A Free IDE for slow computers, or eclipse teaks(?)

Engines, Libraries and Tools Tools Discussion
#1

I need a free IDE for somewhat slow computers that highschool students can use to learn java. I’ld like features like code completion, automatic imports, real time error checking, quick javadoc refrences, and 1.5 support: all of which I see in eclipse. The problem is that eclipse can be incretibly slow on these computers. There are lots of fancy features that students don’t need to learn java, so things like CVS support or native ant support I could do without.

What free IDEs to you recommend for slow computers?

Are there tweaks I can use to eclipse to make it run faster, at the sacrafice of a few features?

#2

No offense, but you’re asking for two mutually exclusive things. On one hand you want modern IDE features which require a lot of memory and I/O throughput. On the other hand, you want it to run on an old machine. Unfortunately, you can’t really have both.

Now if you just want a simple color-coding IDE with some basic code completion (i.e. If you’ve typed it in the same file, it can be suggested) and compile support, then you might try JEdit.

Personally, I think it would be good for the students to start without an IDE. Far too often students use these tools as a crutch rather than an assist. The result is that they fail to learn how to actually USE the language and tools that are provided. My humble opinion is that a text editor, web browser (for JavaDocs), and a command line are all the students need. Everything else will just get in the way. :slight_smile:

#3

[quote]…code completion, automatic imports, real time error checking, quick javadoc refrences…
[/quote]
I think that it won’t possible to do those things effectively and at the same time keep the system requirements low. Especially real time error checking can use much CPU, unless it is very simple.

JCreator is quite light, but the freeware edition is nowadays so limited (not even code completion!) that I wouldn’t recommend it anymore. It used to be better.

#4

JEdit might not be too bad… If you keep the plugin count low.

#5

I don’t think I’m asking for too much at all. JCreator does all that and runs very fast, the only problem is that it cost a license. JCreator is what some of them were using, but not any of the newer boxes. Sadly, it seems everything programmed in java is too slow to use :frowning: I even used IntelliJ on one of these boxes as a test, and although it didn’t run near as quickly as JCreator, it was “fast enough”, but I can’t use that either. The problem with JCreator is that the light (free) version is VERY sparce on features.

I do make them do a few with notepad and the command prompt (to know more about what goes on under the hood), but using an IDE puts more focus on the programming aspect and less on the “which import was that” or “what was that function name again” part.

Any way I could get eclipse written in C++? hehe

#6

Here is something better than JCreator.
http://www.gexperts.com/

#7

Yep, use GEL then! (the link that K.I.L.L.E.R gave)
I use it and loving it ;D
Fast and has all features I need to make my games :slight_smile:

#8

Hi!

If you would like to speed up Eclipse a little bit you should try to deactivate a few “unnecessary” plugins.

First figure out which plugin you want to deactivate then look for its directory in the plugin folder in eclipse dir and then rename the plugin.xml to somewhat else ignore_plugin.xml. (But be aware of that Plugins Dependencies)

Eclipse won’t load this plugin at the next start.

HTH & So long,
Tom

#9

Oh… Gel seems to be pretty nice… ctrl+alt+w rocks. Does Eclipse have such a “full window”-shortcut?

One thing which feels weird with Gel are most of the text edit shortcuts… they are the same as TurboC 1.0’s (it’s from 1989). Well, no big deal… I still know em :wink:

I think I’ll stick with Gel for a while.

#10

[quote]Oh… Gel seems to be pretty nice… ctrl+alt+w rocks. Does Eclipse have such a “full window”-shortcut?
[/quote]
It’s in there somewhere, I keep hitting it by mistake when doing code-completion stuff. :stuck_out_tongue: I think it’s ctrl-enter.

#11

It’s ctrl+m… nice :slight_smile:

But Eclipse is so painfully slow… :stuck_out_tongue:

#12

What is ctrl+alt+w? I have modified my GEL key shortcuts like hell, changing all shortcuts to the most comfortable key flow layout for me :slight_smile:

#13

view->full window

This way you can use the whole screen while editing… and if you need the other things (console, project manager etc) you can just press ctrl+alt+w again (it’s a toggle).

That’s a very important feature if you (have to) use a crap resolution like 800x600 or just like having a big editing window.

I spend like half an hour to configure everything and it’s pretty slick now. Sheez… I wish I would have tried it earlier :slight_smile: