• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

JEdit /JCreator /Eclipse/NetBeans

 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 281
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Some of you might want to give JEdit a try. www.jedit.org.
One of the great things about JEdit is that you basically can make it what you want. By that I mean you can easilly install the plugins you need so you aren't stuck with all the bloat that you don't need of some of the larger IDEs. I like NetBeans a lot but it still was bulkier than I needed even with only installing the necessary plugins. The only slight drawback to this editor is the same drawback I find with all the Java-coded IDEs- they still have a slow feel to them. Sometimes the slowness is hard to pin down but it's stll there. For a lof of my stuff I'll still code in UltraEdit (since it's always open anyway for other stuff).
One IDE that others have mentioned some is JCreator. I'm really thinking of going back to this IDE. It's written in C or C++ and is extremely responsive and doesn't have all the bloat that I don't need (and I'm sure most actually don't need). Basically I want a fast editor that has code insight. The only draw back to JCreator is to have this code insight I'll have to shell out the bucks. I think it might be worth though.
I'm curious since I haven't tried Eclipse yet, does it run a lot faster and smoother than NetBeans/Forte? (load up faster?, use less system resources?). I guess I can try it out myself and find out, but curious on other's impressions of it.
 
Chicken Farmer ()
Posts: 1932
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Eclipse did load faster for me than Forte, but I have to say that I still stick with JCreator. I'm using the LE version, so don't have the functionality you mention, but that's the way I like it. Feel like I learn more that way, but that's just me.
One thing I didn't like about Eclipse is I didn't see it being that intuitive to use. Seem to have to jump through too many hoops just to write up a class. If I actually spent more time learning the IDE instead of focusing just on learning more and more Java, might change my opinion.
 
Rick Reumann
Ranch Hand
Posts: 281
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Glad to hear you say that Jason. After posting last night I downloaded eclipse and loaded it up and that was enough to make me say - not needed. I'll use the LE version of JCreator again for a while. The main reason I like the code insight though is I'm dealing so much with regular beans and JDBC and constantly having to call the setter methods of these beans. It's nice having a pop-up after the '.' to tell me the setter names (was it setFirst() or setFirstName() ?, etc.). Other than that and having it be able to quickly run a macro to compile my class, I don't need much more from an editor (besides also some syntax hightlighting and match-brace).
 
jason adam
Chicken Farmer ()
Posts: 1932
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I usually have several class windows open, so I can bounce back and forth if need be. I always have the API's open anyways, so the code completion is nice, but not necessary.
I'm sure in a full-scale production environment something like Eclipse might be better suited, and I'm sure that is the area they are trying to reach. Once you get used to using a glorified Notepad, it's hard to work in something that has a gazillion buttons and features, just seems overwhelming/overkill.
Besides, I've met several "programmers" lately through my classes that have become so reliant upon an IDE that it's almost as if they can't function with Java unless they are in the IDE they are used to. I'd rather know the language inside and out, makes for porting yourself to different development environments much easier.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 247
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I don't know about the free Forte or Netbeans, but I recently checked out the Forte 4.0 Enterprise early access system requirements and they increase the memory requirement (probably because of more J2EE stuff only found in the Enterprise editon), but decrease the MHz requirement from 3.0's 866MHz to 500Mhz, which is a pretty big drop. I'm hearing reports that it runs anywhere from 10-50% faster than before, but it sounds like it's still a memory hog.
I'm still trying to get as productive in Forte as I was in 'vi', and it's been 3 months already...
 
Rick Reumann
Ranch Hand
Posts: 281
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
The combination of JEdit and UltraEdit seems to be perfect so far. JEdit is that perfect balance between not being bloated and yet having more features than your TextPad or UltraEdit. Plus free and great user group.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 280
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have a listing on my website of a bunch of FREE Java IDE's at
Java IDE's
I personally use JCreator. I find it to be very responsive and I really like being able to go directly to a method by clicking its name on the left.
A really neat IDE with a bunch of features like UML and CPG is jGrasp.
Both of these are on my website as well.
 
Rick Reumann
Ranch Hand
Posts: 281
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Thanks, jason liked the list. One thing you might want to change which is misleadig. In JEdit you really don't have to compile from command line per se. There is a simple plug-in that it comes with that does it for you (Althought I opted to write a simple macro that can do a few more robust things). Regardless it's not like you have to actually physically type "javac Myjavafile.java" It's similar to how UltraEdit does it when you configure an UltraEdit tool in which case it calls the underlying command line.
 
Greenhorn
Posts: 9
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
OKy.
There are many Text Editor which help us with the Java work, personally I use JEdit, because is cross platform, why? Is totally writed in Java, I actually use Win32 platform and LiNUX platform, for my is more comfortable can write code with the same interface, in other hand there are another Text editor which like me and i use in some times:
GWD Text Editor, support plugin's and macros writed in Ansi C.
Edit Plus, is a great editor and very customizable.
BUt, i only can work with theses editors undes Win32 platform
My recomendation if U write code in diferents platforms is JEdit.
JcSO
 
Jason Kretzer
Ranch Hand
Posts: 280
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Rick,
Which plugin allows you to compile code from inside jEdit?
Thanks,
 
Rick Reumann
Ranch Hand
Posts: 281
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
It's called JCompiler.
Not sure if it came with it by default or not. If that doesn't suit your needs let me know. I wrote a small macro that i can easilly customize by adding in stuff for my projects. Works like a charm. I can explain it to you if you like. It's really simple.
 
Jason Kretzer
Ranch Hand
Posts: 280
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I got the compiler to work the way I want it to. I put a shortcut on the toolbar. I would like to have another shortcut to execute the file. How can I go about this?
Thanks,
 
Greenhorn
Posts: 21
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have been using Jcreator and find that I really like it. I used the Pro version until it expired and then went back to the LE version.
It does a lot of things that I like without getting in the way or becoming too much of a cruch. I new to java and just learning. I want to discipline myself to write good code, not rely on an IDE to do it for me.
As for as its cost, it is pretty minimal. It costs $70 for a commercial license but there is a $35 student license also. The LE version is Free and does most everything that I need. It does a good job of auto indenting and code highlighting. I also like the way that it will incorporate the JDK's documentation if you have them installed. They are just a quick search away.
I use Visual Slickedit at work and find I miss jCreator.
Paul LaBrier
 
Consider Paul's rocket mass heater.
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic