I’m having trouble setting up a project from GitHub in my development environment
I downloaded a repository as a ZIP file and I’m trying to get it working in NetBeans but keep running into issues. Here’s what I’ve attempted so far:
Downloaded the ZIP archive from the repository
Created a fresh Java project in NetBeans
Switched to the Files view and copied over the src directory
Also moved the nbproject folder and other files
Added the dependencies that were mentioned in the documentation
Despite following these steps, I’m getting JAVADOC errors and the project won’t compile properly. I’ve been stuck on this for several hours now and can’t figure out what I’m missing.
Could someone walk me through the correct process for importing and building a GitHub project in NetBeans? I’d really appreciate a detailed explanation of the proper workflow. Thanks for any help you can provide!
you’re overcomplicating this. just open the downloaded project directly in netbeans - dont create a new one first. go to file > open project and pick the unzipped folder. netbeans will recognize the project structure automatically if its set up right.
Manually copying files is where most people mess up GitHub projects. You’re making it way harder than it needs to be.
Don’t download the ZIP. Clone the repo directly with git clone or use NetBeans’ built-in git integration. Go to Team > Git > Clone and paste the repository URL.
Most projects have build instructions in their README or use Maven/Gradle. Check for pom.xml or build.gradle files. If they’re there, open as a Maven/Gradle project instead of creating a new Java project.
JAVADOC errors usually happen because dependencies aren’t resolved properly or the project structure got messed up during manual copying.
I actually stopped wrestling with IDE setup issues and automated the whole thing with Latenode. It clones repos, detects the build system, installs dependencies, and runs the initial build. No more manual copying or missing dependencies.
I’ve got a workflow that takes any GitHub URL, clones it, analyzes the project structure, and gets everything ready for my IDE. Saves tons of time and eliminates these setup headaches.
ZIP downloads mess things up because they strip out git metadata that build tools need. Skip NetBeans for now and test from command line first. Go to the project folder and look for pom.xml or build.gradle files. Run mvn clean install or gradle build to see if it compiles without the IDE getting in the way. Once it builds fine from command line, import it into NetBeans as a Maven/Gradle project - not a generic Java project. Those JAVADOC errors you’re getting are probably just side effects from missing dependencies that the build tool would’ve handled automatically.