Eclipse: Step-By-Step

by Joe Pluta

Written for novice programmers who need to learn Eclipse, the new integrated, open-source development environment, this book covers three areas that are of crucial interest--Eclipse, IBM's Software Widget Toolkit (the SWT), and JDBC. Questions such as how to use the new Eclipse Integrated Development Environment; how to create a complete functioning application with Eclipse; and where to get the software, how to install it, and how to configure it...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1583470441
• ISBN13: 9781583470442
• Release Date: August 2003
• Publisher: MC Press
• Length: 362 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

From the horse's mouth, so to speak

When we first envisioned this book, there was a specific target audience: successful IBM midrange programmers who needed to move from their comfortable environment of RPG and green screens to the brave new world of Eclipse and Java. And so I wrote the book with the idea that you might not know much more about Windows than how to turn your machine on. It may surprise people brought up with IDEs and the Internet, but there are thousands of programmers out there who have never heard of Open Source. To these people, the idea of downloading an IDE and installing it (not to mention Java itself!) is a potentially daunting task. And even if they buy an introductory book, the introductory books are written by people who don't know about life before the Internet, and who take things like WinZip for granted. We wanted this book to allow ANYONE, regardless of their Java or PC knowledge, to be able to take advanatge of Eclipse. It's not a reference manual or an in-depth guide to Java architecture; the book description clearly says that. In fact, the description states in no uncertain terms: "training wheels for Eclipse". And yet, unfortunately people still buy the book expecting something more, and get upset when it doesn't have it. I feel badly for their disappointment, but at the same time, I can't help but think they might have missed the point. I'm amazed that the phrase "broad overview" is used negatively, when that's exactly what the book is designed to be. So I just wanted to be clear: this book is NOT for Eclipse experts. It is for people who want to learn about Eclipse in the quickest, least intimidating way possible. It was meant for professional programmers with years or decades of experience that just doesn't happen to include Windows and Java. You shouldn't feel inferior for not knowing the latest buzzwords, or for not having taken Java in college. It's a new world, and it's hard to get started. But with this book, you will. Joe Pluta

A complete tutorial for any experience level

I have always been a command line and vi kind of guy and usually eschew IDEs. All of the buzz surrounding Eclipse has caused me to investigate it further. What I learned is that Eclipse is a very powerful, extensible IDE that can be quite daunting to set up and master. Joe's book provides a great guide, suitable for anyone from a rank beginner to someone like myself, with over twenty five years of programming experience. It is not a book on Java programming, which makes sense since Eclipse is capable of more than being a Java IDE. Instead, consider it a user manual for a programming tool.I have read the other reviewers' comments and have seen some that were rather unkind and caustic, most citing what they deem to gratuitous screen shots. Okay, I found some content too simplistic for my needs. But I wouldn't presume to condemn the book because of this. This guide has been crafted to be of value to people in any level of sophistication -- kind of like the manuals that come with any electronic equipment. Everything is there, from "hooking it up" to learning more advanced features.Thus, I would suggest that you treat it as a user guide... skim the material with which you already have familiarity (since you may still pick up some nuggets) and scan the material that is new to you. In short, I think this is a well written, well edited book that deserves to be on the bookshelf of anyone wanting to learn how to use the Eclipse IDE. The cost of the book will be easily recovered just with the time it will save you getting up to speed.

Easy to follow

I have a problem. I can not keep the rest of the folks in the office from swiping my copy of this book! It is so easy to follow that even a Manager could follow this book. From installing the tool, to starting your first project, each step is detailed COMPLETELY.We have been evaluating alternatives for IDEs and it was such a relief to have something understandable and straight forward to follow, rather that wading through technical mumbo-jumbo, or just messing around until we figure it out.So far it seems that the book covers every scenario that we have run into and the times that I have looked something up in the index, the references were right there.

Perfect for the novice

So you download Eclipse and start it up and stare at the screen in confusion. Or maybe you haven't even figured out how to start it up. Don't worry. Just get a copy of this book and you will be using Eclipse like an old ranch hand in no time. Many books for the novice claim that they will teach you something but they hit "magic happens here" moments that leave you lost. You won't find any of that in this book. The title of this book is "Step By Step" and that is exactly how this book teaches the subject. The book assumes that you know nothing about the subject. After showing how to download, install, and start up Eclipse, the book takes a tour of the basic features that every programmer will need to know in order to code, test, and debug their programs. It starts by explaining what a "perspective" is in Eclipse terms and examining three of the most commonly used ones. The book then takes a look at a few simple Java programs, showing how to code and debug them. The programs let you take a look at the SWT (Eclipse's client interface) and JDBC. By the end of the book, even the complete novice developer will be using Eclipse without any trouble.This book is geared for novice users and is not meant as a reference. The book does not cover any of the Eclipse plug-ins. If you are familiar with IDEs and don't feel lost when using them then this book is probably going to be too basic for you. But if you are new to IDEs and like a lot of hand holding then this book will help you to work comfortably with the product.

Great intro to the Eclipse platform

This is a great introduction to the Eclipse platform. It's oriented towards someone who is new or moderately comfortable with java, but hasn't spent time in Eclipse. It provides good step-by-step (hence the title) tutorials in how to navigate the Eclipse environment, compile a few simple programs, and even write a small database application. I would recommend this book for an application programmer who is about to start working with Eclipse or IBM's Websphere Studio Client product line (WSAD, WSSD, WDSC, etc).