Re: Java IDE

Erick, I've used any number of IDEs over the years, from C to C++ to Java, and 
as far as commercial IDEs go, I'll take Visual Age for Java over any of the 
others.

Visual Age is repository-based, which means it can do things tht most of the 
others simply cannot do.  For example, if you rename a method in a class, VAJ 
can look for all the references to that method and allow you to change them.

Similarly, if you change something in one package that breaks something in 
another package, VAJ can identify that IMMEDIATELY and show you the error.  
Other IDEs simply don't have this level of integration, because they're 
source-based and not repository-based.

Now, there are drawbacks to repositories - you have to import and export files 
in order to communicate with the outside world, including WebSphere.  Make a 
change to a servlet, you'll then have to export it to the servlet directory.  
If you forget the export step a few times, you'll get frustrated at this 
procedure.  But it becomes second nature, and the VAJ IDE is very good about 
remembering what you did last time, so sending the same servlet out over and 
over is usually just a two or three click procedure.

VAJ knows about Java.  It knows about fields and setters and getters.  I don't 
use the visual programming aspect, because I write tools and visual programming 
is better suited to applications than tools, but everything else in the package 
looks as if it were written to develop Java code.  Many of the other packages 
seem to be C++ IDEs with Java stuff added as an afterthought.

Anyway, those are my opinions, for what they're worth.

Joe


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Erick Garske" <erick@formationmg.com>
Reply-To: JAVA400-L@midrange.com
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 07:42:14 -0800

>Does anyone use a Java IDE other than VisualAge for Java for AS/400
development? How do other IDE stack up against VisualAge?

I've used Visual Cafe for about five months, and as of yesterday am starting
to use
J Builder 4.0. Since I would like to start Java development on the 400,
VisualAge would seem to be the logical choice.

Thanks for your insights.

Erick

+---
| This is the JAVA/400 Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to JAVA400-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to JAVA400-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to JAVA400-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner: joe@zappie.net
+---

+---
| This is the JAVA/400 Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to JAVA400-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to JAVA400-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to JAVA400-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner: joe@zappie.net
+---