I'm trying to re-familiarize my self with the Eclipse environment and ant integration.
Question is: how to keep my sources dir + build.xml separate from the workspace?
What I have is
a small java project and its build.xml file with all the sources placed under a separate
project folder. I then started Eclipse and let it import my project via
New Project -> "Java Project from existing Ant Build File"
All went fine, until when I wanted to build the project from inside Eclipse using build.xml.
Ant starts complaining about not being able to find the source tree. After I examined
the workspace I found that Eclipse had copied the build.xml into the workspace, so it's
obvious that ant couldn't find any sources there. They are still under my project director
and I do want to keep them there, if possible.
so whats the best way so make this setup work? workspace on one side, my project on the other?
Thank!
edit: Is what I want even possible ?
Instead of using "Java Project from Existing Ant Buildfile", just create a simple "Java Project". In the wizard uncheck "use default location" and enter the path (or browse) to the top level directory of your existing project (i.e., where your build.xml is). True, eclipse will create .project and .classpath files in your project directory (if they do not already exist), but the project will remain outside the eclipse workspace.
Case in point, this setup has worked really well in a very particular situation on a standalone system where the source tree resides in a common location but each user has a workspace in a protected location. Using the method described above, each user of this system can create a project in their own eclipse workspace, execute ant targets and subsequently remove the project from their own workspace without affecting other users' workspaces.
What about using links?
Windows Symbolic Links
Linux man page for ln
I do this all the time in C++ projects (no Java, sorry, but I think the concept is portable).
I have my workspaces in ~/workspaces/{workspace_name}. I have a single shared project file in ~/{my_projects, and then the source trees (multiple versions) are in ~/proj1, ~/proj2, etc.
Within each ~/proj* directory, I put a symlink to ~/my_projects/.project and .cproject (required for C++, not used in Java). So each source tree is sharing the single project file. Then in each workspace (one for each source tree), I configure the workspace by importing the project link. For example, ~/workspaces/proj1 imports ~/proj1/.project, but ~/proj1/.project is actually a symlink to ~/my_projects/.project.
So this keeps the source separate from the workspaces. When building, there's no real configuration to do -- I just have Eclipse run make in the appropriate node of the tree -- we already have our own command-oriented build system (we're not using ant, but the same principle should apply).
I source-control the ~/my_projects folder in a private area of the SCM, so other team members don't see it or fiddle with it -- many of them don't use Eclipse at all.
There isn't really any need to try and avoid Ant and Eclipse using the same set of source files. In fact, its probably better that they do use the same set.
Bear in mind, you're not actually mixing anything. There is just one set of source files and then there are two different ways of building it; Ant and Eclipse. These builders are independent of each other, so there is no problem with being coupled to Eclipse. You can even happily commit all the eclipse files (.classpath, .project, .settings) to source control without affecting any developers who use a different IDE.
I do this all of the time (admittedly using maven, not ant), but the same principle applies.
If you have an existing project in Eclipse (with the .project in the source tree), then you can Import Project->Import Existing Project. When the dialog box comes up, you can choose to 'Copy projects into workspace'. Make sure this is unchecked, and them import.
You still store the .project in the original source tree, but thats all.
So now I have
code/xxx (which contains the .java files, which are in SVN)
code/xxx-workspace (which contains the eclipse workspace)
Related
Every time I boot Eclipse I get the error "The project description file (.project) for my project is missing".
As other StackOverflow answers have show, this is easy enough to fix: delete package from Eclipse and import it again. However, if I close and reopen Eclipse the error will be back. I have not found a permanent solution yet.
I have my workspace in my Dropbox, but at some point I decided it was time to start using Git. I don't really get Git but they say you have to put the .project file in your .gitignore because it is computer specific.
This I feel is the origin of the problem, but if I don't do any git related activities (push, commit, etc.) I still get this error.
How do I fix this once and for all?
A .project is a Eclipse-specific file that tells Eclipse about how the project's struture is placed in the project's hierarchy.
It's normal for this file (and other Eclipse specific files) to not be committed because other people participating on the same project may use other IDEs of their choices (intellij, and so on), so the content committed in your VCS is 'neutral' for IDEs.
