So you can use Eclipse to run any language. Does that include RPG and Cobol? If so, where is it in the book? And where is the interface to add to Eclipse???

Technically, you can use Eclipse for any language, but you have to get the right plug-ins. Eclipse by itself actually does almost nothing. However, it ships with a VERY good Java plug-in, the JDT, which is what the book shows you how to use. Once you're familiar with the JDT, you should be able to use other editors very quickly. <p>Most people who want to start adding plug-ins need to first identify the ones they want. There are commercial ones, and also a whole raft of open source plug-ins. There are currently 335 available at the Ecipse plug-in site: <p><a href="http://eclipse-plugins.2y.net/eclipse/index.jsp">http://eclipse-plugins.2y.net/eclipse/index.jsp</a> <p>You have to find the ones you want and then add them to your environment. Keeping track of all the plug-ins would require another book all by itself, but the link above is at least a good starting point. <p>iSeries developers are particularly lucky in that there is an entire toolset, the WebSphere Development Studio Client, that has been built on top of Eclipse, and provides not only editors for RPG and COBOL, but CL and DDS, HTML, JavaServer Pages and cascaded style sheets, to mention a few. It also contains a complete working test environment to test using either Tomcat or WebSphere (versions 4 or 5), as well as WYSIWYG designers for display files and HTML/JSP pagees, and an integrated debugger that can be used to debug programs on the host. <p>Whew! <p>All of these are plug-ins based on Eclipse. Hopefully this gives you smoe idea of how powerful Eclipse is as a framework. Eclipse Step by Step obviously doesn't have the room to cover all of those in detail. It simply presents the basic Eclipse workbench and then walks you through creating a program using the JDT. It should give you a solid foundation of the basic features that any plug-ins will share. MCPress and I are discussing a Step-by-Step book on WDSC, which would cover many of those additional topics. Is this something that you would want to see? <p>Joe Pluta <BR>
<a href="http://www.plutabrothers.com">http://www.plutabrothers.com</a>

well, that would be great, IF I had access to the software at corporate; or had someone who would send it to me. But here in the remotes, there is no such luck. <BR>
So is there any chance of getting an open source for RPG or Cobol?

There's a COBOL project in the plug-ins currently. Use the search facility of that website (click on plug-ins, and you'll see a search option). I have less hope for an RPG plug-in, because there just aren't that many folks who know RPG who would develop a plug-in for Eclipse (besides IBM, of course). <p>Keep looking though, you never know. <p>Joe

If you don't mind investing about 20 bucks a month on yourself, you can have it all at www.virtual400.com. I have it.

We currently have an environment where the java developers are using Ant and CVS outside of WDSc. I need a book that will tell me how to integrate WDSc with our current environments. Will this book help or do you know of a better place to get some information?

Sorry, no, Eclipse is only the framework upon which WDSc is built, and this book covers Eclipse, not WDSc. We're planning a follow-on book for WDSc-specific topics, but this book is about general Eclipse tasks: editing, compiling, debugging, and so on. <p>Joe

This book aims to provide a step by step guide to using Eclipse, IBM’s new Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It covers the “basic” Eclipse product, as it is shipped. Sample programs are written in Java and the book shows the use of IBM’s Software Widget Toolkit (SWT) and JDBC. <p>I went through the book, cover to cover in about 4 hours. This included installing Eclipse, which is included, and keying in the programs, as opposed to importing them from the CD. <p>The style of the book makes it VERY easy to follow. It provides step by step instructions, with a checklist. There are plenty of screen captures to show you what you should be doing and, for once, the pictures actually match the text! Instructions are repeated, as opposed to "instructions are the same as page xxx, simply change the class name". <p>I quiet liked the sample Java programs that are used. After the traditional “Hello World” program, to get you going, the programs have a bit of meat to them:- they handle a GUI interface and accessing a database (also included on the CD). Not too challenging for the Java newbie and not too simple for those with more Java under their belt. <p>My only criticisms would be that a couple of spots (towards the beginning) were closer to an introduction to using Windows as opposed to Eclipse (right click for context etc.) and I think I would have preferred the use of Windows Explorer, as opposed to using a DOS window. <p>The book achieved it’s aim of de-mystifying Eclipse in one go. It covers enough of the basics to enable the reader to start using Eclipse productively. <p>Paul Tuohy

I appreciate your kind comments. I know the beginning was very simple, but the theme of the Step by Step series is going to be that we assume nothing! <grin> I really did have a hard time deciding exactly how much to put in the installation chapter. Many people don't need to be walked through WinZip, but I beg your indulgence for the people who have never used their PC for much beyond emulation and email. I wanted the book to be useful to folks who have programmed using nothing but the green screen their entire lives, because with the advent of WDSC, those people are going to have to move to the new PC-based tools whether they like it or not. Eclipse: Step by Step is supposed to be the first introduction to that brave new world. <p>I really had to make a tough decision when it came to the use of the DOS prompt vs. the use of Windows Explorer in the couple of places it comes up. The issue was that Windows Explorer can look different depending on which version of Windows you are running, and which options you have selected, and any number of environmental issues, whereas the DOS command prompt always looks the same. I was worried that the green screen folks might get lost if their screen didn't look the same as the ones in the book. Do you think that concern is outweighed by the (admitted!) clumsiness of the DOS line stuff? Because I can certainly fix that in future books. <p>Again, thanks for your input, Paul! It's greatly appreciated. <p>Joe

Hi Joe, <p>I have been following the discussions about Eclipse with some interest. I am a former iSeries professional, "outsourced", who is trying to get up to speed on the newest, Windows/Web based technologies. Difficult to do when holding down a full-time job (as a Medical Transcriptionist!) plus raising two kids. But, I am quite determined. <p>I hope your book will get me into the Eclipse world. I tried to download and install it a year ago from IBM's web site, but no luck (that is, Eclipse, not your book!). It downloaded okay, but when I tried to bring it up, it bombed. Some little thing on my PC was not right, I suppose (Windows/98). But no idea what. <p>I am currently learning the basics of the C language in the DOS environment (with the Turbo C product, which actually has a rather nice and easy-to-learn full screen debugger). Then, the plan is to go onto the more challenging project of becoming a Windows programmer. <p>I hope hopes for Eclipse that it will be a "do anything" source code editor. I currently use the Turbo C editor, Notepad, and Wordpad (to edit Javascript files, etc.). There has to be a better way! I miss "good old reliable SEU", but those days are gone forever, for me at least. <p>Any thoughts about how I could get past the "QCmd" hangups that have, apparently, stopped so many of us in the iSeries world from becomming proficient in Windows? (that is to say, a lot of us like the command interface that QCmd and similar environments provided, and have been rather slow to "go GUI"). <p>In hope, <p>Rich Hart

Rich, Eclipse: Step by Step contains everything you need to know to run Eclipse on a Windows machine (although Eclipse really prefers Windows 2000 or above). All the software is right there on the disk. And then, once you're comfortable, you can download the latest version of Eclipse. Or, you can move on to WDSC, which is the "one IDE fits all" for iSeries programmers... I have a book on that coming out in just a few weeks. <p>Joe

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