d2r: eclipse 3.0

eclipse 3.0

I am now downloading Eclipse 3.0 final (released yesterday, apparently) for both Windows and Mac OS X. I had the luck of finding a mirror that is giving speeds of 100 KB/sec, which is excellent (the main download sites all maxed out at around 5 KB/sec, at least for me). I also found a BitTorrent tracker list, but it didn't include 3.0 -- only up to RC3, and then again it was only for Linux and Windows.

Anyway, this comes in handy as I am finishing the setup in a new machine--I had installed RC3 but now I'll just move over immediately and finish making the changes to the configuration (one of the main problems I have with Eclipse is how difficult it is to move over from one version to the next--settings have to be changed, reset, exported and imported in multiple places--maybe I just don't know what to do exactly, I don't know). Aside from that, and various quirks notwhistanding, I've been quite happy with Eclipse as an environment, its integration with CVS and Ant, etc. The release of 3.0 final is a major step forward.

Good stuff.

Update: Don has a number of interesting comments on the 3.0 release, including wondering why they released ahead of schedule, and mentioning version migration problems (which is sort of a relief to read -- now I know I'm not the only one!)

Categories: soft.dev
Posted by diego on June 26 2004 at 1:31 PM

Comments (please see the comments & trackback policy).

Downloaded the final release of Eclipse but I am having troubles getting it to recognize any new plugin that I drag into the plugins folder. Found out that if I delete (or rename) the configuration directory under the eclipse install directory it is recreated and then all the plugins that I tried to install earlier all of a sudden show up... This used to happen automatically in my previous m8 and m9 releases. Anyone else have any problems with this? Thanks!!

Posted by: Gary Glover at July 2, 2004 10:50 PM

Appreciation for simplicity...

Given that there is a whole sea of Java IDEs in the abyss, one has to appreciate the subtle elements that differentiate one from another. When I was doing the Hello World tutorial in Eclipse 3.0, I didn't just finish with the staple

System.out.println("Hello World!");

Instead, simply by poking an proding around for a brief moment, I externalized the string to a properties file, and extracted the key name to a constant, allowing me to change the message without recompiling. The art of refactoring almost came without thinking!

Additionally, running the application couldn't have been simpler. I didn't even have to setup a run source or open an unnecessary preperation window. Just right-click, Run and there appeared my string. Gamma was right when he said that they thought through this user interface.

Eclipse 3.0 is something to drool over for sure!

Posted by: Dan Allen at July 6, 2004 7:03 PM