Eclipse: Programming Java Applications

by Steve Holzner, Bill Rosenblatt, Brett McLaughlin (Editor)

Overview

Java programmers know how finicky Java can be to work with. An omitted semi-colon or the slightest typo will cause the Java command-line compiler to spew pages of annoying error messages across your screen. And it doesn't fix them—that's up to you: fix them, compile again, and hope that nothing goes wrong this time. Eclipse, the popular Java integrated development environment (IDE) provides an elegant and powerful remedy for this common, frustrating scenario. It doesn't just catch your errors before you compile, it also suggests solutions. All you need to do is point and click. And it's free—what could be better? Still, if you're like most programmers, mastering a new technology—no matter how productive it will make you in the long run—is going to take a chunk out of your productivity now. You want to get up to speed quickly without sacrificing efficiency. O'Reilly's new guide to the technology, Eclipse, provides exactly what you're looking for: a fast-track approach to mastery of Eclipse. This insightful, hands-on book delivers clear and concise coverage, with no fluff, that gets down to business immediately. The book is tightly focused, covering all aspects of Eclipse: the menus, preferences, views, perspectives, editors, team and debugging techniques, and how they're used every day by thousands of developers. Development of practical skills is emphasized with dozens of examples presented throughout the book. From cover-to-cover, the book is pure Eclipse, covering hundreds of techniques beginning with the most basic Java development through creating your own plug-in editors for the Eclipse environment. Some of the topics you'll learn about include:

• Using Eclipse to develop Java code
• Testing and debugging
• Working in teams using CVS
• Building Eclipse projects using Ant
• The Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT)
• Web development
• Developing Struts applications with Eclipse

From basics to advanced topics, Eclipse takes you through the fundamentals of Eclipse and more. You may be an Eclipse novice when you pick up the book, but you'll be a pro by the time you've finished.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780596006419
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/29/2004
Edition description:	Coverage of Java 3.0 Edition
Pages:	334
Sales rank:	986,239
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.19(h) x 0.78(d)

About the Author

Steve Holzner is an award-winning author who has been writing about Java topics since Java first appeared. He's a former PC Magazine contributing editor, and his many books have been translated into 18 languages around the world. His books sold more than 1.5 million copies, and many of his bestsellers have been on Java. Steve graduated from MIT and got his PhD at Cornell; he's been a very popular member of the faculty at both MIT and Cornell, teaching thousands of students over the years and earning an average student evaluation over 4.9 out of 5.0. He also runs his own software company and teaches week-long classes to corporate programmers on Java around the country.

Table of Contents

Preface; What's Inside; Conventions Used in This Book; What You'll Need; Using Code Examples; We'd Like to Hear from You; Chapter 1: Essential Eclipse; 1.1 Eclipse and Java; 1.2 Getting Eclipse; 1.3 Understanding Eclipse; 1.4 Views and Perspectives; 1.5 Working with Eclipse; 1.6 Using Quick Fix; 1.7 A Word About Project Management; Chapter 2: Java Development; 2.1 Developing Java Code; 2.2 Building and Running Code; 2.3 Creating Javadoc; 2.4 Refactoring; 2.5 Some Essential Skills; 2.6 Customizing the Development Environment; Chapter 3: Testing and Debugging; 3.1 Testing with JUnit; 3.2 Debugging; Chapter 4: Working in Teams; 4.1 How Source Control Works; 4.2 Understanding CVS; 4.3 Finding a CVS Server; 4.4 Adding a Project to the CVS Repository; Chapter 5: Building Eclipse Projects Using Ant; 5.1 Working with Ant; 5.2 JARing Your Output; 5.3 Configuring Ant in Eclipse; 5.4 Catching Errors in Build Files; Chapter 6: GUI Programming: From Appletsto Swing; 6.1 Creating AWT Applications; 6.2 Creating Swing Applications; 6.3 Using Eclipse Plug-ins; 6.4 Using the V4ALL Plug-in; Chapter 7: SWT: Buttons, Text, Labels, Lists, Layouts, and Events; 7.1 Java Graphics; 7.2 An SWT Example; 7.3 Working with Buttons; 7.4 Working with Composites and Layouts; 7.5 Working with Lists; 7.6 Using V4ALL with SWT; Chapter 8: SWT: Menus, Toolbars, Sliders, Trees, and Dialogs; 8.1 Working with Menus; 8.2 Working with Toolbars; 8.3 Working with Sliders; 8.4 Working with Trees; 8.5 Working with Dialogs; 8.6 Opening Internet Explorer in anSWT Window; Chapter 9: Web Development; 9.1 Installing and Testing Tomcat; 9.2 Creating a JSP; 9.3 Creating a Servlet; 9.4 Creating a Servlet in Place; 9.5 Connecting to a JavaBean; 9.6 Using the Sysdeo Tomcat Plug-in; 9.7 Deploying Web Applications; Chapter 10: Developing Struts Applicationswith Eclipse; 10.1 Struts and Eclipse; 10.2 Creating the View; 10.3 Creating the Controller; 10.4 Creating the Model; 10.5 Using the Easy Struts Plug-in; Chapter 11: Developing a Plug-in: The Plug-in Development Environment, Manifests, and Extension Points; 11.1 All You Really Need Is plugin.xml; 11.2 Using the Plug-in Development Environment; 11.3 Using the Run-time Workbench; 11.4 Creating a Standard Plug-in; Chapter 12: Developing a Plug-in: Creating Editors and Views; 12.1 Creating a Multi-Page Editor; 12.2 Creating a View; 12.3 Deploying a Plug-in; Chapter 13: Eclipse 3.0; 13.1 A Look at Eclipse 3.0; 13.2 Creating a Java Project; 13.3 Changes to the Eclipse Platform; 13.4 Changes to the Java Development Tools; 13.5 Other Changes; Colophon;

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Be careful you get the Eclipse book you’re looking for. There are some great books on using the Eclipse framework and writing Eclipse extensions. But if you’re primarily interested in using Eclipse as a Java IDE, Steve Holzner’s new book is right up your alley.

Holzner starts with an overview of working with Eclipse, from creating projects to using Code Assist and Quick Fix. You’ll walk through building and running code, creating Javadoc, refactoring existing code, testing, debugging, CVS based source control, and more.

There’s extensive coverage of building GUI-based applications -- especially using SWT, Eclipse’s built-in replacement for AWT and Swing. Also covered in detail: web development with JSPs and servlets -- including a full chapter on developing Struts applications. Bill Camarda

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2003 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.

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