Can I generate the .form file for an existing class?

Unfortunately no.

NetBeans form editor is not able to regenerate a missing .form file for GUI classes, or to generate a .form file for GUI classes not originally created in NetBeans.

However, there are some external tools trying to address this problem, e.g. FormGenerator . Check contrib.netbeans.org for newest version.

Applies to: NetBeans 3.6 - 6.1

Platforms: All