Java Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 10
Integrated Development
Environments
Some people prefer glitz. The shiny sparkle has always attracted the human eye.
Sometimes that sparkle is a real gem, a treasure; sometimes it's only a gum
wrapper on the sidewalk. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) add
glitz to Java development. At their most basic, they combine (integrate) an
editing environment with a compiler. This gives you
• Language-specific formatting of your Java text (different colors, comments
in italics, and so on)
• Quick feedback on errors (the ability to click on a compile error message
to begin editing at the offending Java statement)
• Automatic word completion, to help you finish typing the names of
methods in your Java code
• A point-and-click GUI for that all important “modern” look-and-feel
If those were all they gave you, IDEs would be, in our opinion, leaning
toward “gum wrapper.” But a good IDE can be more than that. It can be
extended to integrate many different tools, including:
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