Development Tool

Eclipse

Overview

Eclipse is an open-source integrated development environment (IDE) developed by the Eclipse Foundation. Primarily used for Java development, it is widely adopted by developers for its high extensibility through plugin systems and free usage.

Details

Eclipse was initiated by IBM in 2001 and is currently managed by the Eclipse Foundation as an open-source integrated development environment. Originally focused on Java development, it now supports various programming languages including C++, PHP, Python, and JavaScript.

Eclipse's greatest strength lies in its high extensibility through plugin architecture. By adding necessary features as plugins to the core workbench platform, developers can customize it according to their individual development needs. It encompasses all features necessary for modern development, including powerful code completion, refactoring capabilities, debugger, version control system integration like Git, and Maven support.

The 2024-06 release introduced several improvements including splitting try-with-resources expressions, enhanced Javadoc styling, streamlined debugging features, and faster startup times. Eclipse is completely free under the Eclipse Public License 2.0 and offers cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Completely Free: Free for commercial use under Eclipse Public License 2.0
• High Extensibility: Flexible customization through plugin system
• Cross-Platform: Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Mature Ecosystem: Rich plugins and community through years of development
• Powerful Debugging: Faster debugging capabilities than other IDEs
• Large Project Support: Suitable for managing complex projects
• Maven Integration: Excellent Maven project support

Disadvantages

• Heavy Performance: Adding plugins tends to slow down operation
• Memory Consumption: Consumes large amounts of memory, dependent on machine specs
• Instability: Frequent crashes and shortcuts may not work properly
• Steep Learning Curve: Overwhelming number of options and menus for beginners
• Outdated UI: Interface appears outdated compared to modern IDEs
• Complex Settings: Difficult to configure properly due to numerous setting options
• Long Startup Time: Extended loading times and frequent need for restarts

Key Links

• Eclipse IDE Official Site
• Eclipse Foundation
• Eclipse Marketplace
• Eclipse Documentation
• Eclipse GitHub
• Eclipse Community

Code Examples

Project Configuration

<!-- .project - Eclipse Project Configuration -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<projectDescription>
    <name>sample-project</name>
    <comment></comment>
    <projects>
    </projects>
    <buildSpec>
        <buildCommand>
            <name>org.eclipse.jdt.core.javabuilder</name>
            <arguments>
            </arguments>
        </buildCommand>
        <buildCommand>
            <name>org.eclipse.m2e.core.maven2Builder</name>
            <arguments>
            </arguments>
        </buildCommand>
    </buildSpec>
    <natures>
        <nature>org.eclipse.jdt.core.javanature</nature>
        <nature>org.eclipse.m2e.core.maven2Nature</nature>
    </natures>
</projectDescription>

Classpath Configuration

<!-- .classpath - Classpath Configuration -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<classpath>
    <classpathentry kind="src" output="target/classes" path="src/main/java">
        <attributes>
            <attribute name="optional" value="true"/>
            <attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
        </attributes>
    </classpathentry>
    <classpathentry excluding="**" kind="src" output="target/classes" path="src/main/resources">
        <attributes>
            <attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
        </attributes>
    </classpathentry>
    <classpathentry kind="src" output="target/test-classes" path="src/test/java">
        <attributes>
            <attribute name="optional" value="true"/>
            <attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
            <attribute name="test" value="true"/>
        </attributes>
    </classpathentry>
    <classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER/org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.launcher.StandardVMType/JavaSE-17">
        <attributes>
            <attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
        </attributes>
    </classpathentry>
    <classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.m2e.MAVEN2_CLASSPATH_CONTAINER">
        <attributes>
            <attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
        </attributes>
    </classpathentry>
    <classpathentry kind="output" path="target/classes"/>
</classpath>

Launch Configuration

<!-- .metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.debug.core/.launches/Application.launch -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<launchConfiguration type="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.localJavaApplication">
    <listAttribute key="org.eclipse.debug.core.MAPPED_RESOURCE_PATHS">
        <listEntry value="/sample-project/src/main/java/com/example/Application.java"/>
    </listAttribute>
    <listAttribute key="org.eclipse.debug.core.MAPPED_RESOURCE_TYPES">
        <listEntry value="1"/>
    </listAttribute>
    <booleanAttribute key="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.ATTR_EXCLUDE_TEST_CODE" value="true"/>
    <stringAttribute key="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.MAIN_TYPE" value="com.example.Application"/>
    <stringAttribute key="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.PROJECT_ATTR" value="sample-project"/>
    <stringAttribute key="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.VM_ARGUMENTS" value="-Xms512m -Xmx1024m -Dspring.profiles.active=dev"/>
    <stringAttribute key="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.PROGRAM_ARGUMENTS" value="--debug"/>
    <mapAttribute key="org.eclipse.debug.core.environmentVariables">
        <mapEntry key="ENVIRONMENT" value="development"/>
    </mapAttribute>
</launchConfiguration>

Code Format Settings

<!-- .metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.core.runtime/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs -->
eclipse.preferences.version=1
org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.inlineJsrBytecode=enabled
org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=17
org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=17
org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.assertIdentifier=error
org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.enablePreviewFeatures=disabled
org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.enumIdentifier=error
org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.reportPreviewFeatures=warning
org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.release=enabled
org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.source=17

# Format Settings
org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.tabulation.char=space
org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.tabulation.size=4
org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.indentation.size=4
org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.lineSplit=120
org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.comment.line_length=120
org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.blank_lines_after_imports=1
org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.blank_lines_before_package=0
org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.blank_lines_after_package=1

Project Facets Configuration

<!-- .settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<faceted-project>
  <installed facet="java" version="17"/>
  <installed facet="jst.web" version="4.0"/>
  <installed facet="wst.jsdt.web" version="1.0"/>
</faceted-project>

Tomcat Server Configuration

<!-- .metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.core.runtime/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.server.core.prefs -->
eclipse.preferences.version=1
org.eclipse.wst.server.core.isServerProject=true
org.eclipse.wst.server.core.runtimes=Apache Tomcat v9.0\=/path/to/tomcat

# Server Runtime Settings
server.port=8080
server.contextPath=/sample-project
server.docBase=src/main/webapp
server.workDir=/tmp/tomcat-work

Maven Integration Settings

<!-- .settings/org.eclipse.m2e.core.prefs -->
activeProfiles=
eclipse.preferences.version=1
resolveWorkspaceProjects=true
version=1

# Maven Dependency Auto-download Settings
org.eclipse.m2e.core.downloadSources=true
org.eclipse.m2e.core.downloadJavadoc=true