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educational IDE requirements [message #8553]

Tue, 16 July 2002 14:01

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: gvwilson.baltimore.com

Note: I started a thread with this title in the eclipse.tools group to
discuss ways of making Eclipse suitable for use in undergraduate courses.
Brian Barry suggested moving the thread here. The original post is at:

http://www.eclipse.org/newsportal/article.php3?id=31371& group=eclipse.tools

To summarize, it lists the features we think an IDE for first- and
second-year teaching should have, including:

- good performance on low-end machines (like the ones in most student labs)

- same interface on Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X

- an editor with auto-indent, syntax highlighting, etc. (bonus marks if it
handles HTML/XML as well as Java/C++)

- one-button single-file compile (most assignments in first term fit into
a single file)

- debugger with breakpoints, single-stepping, stack and variable
inspection, and logging (i.e. shortcut to System.out.println("message") on
lines)

- method runner like the one in DynamicJava (to simplify interactive
testing)

- simple project manager (for small multi-file projects). Note that
students can get through the whole of first year with "recompile all".

- version control (possibly integrated with the project manager?)

- code style checker

This list deliberately *doesn't* include a UML design tool, a refactoring
browser, etc. These are all useful, and should be introduced in upper
years, but (a) there isn't time to teach them in the first year, and (b)
the material students get in the first year isn't gnarly enough to
motivate them.

I think Eclipse gets partial marks when measured against this list:

- It runs slowly on typical student machines (especially compared to tools
like CodeWarrior).

- Its interface is far too complex for beginners (although this could be
addressed by creating a simple student perspective)

- It doesn't have the one-button compile, the interactive method runner,
or the simplified project manager (but these could all be built as plugins)

On the positive side:

- It seems to be pretty robust

- Its openness means that students could build plugins for it in
upper-year courses on software engineering and OO design (which would
satisfy a desperate need for real-world examples in such courses)

We could be very interested in hearing from other people who are
interested in this topic as well --- especially people with current
first-hand experience of teaching at the college/university level ;-).

Thanks,
Greg Wilson

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Re: educational IDE requirements [message #11820 is a reply to message #8553]

Wed, 24 July 2002 04:10

Roman

Messages: 17
Registered: July 2009

Junior Member

Greg Wilson wrote:

>
> - It runs slowly on typical student machines (especially compared to tools
> like CodeWarrior).

I've grown very sarcastic and doubtful towards Java based apps. Other than
"Hello, World" programs, java apps are slow. All apps I've seen are slow. At
least those that include GUI.

Roman

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Re: educational IDE requirements [message #12990 is a reply to message #11820]

Thu, 25 July 2002 23:40

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: bob.objfac.com

Do you think the Eclipse GUI is slow?

Bob

"Roman" <r_rom@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3D3E28B7.B171D023@yahoo.com...
> Greg Wilson wrote:
>
> >
> > - It runs slowly on typical student machines (especially compared to
tools
> > like CodeWarrior).
>
> I've grown very sarcastic and doubtful towards Java based apps. Other than
> "Hello, World" programs, java apps are slow. All apps I've seen are slow.
At
> least those that include GUI.
>
> Roman
>

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