When you create a project from inside Eclipse, the .project file shall be created along. But when you import into Eclipse an existing project, there are ways to generate locally the .project , .classpath and other Eclipse-required files. Maven, Gradle and Ant are some examples of tools that do this.
Finally, I recommend to keep these files in .gitignore so the project's contents in VCS will remain neutral to IDEs. So you will not bother other people using other IDEs.
So, the steps are:
Check out the project
Generate the eclipse files using maven, ant or gradle. If your project already uses a tool such as these, thats nice
Check if the project is OK inside eclipse (compiling, no errors)
Add the newly generated eclipse files to .gitignore
commit and push the .gitignore.
.project is not machine-specific as long as everyone on your team has the plug-ins installed for that kind of project. .classpath might be if you don't do things right. This is your project, though, so commit your .project.
Keeping .classpath clean largely revolves around keeping machine-specific paths and references out of it:
Set the project's JRE using an Execution Environment. It is an indirect way of saying what version you need, then the IDE figures it out for that machine. The stored value defaults to using the name of your default Installed JRE in the preferences, which is very machine-specific.
Put the jar files you need into the project, or into another project that this one can refer to. They go into source control as well for the sake of repeatability, unless you're using a tool like Maven, in which case be specific about the version you require where ever you state that dependency and make sure the relevant M2E plug-ins are installed.
I am using Eclipse Indigo, and after having successfully extracted my project folder into my Eclipse workspace, it does not show up in the package explorer. I tried refreshing eclipse and restarting it, to no avail. I am 100% certain my eclipse is using the right directory and the project is in it.
What could be the problem? Thank you.
EDIT: "import projects into workspace" worked for me, but why was that necessary?
Files in the directory are not automatically picked up by the package explorer. You need to import them.
Try using the File > import, then choose
Existing Projects into workspace.
There is a checkbox that says "Copy projects into workspace" which copies it to your workspace if it happens to be in a different folder. If you start with your files in another folder, you'll see how it's copied and set up with configuration files in your workspace directory.
To answer the question, "why is it necessary to import?" you have to realize that the Eclipse workspace is just a logical container for projects, not necessarily the physical container for them.
Also realize that a directory of project-related files does not make an Eclipse Project; Eclipse must be given or generate it's own set of configuration in order to understand a project (minimally, for Java projects, .project and .classpath). Without those, Eclipse has no idea what to do with an arbitrary folder that you call a "project." That's what the Import or Create Project wizards are doing under the covers, generating those config files.
Running OSX.
I have used eclipse for years as a Java developer. I am now messing with all kinds of new technologies but still find myself using svn (don't ask its not my descision). Anyways I don't really like SVN command line as I find it almost impossible to sort through merge conflicts.
With that I was thinking about using eclipse (w/ subclipse plugin) as my SVN client whenever I need to do SVN type things. The one problem that I have found is that eclipse loves to create a .project file. I would never want to check this in as no one else is using eclipse. I know that I can add it to svn:ignore, but that has to actually commit that ignore to SVN as well, which I do not want to do either.
Anyway to create eclipse projects without the .project file. I know sounds dumb because I am sure that eclipse needs the .project file for all its projects. Would be nice just to create an SVN project (not Java project) and have eclipse leave off any other crap.
ideas?
There is no way to create an Eclipse project without the .project file (at least none that I know of), but you can tell Eclipse which files to ignore, as well.
Just go to Preferences -> Team -> Ignored Resources and add the pattern .project.
This setting is purely Eclipse-internal and does neither affect your global svn-ignores (defined in ~/.subversion/config) nor will it add any files to the repository.
Also, when checking out folders from SVN using Eclipse, make sure to create a General Project, not a Java Project, so the .project file is the only file Eclipse creates.
.project is actually not the only file that will be generated - depending on the "project natures" you add to a project.
To really separate the project from the source folders, you'll have to create the project in a separate folder - say the workspace - remove the original source folder and add the source folders as external links - see: Project Settings/Java Build Path/Source.
