eclipse/README.txt

Eclipse 3.3.X instructions

These instructions are intended for contributors to the GWT source
code repository that want to run the Eclipse IDE. It describes how to
configure Eclipse for the correct coding styles and how to setup a GWT
project for debugging the core GWT code.


== Configure Eclipse Environment==

  All relative paths are relative to the GWT source repository's
  'trunk/eclipse' folder. For best results, launch Eclipse from the
  trunk/eclipse folder from the command line.

---------- Required GWT variables ---------

Window->Preferences->General->Workspace->Linked Resources
Create a variable named "GWT_ROOT" pointing to your "trunk" folder.

Window->Preferences->Java->Build Path->Classpath Variables
Create a variable named "GWT_TOOLS" pointing to your "tools" folder.
Create a variable named "JDK_HOME" pointing to the root of your JDK install
  (for example, C:\Program Files\jdk1.5.0_05 or /usr/lib/j2sdk1.5-sun)

---------------- Spelling -----------------

Window->Preferences->General->Editors->Text Editors->Spelling
Enable spell checking
Use "settings/english.dictionary".

------------ Output Filtering -------------

Window->Preferences->Java->Compiler->Building
Make sure "Filtered Resources" includes ".svn/"

---------- Code style/formatting ----------

Window->Preferences->Java->Code Style->Formatter->Import...
  settings/code-style/gwt-format.xml

----------- Import organization -----------

Window->Preferences->Java->Code Style->Organize Imports->Import...
  settings/code-style/gwt.importorder

------------ Member sort order ------------

Window->Preferences->Java->Appearance->Members Sort Order
There is no import here, so make your settings match:
  settings/code-style/gwt-sort-order.png

First, members should be sorted by category.
1) Types
2) Static Fields
3) Static Initializers
4) Static Methods
5) Fields
6) Initializers
7) Constructors
8) Methods

Second, members in the same category should be sorted by visibility.
1) Public
2) Protected
3) Default
4) Private

Third, within a category/visibility combination, members should be sorted
alphabetically.

== Checkstyle ==

Checkstyle is used to enforce good programming style.

1. Install Checkstyle

The Eclipse Checkstyle plugin can be found at:
  http://eclipse-cs.sourceforge.net/

2. Enable Custom GWT Checkstyle checks:

Copy "settings/code-style/gwt-customchecks.jar" into:
  <eclipse>/plugins/com.atlassw.tools.eclipse.checkstyle_x.x.x/extension-libraries

Restart Eclipse.
("gwt-customchecks.jar" is also built from source into build/lib during a full
 build)

3. Import GWT Checks:

Window->Preferences->Checkstyle->New...
Set the Type to "External Configuration File"
Set the Name to "GWT Checks" (important)
Set the location to "settings/code-style/gwt-checkstyle.xml".
Suggested: Check "Protect Checkstyle configuration file".
Click "Ok".

4. Import GWT Checks for Tests

Repeat step 2, except:
Set the Name to "GWT Checks for Tests" (important)
Set the location to "settings/code-style/gwt-checkstyle-tests.xml".

== Importing the GWT core projects ==

1) Import the 'gwt-dev-<platform>' and 'gwt-user' projects

  File->Import->General->Existing Projects into Workspace->Next
  Browse to the 'trunk/eclipse' folder and select it
  Deselect All

  Inside this folder are a number of .projects files, only a few of
  which you will need to get started. You may import others later.

  Select 'gwt-dev-<platform>' appropriate to your OS
  Select 'gwt-user'
  Select any of the GWT samples as you want.  The most useful ones are:
    - Hello: very simple project useful as a little playground
    - Showcase: complex UI application
    - DynaTable: uses RPC
  Then press the Finish button.
  
  Non-windows users: By default, gwt-user depends on gwt-dev-windows, which you
  will not have imported.  You must update the gwt-user project configuration
  to depend on gwt-dev-linux or gwt-dev-mac (whichever one you imported).  This
  can be done by editing gwt-user's .classpath file directly, or through the IDE
  under Project->Properties->Java Build Path->Projects.

2) Dismiss the welcome tab if you are setting up an Eclipse workspace
  for the first time.

  You should noew have several new projects in your Eclipse workspace.
  If you are lucky, they will compile too!

  If they did not compile, recheck the setting of

     - GWT_ROOT
     - GWT_TOOLS
     - JDK_HOME

  Then refresh each project.

