What is it?
The Eclipse Foundation's
Rich Ajax Platform (RAP) enables
Java developers to build
Ajax-enabled web applications and desktop-based rich client
applications from the same code-base.
Ajax is only one of the latest targets for the Eclipse project,
which began by focusing on enterprise application development.
Eclipse was conceived as an open standards-based set of frameworks
and tools for building, deploying and managing Java software. But
support for other languages has been added, including
C++ and
PHP.
Eclipse was begun by IBM, which
invited other vendors to join it. Many were reluctant to contribute
until IBM made the initiative independent by setting up the Eclipse
Foundation, and contributing three million lines of code from its
former VisualAge IDE products. The vast majority of Eclipse
"committers" are still full-time IBM employees, and suspicion about
IBM's dominance of Eclipse was revived when a proposal for the next
generation, e4, was put together by IBM staff and intimate
partners, including small companies set up by former IBMers who had
retained close links with the company. IBM hasn't helped by calling
Eclipse "our next-generation tools integration platform".
In the meantime the code base has swollen to 17 million lines,
and there are now more than 60 projects addressing everything from
embedded and device development to
business
intelligence reporting tools and
service oriented
architecture.
Eclipse is an open source project, and the Ajax platform, Java
IDE and other products can be downloaded free.
Where did it originate?
The Eclipse Foundation was set up in 2003. Members include
IBM, Oracle,
BEA,
SAP,
Borland,
HP,
Nokia and
Motorola.
What's it for?
Most developers come to Eclipse via the
Java Development Tools
IDE. But at the heart of the various Eclipse initiatives is the
Rich
Client Platform, which includes the OSGi component-based
interoperability environment, the Standard Widget Toolkit, the
Eclipse Workbench, and JFace, which supports model-view-controller
programming. Eclipse uses a plug-in architecture, which enables new
functionality and tools to be integrated seamlessly. A huge base of
plug-ins is already available, and developers can add their own.
Among other projects and platforms is the Eclipse Web Tools
Platform, which provides editing tools for HTML, JavaScript and
CSS, and database access and query tools.
What makes it special?
Eclipse aims to provide a fully open and unified alternative to
Sun's various Java platforms and Microsoft's
.Net.
How difficult is it to master?
The eclipse.org website has starter packages for Java developers
and C/C++ developers looking for an IDE, and for people developing
Java EE applications.
What systems does it run on?
Linux, HP-UX, AIX, Solaris, Mac OS X and Windows.
What's coming up?
An annual "simultaneous release" from all the various Eclipse
projects takes place in June. Longer term, e4 (Eclipse 4) aims to
reduce and simplify the code base, which is not only bewilderingly
large, but overly dependent on IBM employees. The recently
announced Eclipse Runtime project will extend the lightweight
Equinox run-time, already used by IBM, BEA and Oracle, to provide a
unified component model that runs across all operating systems and
computing tiers -including the different programming and deployment
models imposed by Java SE, ME and EE.
Rates of pay
Java developers with Eclipse from £30k.
Training
See www.eclipse.org for downloads,
tutorials and other resources. IBM's developerWorks has a lot of
material, including an introduction to Eclipse for Visual Studio
users.