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Prerequisites

Before you begin development on MatriculaUniPoo, ensure you have the following tools installed on your system.

Java Development Kit

JDK 20 or higher is required

Apache Maven

Maven 3.6+ for dependency management

IDE (Optional)

NetBeans, IntelliJ IDEA, or Eclipse

Git

For version control

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Installing Java 20

1

Download JDK 20

Download the JDK 20 installer from Oracle or use OpenJDK.
2

Run the Installer

Execute the downloaded .exe file and follow the installation wizard.
3

Set JAVA_HOME

Add the JDK installation path to your system environment variables:
setx JAVA_HOME "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-20"
setx PATH "%PATH%;%JAVA_HOME%\bin"
4

Verify Installation

Open a new command prompt and verify:
java -version
You should see output showing Java version 20.

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Installing Apache Maven

1

Download Maven

Download the binary zip archive from Apache Maven.
2

Extract Archive

Extract to C:\Program Files\Apache\maven
3

Set Environment Variables

setx MAVEN_HOME "C:\Program Files\Apache\maven"
setx PATH "%PATH%;%MAVEN_HOME%\bin"
4

Verify Installation

mvn -version

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Project Setup

1

Clone the Repository

Clone the MatriculaUniPoo project to your local machine:
git clone <repository-url>
cd Matricula
2

Verify Project Structure

Ensure your project structure matches:
Matricula/
├── pom.xml
├── src/
│   └── main/
│       └── java/
│           ├── igu/
│           │   ├── Inicio.java
│           │   ├── Login.java
│           │   ├── Matricula.java
│           │   └── Registrar.java
│           └── logica/
│               ├── Alumno.java
│               ├── Cursos.java
│               └── Main.java
└── target/
3

Download Dependencies

Maven will automatically download all required dependencies:
mvn clean install
The project uses NetBeans AbsoluteLayout library for Swing GUI components. This will be downloaded automatically from Maven Central.
4

Verify Compilation

Ensure the project compiles successfully:
mvn compile
You should see output indicating successful compilation:
[INFO] BUILD SUCCESS
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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IDE Configuration

1

Install NetBeans

Download and install Apache NetBeans version 12.0 or higher.
2

Open Project

  1. File → Open Project
  2. Navigate to the Matricula folder
  3. Select and open the project
3

Resolve Dependencies

NetBeans will automatically recognize the Maven pom.xml and download dependencies.
4

Configure Java Platform

Right-click project → Properties → Libraries → Java Platform → Select JDK 20
NetBeans provides excellent support for Swing Form Designer, which was used to create the GUI forms (.form files).
1

Import Maven Project

  1. File → Open
  2. Select the Matricula folder
  3. IntelliJ will detect the pom.xml and import as Maven project
2

Set Project SDK

File → Project Structure → Project → SDK → Select JDK 20
3

Enable Auto-Import

Settings → Build, Execution, Deployment → Build Tools → Maven → Check “Import Maven projects automatically”
1

Install M2Eclipse Plugin

Help → Eclipse Marketplace → Search “Maven Integration” → Install
2

Import Maven Project

  1. File → Import → Maven → Existing Maven Projects
  2. Browse to the Matricula folder
  3. Select pom.xml and click Finish
3

Configure Java Compiler

Right-click project → Properties → Java Compiler → Compiler compliance level → 20

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Running the Application

Once your environment is set up, you can run the application: 
mvn clean compile exec:java
The application entry point is logica.Main.java, which initializes the welcome screen (Inicio).

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Understanding the Main Entry Point

The application starts from the Main class:
Main.java
package logica;

import igu.Inicio;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Inicio in = new Inicio();
        in.setVisible(true);
        in.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
    }
}
This creates and displays the welcome screen centered on the user’s display.

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Troubleshooting

Problem: Maven cannot download dependenciesSolution:
# Clear Maven cache and rebuild
mvn clean
mvn dependency:purge-local-repository
mvn install
Problem: Error about unsupported class file versionSolution: Verify Java version
java -version
javac -version
Both should show version 20. Update JAVA_HOME if needed.
Problem: Swing forms appear blank or incorrectly renderedSolution: Ensure AbsoluteLayout dependency is present:
mvn dependency:tree | grep AbsoluteLayout
Should show: org.netbeans.external:AbsoluteLayout:jar:RELEASE190
Problem: Application icons or background images missingSolution: The application references hardcoded image paths. Update these in the source:
  • Inicio.java:52 - Background image path
  • Login.java:140 - Login icon path
Place images in the appropriate location or update paths to resources folder.

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Next Steps

Building the Project

Learn how to build and package the application

Contributing

Guidelines for contributing to the project

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