Eclipse’s Luna release brought a range of
interesting new functions –– but how does
the Java IDE stand up to rivals NetBeans
and IntelliJ?
..
For quite some time now, Eclipse has had a thorn in its IDE.
With NetBeans and IntelliJ ever at its heels, the Eclipse
development environment has been battling to hold sway
over the Java community. It’s about time we compared the
big three in Java IDEs.
Over on JAXenter.de , the German Java community has voted
on how Eclipse stands up against the competition. Only 21%
of developers believed the Luna release has re-established
Eclipse as the best Java IDE in the world. And just over a
quarter of participants (26%) would say that Eclipse and its
competitors are generally the same, and that each software
has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Like in the Windows vs Mac vs Linux debate, it seems that
most devs have picked one IDE and are sticking firmly to it.
The results make it pretty clear that Eclipse’s Luna hasn’t
quite won back the entire Java community.
Eclipse: More than an IDE
While IntelliJ IDEA had already long since delivered support
for Java 8 (albeit slightly rudimentary), Eclipse struggled to
catch up with Java 8 support for its much-awaited Luna
release . On top of its new Java 8 features, Luna blinged out
with a brand new ‘Dark Theme’ which lets users change the
IDE’s background hue – but that’s also nothing that would
impress anyone working with NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA.
The latest update has brought Eclipse up to an impressive
76 individual projects – from software modelling to IoT tools
and even runtime projects. Beating that in mind, you might
say Eclipse is less of an IDE and more of a technology
platform and open source community.
Being slow off the mark to adopt Java 8 functions is
relatively insignificant when compared with rough times
Eclipse had with the infamous Juno release and its frustrated
users. In spite of these troubles, Eclipse makes up for its
vices with a vibrant community of developers and a wide
range of plugins.
IntelliJ IDEA and NetBeans
In contrast to Eclipse, there’s no doubt about what exactly
IntelliJ IDEA does. Since it’s developed by one single
company (JetBrains), there’s somewhat less community
participation. But that also means that its built-in features
are far more cohesive. Eclipse can easily become confusing
with its endless plugins built by various community
members. IntelliJ IDEA could add a further feather to its cap
when Google selected it as the basis for Android Studio – the
new development environment for Android.
Right in middle, between Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA, is
NetBeans. Previously part of the Sun development
environment, NetBeans slipped into the hands of Oracle, but
has managed to hold onto its faithful community. NetBeans
features platform functions for various extensions, and yet it
still provides a clearly framed functionality. The software
also has a head start on other IDEs with its JavaFX and
HTML5 features.
Each to their own IDE
When it comes to Java IDEs, developers are spoiled for
choice. Three free services battling each other to provide the
best functions and services – it’s something that other tech
communities can only dream of.
Like ninjas vs pirates, deciding on the world’s best Java IDE
is purely subjective – it all depends on what you need. A
swashbuckling, if sometimes chaotic, collection of plugins or
a stealthily integrated functionality?
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