Eclipse is the leading Java IDE (Integrated Development Environment). It offers tools that enable programmers to write better code. Eclipse includes a graphical editor, debugger and package manager with support for Java EE/Web applications as well as hundreds of plug-ins that extend its capabilities; many popular plugins are free and can be found via various download sites. Eclipse has strong backing from IBM, BEA Borland Sun RedHat Oracle Dell Novell Wind River ENEA vendors.
Eclipse supports multiple programming languages, but most users focus their work on Java development. One defining characteristic of the Eclipse platform is its extensible plug-in architecture; these plugins enable an IDE to be configured with different languages and perform special tasks for each of them – this feature has allowed it to dominate Java development market share.
The Eclipse IDE is open source software, and developers from across the developer community contribute in many different ways: bug reports, feature requests, patches, code and design. The Eclipse project is overseen by a group of committers responsible for making decisions regarding what features will make their way into the final product; additionally, The Eclipse Foundation serves as a nonprofit that supports this effort and provides tools that enable enterprises to adopt and use Eclipse technology.
To use Eclipse, it’s necessary to install and configure its plug-ins accordingly, with instructions available through its documentation for various platforms and programming languages. Once downloaded from Eclipse.org for free use, a license fee may apply if used commercially.
Every time a file is edited in Eclipse, the changes are saved in a local history that can be accessed to roll back changes or compare against an earlier version. Furthermore, Eclipse’s Refactoring tool enables renaming all instances of an entity such as methods, classes or variables.
Setting a breakpoint will cause the debugger to stop running the program at that location when running it, stopping just short of it. Once finished, simply select Run->Terminate from the menu option Run to close your debugger windows and return editing windows back to their initial state.
Eclipse IDE can be configured to use specific editors for different file types by going into Window Preferences > General > Editors. By default, HTML files will use Web Page Editor.
Eclipse games have been named to reflect science and astronomy themes. For example, its first three releases – Callisto, Europa and Ganymede – were named after Jupiter moons Callisto, Europa and Ganymede; Galileo was then released after discovering these moons; further releases after that have included planet names such as Mars or Indigo along with two colors from Greek mythology such as Helios or Indigo which continue the solar theme; most recently Photon is yet another solar release!