Eclipse is an open source software platform. Based on Java and provides the ability to develop programs with plugins. It contains a set of embedded components, among which is the well-known product Eclipse - PDE plug-in development environment. PDE allows you to expand the platform itself, composed of built-in components. Toolkit creators can offer their own extensions and give users a holistic development environment (IDE).
In addition to the Java language that Eclipse is written in, the development environment is also used for other programming languages. Many plugins have been created that support the languages ​​C ++, Fortran, Perl, Prolog, Python, Ruby, etc. The platform can be the basis for other software that is not related to writing programs, for example telnet and DBMS. Another example of Eclipse-based code is the PDT development environment with basic functions for editing and debugging PHP applications.
All rights are perverted
Open source software is licensed to guarantee user rights. For example, the source program should be provided with the right to modify and distribute it. This level of protection of rights has been achieved with the help of copyleft. Copyright protects copyright by prohibiting the distribution of programs when the user does not have this right. Copyleft also requires a redistributable software license coverage. In this case, the essence of copyright becomes the opposite. Copyleft does not use copyright to preserve the rights of developers, but to transfer them to users.
Therefore, there are fears and doubts that open source software will lead to the loss of intellectual property, since copyleft will extend to other parts of the software. In other words, the license will require that the entire application containing open source code be distributed with the same rights. This is true for the General Public License (GNU) - Linux is distributed under it. But there are permissions that provide a different relationship between public and commercial interests.
OSI is a non-profit organization that clearly defines what open source is and approves licenses that meet its criteria. The Eclipse platform is distributed under the EPL, an open license certified by OSI and facilitating its commercial application while maintaining the loyalty of the authors of open source software.
Plugin creators or users of the software development environment should publish any Eclipse code they use or modify, but they can license their own add-ons the way they like. The transfer of rights to them as open source software is not required, as well as the publication of the source code.
And although many will not use Eclipse to create their own developments, the availability of the platform source code is of great importance not only due to the lack of a board, but also because it promotes innovation and encourages programmers to contribute their own product as a contribution to the common cause. The main reason for this is the more labor is invested in the project, the more significant it is for everyone. If it benefits, the number of developers increases even more and a community is created around the project, similar to the ones that arose around Linux and Apache.
Non-profit organization
Eclipse is a development environment, libraries and tools for creating, deploying and managing software, as well as a community of its creators. The platform was created by IBM in 2001 with the support of software vendors.
The Eclipse Foundation was established in 2004. It is a non-profit association that supports platform projects and improves the development community and the system of complementary programs and services. Today, the Eclipse ecosystem includes organizations and individuals in the software industry.
The fund monitors and manages platform projects. It serves the community, and developers who are called committers aren't on the staff. They are employees of other organizations or independent programmers who voluntarily donate their personal time to work in the project.
Eclipse: platform features
- Creation of various software development tools.
- Unlimited number of tool suppliers, including independent ones.
- Support for tools for working with various content, such as HTML, C, EJB, Java, JSP, GIF and XML.
- Ensuring full integration within and between different content.
- Eclipse is a software development environment with or without a graphical interface .
- Work in various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, Solaris AIX, Mac OS X.
- Using Java, a popular language for writing tools.
Eclipse Getting Started Guide
After the first launch of the program, a greeting appears. The user can go to the overview and learn new features, examples or undergo training.
The workspace is composed of view panels. The totality of representations is called perspective. The Resources perspective, for example, includes views for editing, managing, and viewing projects.
Novice users should start with the Fundamentals of the Instrument Space, where you can get a lot of information regarding the various components of Eclipse and their interaction.
Work with JDT
To explore JDT, you can open the Eclipse Java project. To do this, select the menu item "File" - "New" - "Java Project", enter the name of the project and click "Finish".
To change the current perspective, you need to select the menu item "Window" - "Open Perspective" - ​​Java or open a new window through "Window" - "New Window" and select another perspective.