3) Finally, drop to the command line and build the project
  using 'ant'. You may need to first download ant from the web:

    http://ant.apache.org/

  Run the ant installation procedure.

  Before you continue, make sure that the 'ant' binary is on your path.

    $ cd <gwt>/trunk/
    $ ant

  This only has to be done once to create the 'trunk/build/staging/...'
  directories.  After you build from the command line  once, you can
  use Eclipse's built in compiler.


== Launching 'Hello' ==

While the 'projectCreator' and 'applicationCreator' scripts are useful for
setting up projects and launch configurations that target a GWT installation,
they are not intended for GWT developers working against the source code.  You
will want to run not against .jar files, but against the class files build by
Eclipse.  The following instructions help you do just that.

1) Import the 'Hello' project if you haven't already.

  File->Import->General->Existing Projects into Workspace->Next
  Browse to the 'trunk/eclipse' folder and select it
  Deselect All
  Select 'Hello'

2) Non-windows users: Replace the gwt-dev-windows project dependency and paths.

  Run->Open Run Dialog...->Java Application->Hello
  Select the 'Classpath' tab
  Remove gwt-dev-windows paths
  Select 'User Entries'
  Advanced->Add Folder-> Add gwt-dev-<platform>/core/super
  Select the (default classpath) item and use the 'Down' button
    to make it the last item in the list.
  You could also just edit Hello.launch and search/replace "windows" with
    "linux" or "mac".

3) Modify the the gwt.devjar VM argument

  Run->Open Run Dialog...->Java Application->Hello
  Select the 'Arguments' tab
  Modify the 'gwt.devjar' setting in the VM arguments window
 
  -Dgwt.devjar=<path to trunk>\trunk\build\staging\gwt-<platform>-0.0.0\gwt-dev-<platform>.jar

4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the 'Hello compile' project.

5) Now you should be able to run the 'Hello' project from the
  Run dialog!


== Creating a Launch config for a new project ==

The simplest way to create a new launch config is to use the Run dialog to
duplicate the 'Hello.launch' and 'Hello compile.launch' configurations and
then edit the arguments and classpath settings to match your new project.


== Recreating a Launch configuration from scratch ==

This section captures the process used to create the original 'Hello.launch'

1) Create or Import a new project

  Using the 'projectCreator' and 'applicationCreator' scripts is
  an easy way to do this, but you cannot use the created launch
  scripts to develop the GWT core source because they are
  configured to run with .jar files from a GWT installation.

2) Add a project reference to the gwt-user project:

 Project->Preferences...->Projects Tab->Add...
 Add 'gwt-user' as a project dependency.

2) Create a new launch configuration

  Select the project in the tree on the left of the Main Window
  Open the Run... dialog

  Create a new Java Application.

  Main Tab:
  Name: Debug Launch Config
  Project: <your project>
  Select the checkbox "Include inherited mains when searching for a main class"
  Main class: com.google.gwt.dev.GWTShell
  (Note: the 'Search' button may not work, just type it in without a search.)

Arguments Tab:
   In the 'Program arguments' text area, add the name of the module
   host web page and any other hosted mode arguments:

    -out www
    <your module package>.<module name>/<module name>.html

  e.g.
    -out
    www com.google.gwt.sample.hello.Hello/Hello.html

  In the 'VM arguments' text area, add the following:

  -Dgwt.devjar="<path to trunk>/build/staging/gwt-<platform>-0.0.0/gwt-dev-<platform>.jar"

  This is a very obscure way of telling GWT where to find the C++ libraries
  located in that directory. The name of the .jar file is not important,
  but the path is. If you do not have this set, you'll see the
   following exception at startup:

   Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
   Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Installation problem detected,
   please reinstall GWT


  Other VM arguments you might want to add:
    -ea  (enable assertions)
    -server (enable java server VM)
    -Xcheck:jni (adds extra checks before passing args to a JNI method)

Classpath:
  Click on 'User Entries' and use the 'Advanced' button to add the following folders:
  <project>/src
  gwt-user/core/src
  gwt-user/core/super
  gwt-dev-<platform>/core/super

  Now, select the default classpath (Hello) and move it all the way
  to the bottom of the list using the 'Down' button.

  You should now be able to run the application
  using the Eclipse launcher.