IDE support, such as syntax coloring and code completion, for new languages can be created in a number of ways. The simplest approach, applicable to the simplest languages only, is provided by the Generic Languages Framework, also known as the "Schliemann Project".
The Schliemann project allows you to define a programming language and integrate it into NetBeans IDE (or any application on the NetBeans Platform). In the first step, you describe the language, that is, the lexical part. You do so by defining tokens (keywords) and syntax (grammar rules) using regular expressions.
In the second step, you define how to visualize the language. For example, you can define colors for the tokens or code folding based on the grammar rules. You can also define which parts of the language should be displayed in the navigator and how to indent the language, as well as many other similar language-related features.