Re: Java tools

Hi, Jim

At 04:18 PM 11/18/97 -0500, you wrote:
>I am new to this list, and apologize if this is an old question that has
>been beaten to death already.
>
>My company, INSI (Integrated Newspaper Systems, Inc.) is a vendor to the
>newspaper industry, selling AS/400 based business applications. 
>Traditionally, we have been an RPG only shop, but now want to move into
>the new world and are looking at Java as an alternative and/or
>additional programming tool.
>
>What are your favorite tools for java development?  There are so many,
>such as Visual Age for Jave, Visual Cafe, etc.  What are the benefits
>and downsides of these tools.  Should we even use them, or just go with
>the language itself.
>
>Any information you can provide, whether to the list or to me
>separately, will be greatly appreciated.

Welcome! We're all pretty new to this.

I like VA for Java. The presentation of the class structure is really
clear. You don't work with source files, rather with the actual classes,
methods, etc.

Also, the visual environment is really something, IMO. It goes far beyond
what you may've seen in VB-style drag 'n drop development environments.

One slight downside is that small projects or single classes are kind of
hard to work with—the environment is optimized, it seems, for fairly large
projects. The excellent book(s), Core Java, by Cay Hostmann & Gary Cornell,
includes with it the shareware TextPad editor. The version they include has
'Java compile' and 'Java run' options on its Tools menu—pretty neat for
testing and initial learning. It can even capture output from the compile
process and position you at the offending statement. It's a fantastic
editor, too, IMO—light years beyond NotePad, e.g., although that doesn't
take much. :^)

But VA for Java Pro, at < $100, can't be beat, IMO.

HTH

Vernon Hamberg
Systems Software Programmer
Old Republic National Title Insurance Company
400 Second Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 371-1111 x480


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