First, Eclipse is not my native IDE -- I'm barely a n00b with it. I set up a project in a workspace that was actually in the directory of another client's project (I didn't really follow the whole workspace/project thing) and, in fact, now I can't even find the Eclipse workspace file to open it.
What I'd like to do is:
Open my eclipse project (/workspace?) -- I know where all the files are on disk, just not what to open in order to see them in Eclipse -- and
Move my project to a new workspace, which I guess I will put in a generic Eclipse-y place, and have that one workspace reference all my Eclipse projects.
(Is that the right way to do it? Does Eclipse dislike me being a one-project == one-workspace kind of guy?)
Please educate me regarding The Eclipse Way so that I can get back to work writing code.
Thanks!
Roughly a workspace (which is a directory) in Eclipse contains:
configuration (installed JRE, Servers runtimes, code formatting rules, ...)
one or more projects
You can of course have as many workspaces as you want (but only one can be opened at a time) and a project can also be part of different workspaces.
If you know where your sources are and want to move them to a new workspace here is a possible solution:
Start Eclipse and when prompted for a workspace choose where you want the workspace to be created (if directory doesn't exist it will be created). For example you can choose C:/Dev/Workspace/.
If you are not prompted, go to File->Switch workspace->Other
Once you are in your workspace you can import your exisiting project with File->Import then General->Existing Projects into workspace
Navigate to the folder containing your project sources, select your project and click finish
I don't know if it's a best practice or not but what I usually do is the following:
I have one workspace for each of my customer (workspace_cust1, workspace_cust2)
Each workspace references my commons library projects and add client specific projects
This way each time I change my commons library it's up to date in every workspace.
If you want to apply
one workspace = one project
You could to the following:
1) Copy the eclipse desktop shorcut
2) Modify the shortcut by appending "-data workspaceLocation "
I've been told that an Eclipse workspace is the equivalent of a Visual Studio solution. But I've also been told that people commonly use a single workspace for all their work. Are these apparently conflicting statements correct? If yes, how do we then create and maintain the equivalent of multiple VS solutions in Eclipse?
Secondly, in the case of VS, I check in my solution (.sln) files, too, into source control. Correspondingly, should I or should I not check in the Eclipse workspace's .metadata folder?
I don't think, the Eclipse workspace is equivalent to the VS solution. An Eclipse workspace stores a lot of meta-information about projects, their physical location (possibly in or outside of the workspace folder), etc., and even workbench settings. It is not a good idea to upload this information into source control, as it is possible that other developer uses other physical locations for the projects, etc.
There is a similar concept in Eclipse to the solutions (similar, not equivalent): Project sets. It is only a GUI option to group your projects into sets. These sets cannot be executed together, and is only visible in the Project navigator.
Another way is to create multiple workspace folders, and you can use them as an alternative to solutions. The drawback of this approach is, that if you customize the IDE (e.g. by using Preferences, or by defining source control locations), these customizations have to be made in every workspace. This issue can be handled using the Workspace Mechanic tool (I haven't tried it, but it can migrate these settings).
The main reason why it is better FOR ME to have a separate workspace for a single project is performance and lucidity. With many projects within one workspace, you'd have to close the other ones because of shared classpaths for editor assistance. Editor uses classpaths of all projects for content assist, class hierarchy lookup etc.
Eclipse anticipates that the open projects are related. And when using project managers like Maven, one maven project is usually divided into many little eclipse projects. It's simply a best practice to have a separate workspace for a project. Second reason is, that usually you'd need to import another related project to see how things are done and it would be terrible mess then having it all in one workspace.
You definitely shouldn't commit the .metadata folder into source control. You commit only the projects inside. Because you and others then will check out the project only into their own workspace. But it is a question whether you should commit the .project file, because it's personalized and eclipse version specific and things like project nature (java, spring, maven nature etc.) can anybody set up by himself. .classpath files in the project should be committed to the source control, because they specify classpaths, it would be very time consuming setting it up again.
You can either group your projects in different workspace or in a particular workspace. Non can be harmful once you manage your settings properly.
In eclipse you can create a new directory for a sub-project under the root project and add to the build path like so: