Java Reference
In-Depth Information
• You can do a lot of what you need to get started on a project by right-
clicking in the
Package Explorer
. For example, you can create a package
by right-clicking and selecting
New
>
Package
. When you type a new
package name into the resulting dialog box, all required folders are created
under the project.
• You can create new classes and interfaces in the same way. If you right-
click on a package in the
Package Explorer
and select
New
>
Class
or
New
>
Interface
, an appropriate dialog box comes up, and a skeletal file is
created in the appropriate place.
You can compile, run, and debug programs by hitting buttons on the
toolbar, by selecting from the menu, by right-clicking almost anywhere, and
by keyboard shortcuts. To put it plainly: Eclipse is a modern, rich IDE that
works like other IDEs you have seen.
Eclipse's real advantages lie in some of the dynamism it offers. As you
know, the authors of this topic like text mode and command line, but we must
admit that Eclipse's refactoring features are a great timesaver. For example,
when you use the refactoring tools to change a method, you can be certain that
every call to that method, everywhere in the project, is updated. Sure, we
staunch CLI guys will tell you that you can use pipes and
sed
to similar effect,
but even we must admit that you can miss some. We stand by what we have
said: Know all the tools, and you can then choose the right one. But if all you
have is a hammer, you'll end up using it to repair a china cup.
10.5
R
EVIEW
We've given you the choice of two great development environments. With
them you can do so much more than just edit and compile. Both are expand-
able to include other tools, like CVS and JUnit. Each has a slightly different
paradigm for how they manage files and projects. It seems the longer we work
with one (either one), the more we like it. They kind of grow on you and you
get used to some of the shortcuts that they offer. And yet, there are still those
times when it's handy to be back at the simple command line.
