Eclipse 3.1 Released
Jeff Myers writes "Eclipse version 3.1 was just released and is available for download. There are quite a few new and noteworthy features added in this release - including full support for Java 5.0 and improved support for developing rich client applications based on the Eclipse platform." Update: 06/28 21:03 GMT by Z : Denis emailed to request we use mirrors, as they're already getting hammered pretty hard.
The link gives a 404. Here is the correct one.
Is Eclipse any faster than when they first released it.
Actually yes. Performance was a major focal point for 3.1. Now that all the platform plugins are using OSGI bundle manifests and are all packaged as JAR files, things are much faster. Just starting up Eclipse used to take forever but it's much faster now.
Eclipse is confusing.. its really 2 things in 1.
1. Its an Itergrated Development Environment (IDE) which allows plug ins to extend its usefullyness.
2. Its written in java with SWT (native platorm windowing extentions). It can be used as a framework for building your own java applications.
note that not all of the mirrors are updated yet
0 6271435/ p se/R-3.1-200506271435/ 1 -200506271435/ 0 506271435/ 3 .1-200506271435/ d rops/R-3.1-200506271435/ l ipse/downloads/drops/R-3.1-200506271435/ p se/downloads/drops/R-3.1-200506271435/ s /R-3.1-200506271435/ R -3.1-200506271435/ p se/downloads/drops/R-3.1-200506271435/
http://gd.tuwien.ac.at/softeng/eclipse/R-3.1-2005
http://ftp-stud.fht-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/ecli
http://eclipse.gabriel.co.hu/downloads/drops/R-3.
http://www.eclipse.ps.pl/downloads/drops/R-3.1-20
http://mirrors.bevc.net/eclipse/download/drops/R-
http://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/eclipse/downloads/
http://mirrors.cs.hacettepe.edu.tr/eclipse.org/ec
http://gulus.usherbrooke.ca/pub/appl/eclipse/ecli
http://mirror.reachable.ca/eclipse/downloads/drop
http://mirror.calvin.edu/eclipse/downloads/drops/
http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/mirrorsites/eclipse/ecli
I've only used version 3 and it's quite fast. Admittedly I'm on a 3 GHz with 512 MB RAM. I've heard several people the same thing, so maybe 3.X is improved. Occasionally, it will stall for about 30 seconds but I've never had it crash.
I've found that developing in eclipse is faster than writing and compiling, because it highlights errors as you type (like how word underlines spelling mistakes). Once I'm done editing, I know it compiles, although just clicking the "run" icon is all that's required. (You can get a list of errors and go through them one by one if you prefer.)
I also find the development aids they have to be time-saving. For example, a ctrl-T will bring up a class hierarchy tree. Ctrl-E will pop up a list of all files opened where you can type in a filter (Action*.java). Ctrl-alt-H will show all the methods that call the method you'are currently editing. Not to mention the refactoring, debugger, views, etc.
Of course, each editor/IDE has their strength and weaknesses, but I've been quite happy with eclipse. The only thing I miss is a GUI editor like netbeans has.