[Libreoffice] newbie developer - trying to learn

This question may be too basic for this list-serve, but I don't know where else to go.

I'm running LO 3.3.3, with the corresponding SDK, on Mac OS X 10.6.8.

Trying to use the OpenOffice.org API (v. 2.0.6) in Netbeans 6.8.

To get the hang of it, I'm trying to run the FirstLoadComponent client application from the 
DevGuide examples.

When I run the program, everything builds and runs without any error messages, the LO application 
starts up, but no spreadsheet is ever created. I get the launch screen if I click on the LO icon in 
the dock.

I'm wondering if there aren't some compatibility issues between the OOo API and the newer versions 
of LO that might be causing the problem. Not sure what else to check on. 

I am not a sophisticated programmer - I'm a lawyer and I'm interested in creating some LO add-ons 
that will be useful to me in my law practice, and maybe be useful to others as well.

Is there a better IDE or plug-in that I should be using? Other tools that might be useful, or work 
better with the newer versions of LO?

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to help a newbie get set up in a working programming 
environment.