Moving existing project to an IDE

Question

I am considering moving an existing, 12-year old, java [url http://r0k.us/graphics/SIHwheel.html]hobbyist project to an IDE. Up to now, development has been with the Textpad text editor, the msWindows cmd tool, and the CVS version system. Before starting, I'd like to get some opinions on what kinds of things should be considered, and the current strengths and weaknesses of the various IDEs. I've heard good thanks about Netbeans, Eclipse, and Intellij.
Here are some of the parameters involving the project:
1) two project directories
1a) ntc, with 3 java files
1b) sihwheel, with 5 java files, and some resources (5 properties files, 2 html files, and a PNG image)
2) 33 classes get created, then jar'red along with the resources of 1b
3) application normally runs as an applet, but can run as program
4) open source project
5) no build support (ant, etc) yet
Hmm, should I implement build support first, or do at same time? The distributed pieces of the build would be SIHwheel.jar, SIHwheel.html, and SIH_source.zip. Since they can run stand-alone, I also distribute, from the ntc project, NTC.java ColorName.java, and Hilb.java.
Some of my desires for an IDE are:
1) not complex to learn or use
2) easy import of the above "raw" project without forcing major reconfiguration of directory structure, etc.
3) ability to still make q&d changes with Textpad, javac, and jar
4) debug support
5) multi-platform supprt (I normally run Windows 7, but can boot into Ubuntu Linux)
Consider those to be more of a wish list than requirements. I'm flexible ;) and would like the IDE to be flexible as well.
-- Rich

Answer 1

Just focusing on that point (the rest are answered already I think)
Hmm, should I implement build support first, or do at same time? The distributed pieces of the build would be SIHwheel.jar, SIHwheel.html, and SIH_source.zip.Note that both Eclipse and NB have "single-target" builds by default (htey build a jar, or, in the case of a J2SE app in NetBeans, a 'dist' folder with a main jar and dependencies). Building several targets will require manual configuration on your part.
In the case of NetBeans, whose build system relies on Ant (generated Ant build files, which you can manually edit afterwards), building several targets (one jar, one HTMl page, one zip) will require to customize the generated build script, so you'll have to learn Ant anyway.
In the case of Eclipse, I know you can "use" an Ant build script, which you create and edit through the text editor, but it does not natively generates it (there are probably plugins that do that). I think there are wizards to request the creation/copy of so-and-so (Jar file I'm sure, copy too, zip I don't know), which you can customize at least per source folder, but this customization won't propagate automatically to the Ant build script.
The last time I used that, Jar generation was "manual" (a menu item somewhere trigerred a "generate jar" build), but this may have evolved.
I can't comment on IDEA, never used it.