Check out the technical article "Build a Rich Client Platform To-Do Application in NetBeans IDE" on OTN. This article shows how to use NetBeans IDE 7.4 to develop a Swing-based "to-do" application, and it demonstrates the use of a rich client platform (RCP).
The example application builds a to-do list, which is commonly found as part of privileged identity management (PIM) suites. The article doesn't just demo the NetBeans IDE's RCP features; it also sticks to object-oriented best practices, showing that you can develop GUI applications quickly and interactively without compromising long-term maintenance and a sound architecture.
Along the way, you'll take the NetBeans IDE visual editor through its paces. Also, you can learn many features that NetBeans IDE provides to increase developer productivity. 
Author Ioannis (John) Kostaras is a software architect and has been a Java developer since JDK 1.0. Kostaras has developed a number of standalone and web applications focusing on flexible object-oriented design and security. One such RCP application, written in NetBeans, was awarded the 2012 Duke's Choice Community Choice Award. (Kostaras reminded us that he is co-organizing "the hottest Java conference on earth," JCrete.) This technical article is an update of "A Complete App Using NetBeans 5" by Fernando Lozano, which was originally published in NetBeans Magazine.
Read "Build a Rich Client Platform To-Do Application in NetBeans IDE" now.