You can configure Apache Tomcat server with eclipse IDE and do all operations on the tocat server instance such as start, stop, deploy applications etc from the Server perspective.

Prerequesites

Should have a working eclipse configuration. See installing-and-getting-started-with-eclipse-ide.

Simple steps to configure Apache Tomcat with Eclipse IDE

1. Start eclipse by executing eclipse.exe

2. Select/create a workspace.

3. Download latest tomcat zip version, unzip into a folder.

4. Open the server's view. If you can't see servers view, go to 'Window > Show view' and select 'Servers'. If you can't find there, go to 'Window > Show view > others > Server > Servers'.

5. Within the 'Servers' view, you can right click, and from the context menu, go to 'New > Server'; or if a new wizard link is available within the servers view, click the new server wizard link.

6. In the New Server wizard page, select your tomcat version under Apache section, leave the defaults and click next.

7.In the next screen, browse and provide the tomcat base folder, which we had created earlier.

8. Click finish and your server will appear in the Servers view. You can start and stop your tomcat just by right clicking on the server. 

Note

• I will add more screen shots soon, but these steps should help you do the needful.

• For downloading the latest version of tomcat, just use a google search.

• You can refer to the JBOSS notes at articles/downloading-installing-configuring-jboss-first-time for similar steps with screenshots. 

• When in doubt, please ask me or use google search.