JBoss Eclipse IDE Tutorial

[mark_1900]

Just did the tutorial at

http://docs.jboss.com/jbosside/tutorial/build/en/html/index.html

There are a couple of problems I came across.


My environment was created using.
* eclipse-SDK-3.1.1-win32.zip
* JBossIDE-1.5.1.GA-ALL.zip
* jboss-4.0.4.CR2.zip


Problem Areas;
* Need Java Runtime 1.5 (5) so that XDoclet can run without error.
* When you create the Debug server you need to specify "Server Configuration" as "all", otherwise you will get clustering errors
* Packaging Configurations is an absolute mess. There needs to be environment/version specific steps. So read very closely and goodluck :-p


My Big GRIPE/Rant!!

Seriously that is one of the most basic tutorials and yet;

* It is soooo complicated to setup
This tutorial shows how to create a very basic program. And yet there are sooo many steps. Setting up the "XDoclet Configurations" and the "Packaging Configurations" was very involved. Why couldn't there be a default way of doing things, and allow the user to override it if they wanted to get tricky. I think they should provide a default/Best Practice way of doing something and if the user wants to override it then allow them.

It's nice to see that in the background the packaging is done via an Ant script.

* The project layout is very messy
What ever happened to any Best Practicies when developing Web Applications. For one, the whole Enterprise Application including EJB project and Web project all exist in one vendor specific java project (Since the project that is created is "JBoss-IDE">"J2EE Projects" > "J2EE 1.x ). This raises many issues about how bigger projects could possibily be handled.

* Projects now seem overly complicated
Why did the JBoss people decide not to extend the Eclipse standard tools used. You could create an Enterprise Application Project via "File" > "New" > "Project" > "J2EE", however you have to use the projects "File" > "New" > "Project" > "JBoss-IDE". You could create an EJB Project via "File" > "New" > "Project" > "EJB", a Dynamic Web Project via "File" > "New" > "Project" > "Web", however you have to.. It seems that nothing is standarized, and everything seems to have multiple ways of doing the same thing.


My conclusion
It would seem to me that using this JBoss Eclipse plugin together with the JBoss server would see my development would seem to take on a vendor specific tilt. When I am accustomed to a certain Web Application project layout and this is completely different here, my development approach becomes confused. In the end though, maybe all I need is another tutorial. :-)

[maxandersen]

critique is very welcome, and in short I can tell:

JBoss Eclipse IDE existed *before* WTP, thus there were no "standard" to use

We want to migrate to use (some) of the WTP, but noone has yet to work/contribute that (if it is important for you then please come by - we appreciate any contributions)

...and note, the xdoclet/ant based way of doing this *is* more complex, but actually allow more flexibility than the WTP based projects does (e.g. you don't *need* to have physical separate projects for ejb,webetc.

[mark_1900]

I like JBoss as it is open source, very popular, and even better just acquired by a popular enterprise Linux provider. When I talk to developers about setting up a home J2EE Application Server, where they do have freedom of choice, and seem to always suggest JBoss.

I definately agree that the ant based way is the way forward. It strips the IDE of it's special build powers and allows you to build outside the IDE, which is great if your setting up automated builds and tests (eg CruiseControl). Otherwise you have to write seperate scripts to do this. I have seen companies do this, where they maintain the evironment in the IDE and also maintain handcrafted ant scripts for the automated builds and tests. Very expensive when you could ideally have the IDE utilize ant from the start.

xdoclet is nice in that it similifies your ejb code. I have heard of people choosing other tools for their ejb generation though. I am not one of them, so it does not bother me, and I think for the most case, xdoclet is the popular choice.

Personally I want a development tool where I can switch between Application servers with minimal effort. For instance Sun's netbeans has support for there specific Application Server, though they also have support for the JBoss application server. Even Eclipse let's you create default servers that you can interchange with. Even if Jboss Eclipse IDE existed before WTP, WTP has been around for a while, is it a goal for the tools to be moved to this structure?

With standard Eclipse install you can create a server with "File" > " New" > "Other" > "Server" > "Server" > "Next" > "Generic Examples" > "Generic JBoss 3.2.3". I like the little server icon in the "Servers" view, it gives me some quick commands to play with the server, and it would seem using the generic WTP tools. I was expecting this plugin to come with a "Generic JBoss 4.0.x" server type. Maybe I might just try an earlier version of JBoss and see how it works.

With all this said though, maybe it is just the resistance to change from a standized way of doing things, and that I just have to jump a couple of initial hurdles before I prefer this method of build and deployment.

[maxandersen]

...as a I said we want to move. Do you have time to help out with this ?

[mark_1900]

I don't really have time to do Eclipse plugin development work. I have a bit of experience developing Eclipse plugins, however I am pretty sure the learning cure would be quite significant for this JBoss Eclipse IDE plugin. Is there a web link on the developers, or development on this project?

It's interesting to see how the JBoss server is deployed to in NetBeans.

http://www.netbeans.org/kb/50/jboss-getting-started.html

I guess I will have to do the tutorial there to get a better understanding of how different development environments deploy to an Application Server.

[dragontiger]

When I test jboss-ide according the tutorial, some probelm also happened to me, Maybe someboday can help me.
I use :jboss-4.0.4.CR2,eclipse-SDK-3.2M6-win32,
JBossIDE-1.5.1.GA-ALL,jdk1.5.0_06
Problem is:
1.when adds the required XDoclet tags, after type"@web." and press CTRL+Space no response,
if press ALT+/ show information " No default proposals"
2.Chapter 10. JBoss Configuration and Launch
I want to create new Jboss server configuration
Right click Jboss 4.0.x and click New, but also no response.

[jlexa]

It seems that JBossIDE-1.5.1-GA is incompatible with Eclipse 3.2M5, M6 and the coming soon 3.2 release. Maybe there exists any public JBossIDE beta which works with those IDE versions? I'd prefer to work with a slightly unstable plugin rather than with an obsolete Eclipse milestone.

[maxandersen]

1.5 branch is compatible with eclipse 3.1.x

2.0 (or maybe already 1.6) will target 3.2

[jlexa]

1.5 branch is compatible with eclipse 3.1.x

2.0 (or maybe already 1.6) will target 3.2

I probably should define my question more concretely.

Is there any downloadable EclipseIDE plugin version, ready to use with 3.2? Where can I find a usable alpha/beta version, or at least a roadmap?

[maxandersen]

jira contains our roadmap.

And 3.2 compability development is not started yet.

[jcaude]

The pb. is this kind of stack of incompatibilities that we are currently facing. For example, currently Eclipse is not supported on Mac/Intel for 3.1.x rel. .. but you can give a try to the almost stable 3.2rc .. but now we are facing some incompatibilities with JBoss-IDE .. I don't (can't) want to blame anybody for this, but man it becames so tricky to find the good compromise in term of stability and cutting-edge technology.

Anyway, some parts of JBoss-IDE are working correctly.. but not these @&'# xdoclets.. :-(

jc.