Project constants are name-value pairs that are visible across the Project. Using a constant allows you to define the value once, and then refer to it from the various Project configurations, rather than having to redefine the value everywhere it is needed. For example, the following figure shows a standard currency defined to be used globally throughout the system.
You can add a constant to a Project by selecting the New > Variable or Constant option from the Project context menu in the NetBeans IDE, which displays the following dialog box.
Property |
Option |
Description/Usage |
---|---|---|
Name |
Your name for the Project constant. |
|
Category |
You may assign a category name, if desired. |
|
Description |
Your description for the constant. |
|
Is a Constant |
Select to enable the constant properties fields. |
|
Value Type |
String |
Allows the string value to be displayed explicitly. |
Password |
Encrypts the value, displaying asterisks (*) in the field. |
|
Value |
The value for the constant. |
Constants and variables are automatically added to a Variables and Constants object group within the Project, as shown in the following figure. Selecting an entry in the upper panel displays it in the lower panel, where you can modify it. By clicking OK you overwrite the previous definition with the modified version.
Icon |
Name |
Function |
---|---|---|
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Add a New Constant or Variable |
Adds a new constant to the list. |
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Delete a Highlighted Constant or Variable |
Deletes the selected constant from the list. |