[ide4edu-dev] Some more use cases for javalite

[cmatheso@xxxxxxxxxxx]

So, heres my list of potential issues / use cases that I feel would go  
a long way to making our view more usable for the first year student.  
I went back and dug up my actual lab assignments / course assignments  
for my entire first year (I did 2 courses in total on Java in first  
year as an intro to programming). If anyone would like to see them,  
let me know and I can put them up on the web for download.

1. We have no way to import an existing java / javalite project into  
our workspace. To go along with this, I think I would like to see the  
"open/close project" functionality as well.

2. Atleast half of the assignments in my first course was dealing with  
java applets. I tried to reimplement the assignment in our javalite  
perspective, but it wouldn't work. I don't think we even have support  
for running applets do we? (The run as menu only ever shows  
application, or nothing at all in the case of an applet).

3. After my second or third lab, we already started using multiple  
java files, and AFAIK it would not compile at all even if I deleted  
the auto-generated main method on every new file. Are we doing /  
should be doing some better magic in hooking files up for a proper  
compilation?

4. I think we should have a "add main method?" checkbox in the new  
class wizard. Assuming they will always want a main in every file  
isn't always going to be the case..

4. Also, as a small side note - not once did I venture outside of the  
default package. Even my last "project" in my second semester Java  
course.... it was like 5 java classes in the default package. And to  
further this note, I didn't distinguish a "src" folder either, the  
files were always just in the main project folder. Its definitely  
simplier this way - they are trying to teach us general programming /  
algorithms, not advanced java concepts.


In it's current state, I don't think javalite would be very compatible  
with our first year course(s).

Any additional thoughts on this? Should I add some new bugs for us to  
look into?

Thanks,
Cory.