Java Development Software System Requirements

[Navik]

I've heard that java development software such as Visual Age Java and JBuilder require immense resources (such as a minimum of 170mb for debugging in VAJ), but this is what I hear from vendors, so I was hoping to get some input from actual users.

In addition to this, I was wondering if anyone prefers a specific development software, and why.

Thanks

 

[gerald]

Hmmm I'm not sure of the actual resource usage, but I use JBuilder alot. I have never tried VAJ so I can't really compare the two. JBuilder was what I tried first and it suited me perfectly so I didn't have to really try anything else.

The reason I like it is because it compiles really fast. It is easily 5 times faster than the Sun compiler on a 900Mhz with 128MB.

I don't seem to have any problems with resources using it. And I can debug fairly large-scale 3D renderings without major performance problems.

And I really suck at using Swing by hand so the graphical design feature has probably saved me 100 hours already this year. It will convert their XYLayout to GridBagLayout quite accurately. Just need to go in and touch it up a little by hand.

Regards,
Gerald

 

[ChrisCarroll]

I do believe that VAJ has a seriously high RAM requirement. However, at the moment it's affordable, so I wouldn't let that put you off!

 

[haux]

Hello Navik !

i have P233Mhz (MMX) + 165 of RAM i am using Jbuilder4 Entreprise.
it's longuer to luch the Jbuilder but onece lunched the programme is running comfotably, i don't say that it is faster than µP>233Mhz. But it's a good start.
The most important thing to know is that developping in java need big RAM (128 is goog start)

Good luck

 

[BZJavaInst]

This are all very good points on these Java IDEs.

I have used JBuilder and Visual Age. I prefer JBuilder because it has a great debugger with break points etc. It does take a while to load when starting, but then it works great.

Visual Age is more complicated. IBM uses a repository project management of resources. In other words it takes more memory with resources. I have 256 MB of RAM and to be safe that is what I suggest to have if you are using it. Basically Visual Age allows different versions of code to be loaded and you can test different versions, etc. I find this confussing a little. It seems good for a group of programmers who need to develop fast and share a lot of classes. It has some great visual composition features to save from writing to much Java code, but then again JBuilder has this too.

I like JBuilder, but it depends on your perference.

Brian

 

[LeonTang]

Hi,

Just my 2 cents worth, I have never used JBuilder before so I doesn't know how it is like. I have been using JPadPro all along and it suits me fine.

However, you can't create UI the way you do using JBuilder. You have to code them out yourself. (I actually consider this a plus point since using JBuilder to create UI doesn't improve your coding and you will never learn how to code UI).

I don't think JPadPro uses a lot of memory so maybe it might suit you as well.

But I still think it is best to just code using notepad and compiling in DOS mode for Windows environment. Reason being if you use too much of IDE, you will come to a point whereby you might even forget how to compile java codes in DOS.

This will help you a great deal if you have to eventually program Java programs in Unix environment.

But in the end, it is all up to you to choose

Regards,
Leon If you need additional help, you can email to me at zaoliang@hotmail.com I don't guaranty that I will be able to solve your problems but I will try my best

 

[BZJavaInst]

Good point LeonTang,

I find myself preferring to write the GUI myself and the Layout Managers. When using the IDE's a lot of code is added by the IDE.

If I am in a hurry, I do the visual programming with the components and them modyify the code to do what I want it to do.

My students think I am mean because I don't allow them to use the visual programming. I tell them that you are learning Java and in another class you learn Visual programming in Java. You have to start from the bottem up. I told them, I can tell what is their code and what was created visually by the IDE. Many of them appreciate the Visual aspects of programming even more after they know what is going on behind the seens.

Brian

 

[gamathur]

I have been using VAJ for quite some time and i feel that is is god to use for development and it do have facility of breakpoints (Atten: BZJavaInst) and a good debugger, i think Jbuilder dont have JSP Execution moniter, ehich VAJ have, this help a liot when you have a Lousy long unIntnded Un Commented JSP Code
but seriously speaking for Learning anything in java and Mastering it you should do it with Notepad and Prompt..
VAJ comes handy hwn you are up to building complex applications ( with EJB and all ) and you dont want to waste time on compiling and all..
Regards

 

[rsfoley]

My opinion is based on that I have used Both JBuilder (since JBuilder 4.0) and Visual Age for Java 3.0/3.5.

I currently use on a daily basis JBuilder 6. Before I get to that I will give you my input about VAJ. I think VAJ is a great IDE enviroment, very fast, vary intuitive. Helps build your apps quick. However it does have a high system resouce requirement, but that is not what made not use it for production enviroments. I chose not to use it because it forces you to use an IBM programing paradigm, that I do not like. It puts so much propritary VAJ code and tags in your code that your files are larger than they need to be, and very difficult to read.

Oh chorse IBM's VAJ does not expect you to read the code in a text editor. They expect you to use there enviroment, which you never see all this garbage. However if you are going to use some of IBM Enterprise software like websphere, then you best using VAJ. If you are not locked into IBM Enterprise software, then I would recommend looking at other IDE's.

As to JBuilder 6. Because it is written in Java it is a little slow on the start up, and can be slow at times in areas of the program, and because it is a large enterprise level java app, it consumes large abouts of system resources. The faster the machine, and the more memory the better. At my previous company I used JBuilder 5 Enterprise on a DUAL PIII 850Mhz system with 784MB of RAM, and a 7200 RPM 60GB Hard drive running Windows 2K Pro. Under this config I thought it ran like a TOP most of the time.

Now I am running JBuilder 6 on a single PIII 850Mhz, 384MB Ram, and 7200RPM 30 GB HD, using Windows XP Pro. I can tell the performance deference, but I am still very happy with it.

What I like about JBuilder is that it is CROSS PLATFORM, and it does not build propritary code, and it lets you configure how it formats the code, where it puts the currly braces, how it handles listerns, and members. I like the that it published it's open tool api for creating PlugIns. I uses several of differnt ones. This way if JBuilder does have or do what you want, maybe someone was written a plug in to do this. Borland has a large DB of these tools that people publish there and they are free. You can find other that cost money via internet searchs. If you can find one that does want you want, you can just write one yourself.

I think JBuilder has always been one of the top notch IDE's for Java, but with JBuilder 6 Enterprise I think they just qualified as the BEST in my book. The cross platform is nice and I have used it on Linux a few times, and I like that the LnF is the same and I can get right to work, no learning curve.

I have never used Forte yet but I have heard some good things about it. So I can not give any input on this IDE. But these three are the BIG IDE's for Java right now, and they are more of as IDE/RAD/CASE tool which is what seperates them from just plain code editors.

Anyway that is my opinion through into the mix...

Rodney

http://www.javathis.com

 

[SirCharles]

Where might I find a tutorial or some help on getting a swing java app installed and running on linux using cygwin?

We're getting following error message:

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError
at java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method)
at java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:141)
at java.awt.GraphicsEnvironment.getLocalGraphicsEnvironment(GraphicsEnvironment.java:62)
at sun.awt.motif.MToolkit.<clinit>(MToolkit.java:81)
at java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method)
at java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:141)
at java.awt.Toolkit$2.run(Toolkit.java:748)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.awt.Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit(Toolkit.java:739)
at DocSplashViewer.loadImage(Unknown Source)
at DocSplashViewer.<init>(Unknown Source)
at DocSearch.main(Unknown Source)

 

[siberian]

I use Eclipse on an old G4 Apple PowerBook(500Mhz) and it runs pretty well. Positively screams on my P4 3GHz at home.

Best of all, its A) Free and B) Has GREAT tomcat integration.