Eclipse (software)

Eclipse (software)
Name	Eclipse
Caption	Eclipse IDE 4.28 running on Microsoft Windows
Developer	Eclipse Foundation
Released	07 November 2001
Programming language	Java
Operating system	Cross-platform
Genre	Integrated development environment
License	Eclipse Public License
Website	https://www.eclipse.org

Eclipse (software). Eclipse is a widely used, open-source integrated development environment (IDE) primarily written in Java. Originally developed by IBM as a successor to its VisualAge family of tools, it was released as open-source software in 2001 and is now stewarded by the Eclipse Foundation. The platform is renowned for its extensible architecture, which is built around a core of OSGi-based plug-ins, allowing it to support a vast ecosystem of tools for software development across numerous programming languages and frameworks.

Overview

Eclipse serves as a foundational platform for building a diverse range of development tools, with its most popular incarnation being the Eclipse IDE for Java Developers. The platform's core is defined by the Rich Client Platform (RCP), which enables developers to build general-purpose applications beyond IDEs. Governed by the Eclipse Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation supported by members like IBM, Oracle Corporation, and Red Hat, the project operates under the Eclipse Public License. Its success is largely attributed to the plug-in system, which allows third-party vendors and the open-source community to extend its functionality for technologies such as C, C++, PHP, and Python.

History

The Eclipse project was initiated in late 2001 by a consortium led by IBM, which contributed an initial codebase valued at approximately $40 million from its WebSphere Studio IDE work. The goal was to create a single, universal platform to replace IBM's disparate tools like VisualAge for Java and WebSphere Studio Application Developer. In 2004, the founding members established the independent Eclipse Foundation to steward the community. Major milestones include the transition to an OSGi runtime with Eclipse 3.0 in 2004 and the adoption of a simultaneous release train model, with annual releases named after Jupiter's moons like Callisto, Europa, and Phobos.

Architecture

The architecture is fundamentally based on a dynamic OSGi framework, which implements a sophisticated component model for Java. The core runtime engine is known as the Equinox implementation of OSGi. Functionality is delivered via plug-ins, which are JAR-format software bundles that contribute extensions to the platform. The GUI is built using the Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) and JFace, which provide native-looking interfaces by directly calling operating system APIs, unlike the pure-Java Swing toolkit. The central workbench UI is constructed by these plug-ins using this widget set.

Features

As an integrated development environment, it provides comprehensive features for editing, debugging, compiling, and version control integration. Key components include the Java Development Tools (JDT) and the Plug-in Development Environment (PDE). It supports model-driven development through frameworks like the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) and offers tools for test-driven development and continuous integration. The platform includes a powerful debugger with breakpoint management, memory inspection, and support for remote debugging across various application servers like Apache Tomcat and IBM WebSphere.

Development and community

Development is managed as a collaborative, open-source project under the Eclipse Foundation, which oversees numerous top-level projects like Eclipse Jetty and Eclipse Vert.x. Contributions come from a large, global community of individual developers and corporate members such as SAP SE, Google, and Ericsson. The development process follows a transparent, meritocratic model defined in the Eclipse Development Process, with releases coordinated via the Eclipse Simultaneous Release. Community interaction occurs through mailing lists, Bugzilla for issue tracking, and annual events like EclipseCon.

Derivatives and distributions

The modular architecture has spawned many specialized derivatives and commercial products. Notable distributions include Eclipse IDE for Enterprise Java and Web Developers, Spring Tools Suite for the Spring Framework, and IBM Rational Application Developer. The Rich Client Platform has been used to build applications like Apache Directory Studio and Azureus. Other significant tools built on the platform are the Android Development Tools (ADT) bundle, now superseded by Android Studio, and Eclipse Che, a cloud-based IDE for Kubernetes-native development.

Category:Free integrated development environments Category:Eclipse (software) Category:Software using the Eclipse Public License Category:Java platform