Currently I work in quite wide field of software development: Python (standalone, Plone, Zope, Django), PHP, Java, Symbian and embedded Linux. I am using Eclipse for development, since it’s pretty much the only consistent platform filling my needs. The nature of work also forces me to use different computers (Mac/Windows/Linux) with different clients. This drives me to reinstall Eclipse now and then.

Below are my personal notes what plug-ins are needed to get “perfect” Eclipse set-up. Basically they are just my own notes so that I don’t need to Google everything all over again every time I reinstall. I hope the readers can find new pearls here or suggest improvements.

Eclipse setup

Eclipse has internal updater/web installer. All plug-ins are downloaded as ZIP files and extracted to Eclipse folder or installed through the internal updater. Paste Eclipse update site URLs to menu Help -> Software updates -> Find and Install, New Remote Location. You can use dummy text as the name of update site.

Eclipse WTP (Web Tools Platform)

Eclipse Web Tools Platform bundles Eclipse, Java development tools, HTML editor, CSS editor and some other generic useful stuff.

• No separate Eclipse download needed. Download the bundle from http://download.eclipse.org/webtools/downloads/

Python

PyDev is a plug-in for Python and Jython development.

Site URL: http://pydev.sourceforge.net

Eclipse update site URL: http://pydev.sourceforge.net/updates/

PDT

PDT download provides Eclipse, HTML editor, PHP editor and CSS editor.

Site URL: http://www.eclipse.org

Eclipse update site URL: http://download.eclipse.org/tools/pdt/updates/

Subclipse

Subclipse provides Subversion version control integration to Eclipse.

Eclipse update site URL: http://subclipse.tigris.org/update_1.2.x

In the installer, uncheck the integration modules checkbox or the installer will complain about missing modules.

JSEclipse

JSEclipse provides a better editor (over WTP) for Javascript files, with impressive outlining and autofill capabilities.

Download requires Adobe developer account or similar fill-in-the-fields crap.

Site URL: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/jseclipse/

ShellEd

Syntax coloring for Unix shell scripts

Project site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/shelled

SQL Explorer

SQL editor with limited GUI capabilities. Based on Eclipse platform. Comes standalone and as Eclipse plug-in.

• Download ZIP from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=132863

needs MySQL JDBC driver

• http://dev.mysql.com/get/Downloads/Connector-J/mysql-connector-java-5.0.8.tar.gz/from/pick#mirrors

Technorati tags: Python Plone Django PHP Eclipse Web development Subclipse Javascript SQL