and it works on project classes, native ruby, and gem and plugin code. It's snappy enough to be useful, but could get a little faster.
4. method completion on AR attributes/finders: netbeans gives you a nice as-you-type completion list on the dynamic, data-driven getters/setters Rails infers from the database columns. Nice! There's a lot of other method completion it tries to do, but this is the one that stood out to me.

Netbeans has got a ton of functionality and a rich plugin ecosystems, and I'm sure there are more gems in there. The points I've indicated here are just the ones that were useful, accessible, and intuitive enough to engage me right away.

Tor Norbye is publishing a regular "Ruby Screenshot of the Week", give it a read to see what else is possible.

My take is that if 1) method/paramater completion is refined a bit, 2) debug mode works seamlessly and effortlessly (couldn't get it to work on Leopard), and 3) performance improves a bit -- Netbeans will be a home run for Rails development.

Huge bonus points if the collaboration plugin delivers on its promises (and supports Ruby!)