Question: Is it OK to use a Java IDE or RAD tool for the assignment?

Answer: Yes, but I don't recommend it and probably can't help you with it.

There are many, many Java IDEs (Interactive Development Environments) and RAD tools (Rapid Application Development tools). You can find a list at http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/tools/jw-tools-ide.html.

The (somewhat fuzzy) distinction is that an IDE provides an editor, easy compilation, better syntax checking, usually a debugger, and often some other useful tools.A RAD tool provides all these, plus it writes some of your code for you (usually the code for setting up the GUI).

If you go on in Java, I believe you should get and learn to use an IDE (or RAD). I don't recommend it for this assignment because

1. You should learn Java first. Using a RAD "protects" you from some of the things you need to know.
2. So far, Java IDEs are here today, gone tomorrow, so if you depend on one, it might not still be around when you need it.
3. "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Using an IDE can save you a lot of work, but it also takes work to learn to use the IDE. For just one program, it isn't worth the trouble.

If you are serious about going on in Java, I do recommend getting and learning an IDE or RAD, because they can make your programming and debugging faster, easier, and altogether more pleasant. But at the current stage of development (late 2000), you must be able to read and understand the code produced, because you cannot depend on still having the tool if you need to update or modify your program a year from now.

The tools available are getting more and more alike, so if you learn to use one IDE or RAD tool, you will find it much easier to learn the second one. However, that doesn't mean that you can move a program developed under one RAD to a different RAD--the more the tool does for you, the less compatible with others it is likely to be.

That said, I have some comments about particular tools.

Borland JBuilder (RAD)

This gets great reviews, and from the little that I've used it, I really like it. It's easy to get started with, very fast, and it gives easy access to the Java APIs. I said in one class that it's free, but according to the web site, it's free to educators. It's apparently pretty expensive.

Sun's Forte, or Forté (RAD)

This is a very complete RAD tool, and seems to have about everything. It's very big and very slow--too big and too slow for older computers. But it's free, and it's from Sun, so if any tool becomes commonly accepted, it's likely to be Forté. I have not personally used this one.

Metrowerks CodeWarrior (minimal RAD)

This is commercial and somewhere in the $100 range for students. It's widely regarded as a great development tool, and does not only Java but also C, C++, and Pascal. It's a bit harder to learn than the others, but I've used it for years.

Microsoft J++ (RAD)

Avoid. It's supposed to be very good, but it produces code that only runs under Windows (thus ruining the notion of a platform-independent language). Now that Sun has won the first rounds of its cease-and-desist lawsuit against Microsoft, Microsoft has invented a new language, C# (C-sharp), that it hopes to use to replace Java. J++ is unlikely to be developed much further.