Integrated Develoment Environments(IDE's)

As with html and javascript, you can write all of your java code in a text editor like Wordpad. Unlike html and javascript, however, the code you write in Java needs to be compiled into a machine language. So to write Java you need something beyond a text editor, you need a compiler. There is a java compiler in the JDK/SDK you downloaded to your machine from java.sun.com. You used that compiler in the tutorial "First Cup of Coffee" at the java site to compile the Hello World applet. You called on the compiler using MS-DosPrompt. Whereas you continue to write code and compile with only the JDK/SDK and a text editor, Java becomes complex enough that it is nice to have some help. Enter the java IDE's.

IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment. It is a generic term in all of programming for a tool that helps you write code. FrontPage might be considered an IDE for html as it "helps you write the code". An IDE typically contains a compiler or a path to the JDK compiler, an organization tree of files, a window for typing code, and a debugging window for figuring out mistakes. The picture below shows the IDE we are currently using, JCreator. I chose it first because it is free. You can download it at home and have a copy on your computer. Secondly, it has a Windows-like user interface so most of you should be able to work through it pretty quick. There are other free IDE's for Java and some very powerful for-pay IDE's. This suits our needs.

The left one or two windows of JCreator is the file organization window. This is where you double click on a file to bring it into the right working window, kind of like Windows Explorer. Open up your HelloWorld applet you did in Wordpad and compiled with MS-DosPrompt in JCreator and play around with it and the View Buttons directly above the left window(s) to get different looks.

You will have a project coming up that will allow you to play around with JCreator with an existing code file. Here I want to explain the basics of using JCreator so that you can get started. When you open up JCreator and you are starting fresh, the first thing you want to do in this class is go to the Project menu pulldown and select New Project. These are called "Projects" because they all contain more than one file. In a typical applet you will have at least 3 files(.htm, .java, and .class). You will get a window similar to the one to the right. In this class, we are only doing applets, so select Basic Java Applet. Name your project with a class style name(MyApp, TimeClock, HelloWorld, etc.) because JCreator will extend class Applet with the name you use here. Navigate to the folder you want to save the project in. Finally, make sure you select Create new workspace or it will add the new project into your previous project.

You will get a basic applet similar looking to the top picture on this page. The basic applet you get will start with green comment code like the picture to the right. You can delete that comment code and any time you use the /*....*/ comment out symbols, JCreator will change the text color to green to show you it is comments to be ignored by the compiler. Note: You can change the colors of the various syntax types under Configure...Options.

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