Overview (Utilities API)

Utilities API
Package	Description
org.openide	Provides ErrorManager - the central place for logging and reproting failures in NetBeans based system.
org.openide.util	A set of utility classes covering a few general infrastructure points in the Open APIs.
org.openide.util.actions	There are several types of standard actions that should be used for many user interactions within NetBeans.
org.openide.util.datatransfer	NetBeans uses special extensions to data transfer.

This module contains general classes needed in NetBeans, extensions to basic JRE contepts, useful methods and other UtilitiesAPI classes.

What is New (see all changes)?

Nov 11 '16 API NetworkSettings.getAuthenticationPassword added

The SPI NetworkSettings.ProxyCredentialsProvider allows NetBeans Platform users to provide proxy and network credentials, but the according API should also provide the password, not only the username.
Jul 9 '14 Platform dependent sound when invoking a disabled action.

Only some platforms provide an audible notification when user tries to invoke a disabled action. So instead of Toolkit.beep() which always plays a sound a new method Utilities.disabledActionSound() shoud be used instead.
Mar 20 '14 Desktop independent utilities extracted

The following classes were spinned of into org.openide.util.base module:
The class Utilities was also split and the client desktop indepenent parts landed in BaseUtilities. Although all the constants and methods are still available through Utilities class, it is advised to change the dependencies and reference them through BaseUtilities.
Jan 20 '14 Try to lock a Mutex

Two new methods, tryReadAccess and tryWriteAccess, added to Mutex.Privileged to allow better control when waiting for a lock.
Dec 6 '13 Added an option to load different images and icons when using a dark look and feel.

When the IDE is running under a dark look and feel (UIManager.getBoolean("nb.dark.theme")) then ImageUtilities will try to load an image or on icon with a "_dark" suffix. For example "org/netbeans/modulename/toolbaricon_dark.png" or "org/netbeans/modulename/imagewithoutextension_dark". If such resource exists it will be used instead of the default one.

Use Cases

How shall I do or influence logging in NetBeans?

If you are interested in logging from inside your module, or in writing your own log handler or in configuring the whole system, then best place to start is the NetBeans logging guide.

Exported Interfaces

This table lists all of the module exported APIs with defined stability classifications. It is generated based on answers to questions about the architecture of the module. Read them all...

Group of java interfaces

Interface Name	In/Out	Stability	Specified in What Document?
UtilitiesAPI	Exported	Official	.../org/openide/util/doc-files/api.html
AWTBridge	Exported	Private	.../modules/openide/util/AWTBridge.java a class that is looked up in Lookup.getDefault() and if registered can provide better UI elements for Actions.
SharedClassObject.setAccessible	Exported	Under Development	.../org/openide/util/SharedClassObject.html used to instantiate subclasses.

Group of property interfaces

Interface Name	In/Out	Stability	Specified in What Document?
BrandingSupport	Exported	Official	.../org/openide/util/NbBundle.html which is similar to localization but also supports changes of resorces for application build on top of NetBeans. This is handled by our class NbBundle which reimplements the JDK's standard ResourceBundle to to take branding into the consideration.
HelpID	Exported	Standard	org/openide/util/HelpCtx.html read from JComponent.getClientProperty to simulate the standard javahelp behaviour and extract the help id for given component.
org.openide.util.SharedClassObject.initialize	Exported	Private	For purposes of `SystemOption` the SharedClassObject handles `getProperty ("org.openide.util.SharedClassObject.initialize")` in a special way, by returning `null` if initialization is not running and `Boolean.TRUE` if it is.
OpenIDE-Transmodal-Action	Exported	Under Development	CallbackSystemAction checks whether `action.getValue("OpenIDE-Transmodal-Action")` returns `Boolean.TRUE` to enable it in dialogs, otherwise the action is disabled when there is an open dialog.

Group of java.io.File interfaces

Interface Name In/Out Stability Specified in What Document?

FileLocation

Exported

Under Development

the JAR file is located in platform cluster under lib/org-openide-util.jar

Group of lookup interfaces

Interface Name	In/Out	Stability	Specified in What Document?
ActionManagerInvocation	Exported	Private	because of the API separation, CallableSystemAction uses lookup for `ActionsBridge` provided by `org-openide-actions` module when looking for org.openide.actions.ActionManager implementation.
LookupSharedClassObject	Exported	Under Development	singleton subclasses of SharedClassObject are searched for using Lookup.
LookupContextGlobalProvider	Exported	Stable	actionsGlobalContext searches for ContextGlobalProvider in Lookup.getDefault(). The provider is usually provided by window system implementation.
LookupErrorManager	Exported	Under Development	ErrorManager delegates its methods to all instances of ErrorManagers found in Lookup

Implementation Details

Where are the sources for the module?

The sources for the module are in the NetBeans Mercurial repositories.

What do other modules need to do to declare a dependency on this one, in addition to or instead of a plain module dependency?

Nothing.

Read more about the implementation in the answers to architecture questions.

Utilities APIOfficial