Installing and Getting Started with Eclipse IDE

Prerequisites

Eclipse itself is a Java program and hence you need to have the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) to use eclipse. If you want to use Eclipse for Java development, as in most cases, you will also need a (Java Development Kit) JDK.

 

Downloading and installing

Follow these simple steps to download and install Eclipse IDE:

  1. Go to eclipse download page. Current url is https://www.eclipse.org/downloads .
  2. Download the right distribution for your need and platform, in the compressed format (.zip or .tar.gz).
    1. There are several distributions of eclipse and each one is tailored for a particular purpose with a set of plugins suited for that purpose. Some of the popular distributions are Eclipse IDE for Java Developers, Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers, Eclipse for Mobile Developers, Eclipse Modeling Tools, and Eclipse for Testers. So you need to decide which distribution suites you most. For executing java and java ee programs, as is the case mostly, you will need ‘Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers’.
    2. There are specific versions of eclipse for most platforms (32 bit and 64 bit) and you need to download the one for your particular platform and java version.
  3. Unpack the compressed file to any directory to start using it.

 

Starting Eclipse

To start Eclipse, go to the eclipse folder and double-click on the eclipse.exe file in windows (or eclipse file in Linux and other OS).

When Eclipse prompt you to select a workspace, give an existing directory or a directory you want eclipse to create. The eclipse workspace directory will contain your Eclipse projects.

You will be shown the workbench after eclipse starts. The workbench refers to the development environment. The elements inside the workbench are grouped into perspectives. Perspectives, in turn, contain views and editors. Each perspective provides all you need to perform a certain task. For instance, the Debug perspective contains the set of functionalities you would use while debugging Java programs. An example of a view that belongs to the Debug perspective is the Breakpoint view.

 

Installing plugins

You extend the functionality provided by the use of plugins. If you need to install more plugins, you can navigate to Help > Install new software and install them.

However, if you have chosen the right distribution of eclipse, you will have most needed plugins already installed.

 

Eclipse distributions available for download

Below are the eclipse distributions available for download (along with their approximate sizes) as of this writing:

  • Eclipse Standard 4.3.1 Eclipse Standard 4.3.1, 199 MB
  • Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers, 247 MB
  • Eclipse IDE for Java Developers , 151 MB
  • Eclipse IDE for C/C++ Developers, 140 MB
  • Eclipse IDE for Java and Report Developers, 285 MB
  • Eclipse IDE for Java and DSL Developers, 269 MB
  • Eclipse Modeling Tools Eclipse Modeling Tools, 292 MB
  • Eclipse for RCP and RAP Developers, 236 MB
  • Eclipse for Parallel Application Developers, 212 MB
  • Eclipse for Scout Developers, 288 MB
  • Eclipse for Testers Eclipse for Testers, 99 MB
  • Eclipse IDE for Automotive Software Developers (includes Incubating components), 195 MB

Current link for the downloads page is: https://www.eclipse.org/downloads.

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