What is Eclipse and why should you use it?
If you have been using a simple text editor and the command
prompt to compile and run your java programs until now, learning to
use Eclipse may make your programming life much easier. Eclipse is
an IDE (an Integrated Development Enviroment), meaning that it is a
program made to provide you with all the tools you need to code, wrapped
up in a nice user interface. Here are some of the top reasons for using an IDE:
- Spot compiler errors quickly - if you've made some small mistake like forgetting a semicolon, or spelling a variable type wrong, the IDE will spot it quickly and let you know:
- Autocomplete/Content Assist - this feature will save you time and effort by suggesting methods (and their parameters) and types. See below for an example:
- Built in compiler - saves you the time from going back and forth from editor to console and vice versa.
- Debug Mode - allows you to watch your variables and source code at any point in your program so you can find out exactly where your program is going wrong.