Vista contains views that are designed for development in the Java language. In the upper left corner, there is a hierarchy with Eclipse Java packages, classes, JAR archives, and various files called the Package Browser. The main menu at the same time replenished by 2 points: Source and Refactor.
Creating a program in JDT
To create a Java application, right-click on the previously created project and select "New" - "Class". In the pop-up dialog box, enter the class name. The question is: “What method blanks do you want to create?” - specify public static void main (String [] args) and click "Finish".
As a result, a program will be created containing the entered class and empty main (). The method must be filled with program code (declaration j was omitted intentionally):
public class Hello {
public static void main (String [] args) {
for (j = 0; j <= 5; j ++)
{
System.out.println (“Hello”);
}
}
}
While typing, you can notice the features of the editor:
- auto completion;
- syntax check;
- auto-closing an opening bracket or quotation mark.
Code completion is caused by the Ctrl + space bar combination. At the same time, a context-sensitive list of options appears that can be selected with the keyboard or mouse, whether it is a list of methods of a given object or part of a keyword.
The syntax is checked for incremental compilation. It occurs while writing code while compiling it. Syntax errors are underlined in red, and a red dot with a white oblique cross appears to their left. Other errors are indicated in the fields as a light bulb. You can fix them yourself using Quick Fix.
In the introduced example, the light bulb is located opposite the for statement because the i declaration is missing. After double-clicking on the light bulb, a list of possible corrections will appear. In this case, for j it is proposed to create:
- class field
- method parameter;
- local variable.
If you select one of the options with the mouse, you can see the resulting text.
Double-clicking on the required option generates the program code.
Application launch
If there are no compilation errors, the application can be launched through the Start menu item. There is no compilation step, as it takes place during code saving. In the appeared dialog “Launch Configuration”, the necessary values ​​of which are already set, you need to click on the Run button on the right, at the bottom. A console with bookmarks and the result of the application will appear at the bottom.
The program can be run in the debugger. First of all, a breakpoint is set in System.out.println () with two clicks on the gray field to the left of the editing window, next to the method call. As a result, a blue dot appears. Select the menu "Start" - "Debug". The startup configuration window will appear again. After clicking the “Start” button, a debugging perspective with new views will appear.
In the “Debugging” view, on the upper left, there is a call stack and a toolbar for controlling the program’s progress. The panel contains buttons to stop, continue and terminate the application, execute and skip the next statement, and return from the method. At the top right, there are a number of tabbed panels: variables, breakpoints, expressions and the screen. When choosing the tab variables, you can see the value of the variable j.
Detailed information about each of the views can be given by contextual help. You just need to click on the title bar and press F1.
Additional plugins
Software development environments that are designed to modify, compile, and debug Eclipse are complemented by components that can simulate, automate building, test modules, performance, and manage configuration and versions.
The CVS source control system allows you to conduct teamwork on them. However, the changes you make are not mixed. This is an important and integral part of Eclipse.
The development environment is located at eclipse.org. Plugins are located in the Plug-in Central directory.
Architecture
The basis of the platform is richly functional RCP clients. Simplified, they can be represented by a set of plug-ins used in the development of programs. There are also additional recommended components and optional ones.
The main components are as follows:
- The runtime defines a component model based on the OSGi specification, extensions, and extension points. Also provides incremental services such as syslog and concurrency.
- The SWT package contains widgets for the Eclipse functions and the user interface. It has an add-on with classes that facilitate the creation of graphical applications.
- The tool space includes perspectives, views, and editing windows.
- The Help component provides user support in the form of a help system or an interactive task list.
- The “Update” plugin allows you to get the latest software version.
- The Team component offers an infrastructure for connecting your own version control systems.
The platform, created by IBM, has become a fully functional open source system. Its participants are over a hundred companies. Although there were earlier ideas for creating such systems, Eclipse’s thoughtful, reliable, and elegant design allowed her to take a leading position.