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Coding Tools
Bottom line: IDEs purpose is to write code - or at least make
the prospect easier. IDEA fulfills this by providing intuitive code
completion tools. When you declare objects, IDEA will recognize
their methods and constructors and show them in a drop-down list,
as options, when you type out object instances. This can save
valuable typing time. Closing brackets and indentations are automatically
handled. Live Templates is a great feature that allows the
developer to type in the name of a template and IDEA will
automatically insert the template code--for example, a generic
for loop. Simply create your own templates for code snippets you
use often. Segments of code can easily be "folded", or hidden,
to make scrolling through your code easier and IDEA will
automatically recognize segments that are "foldable", such as a
class definition or a comment segment. In version 4, developers
can now utilize split plan editing, so you can see two parts of
the same file at the same time. These are all just the tip
of the proverbial iceberg.
Refactoring
One of the features that has been with IntelliJ IDEA for a long
time, and been a significant factor in its popularity, is the
refactoring. IDEA makes it simple to change the name of methods
or variables. You can move a package or class or even a method
by simply dragging and dropping. IDEA will automatically update
all references to that article. It is somewhat surprising what
you can change in one place without having to worry about
inheritance and other references to what you have changed:
changing methods to static, adding or removing parameters,
changing the return type and so on. In the case of adding
parameters, you will need to supply a default value, but in most
cases these changes are done with little additional input. The
refactoring in IDEA goes deeper than most IDEs and deeper than I
can go here. I recommend taking a look at IDEA's Web site for more refactoring information.
Debugging
I like the debugger in IDEA not just because it's effective, but
also because it is very simple to use and easy to decipher. The
interface is easy to read, with collapsible entries. New in
version 4, the debugger will support HotSwap debugging, where
you can modify and recompile the code during the debugging
process. Debugging JSP's can be done from within the IDEA
environment, without having to browse the page, by using the
JSR45 plug-in. The usual features are also all present: stepping
in/out, watches, breakpoints, etc., but also a number of other
features, such as conditional breakpoints, advanced expression
evaluation and thread suspension. One of the features I find
particularly useful is the ability to view the data within
collection classes and customize the output of the
toString() methods. This allows developers to
better see what's being stored in specific objects and thus
better find what's working and what's not within their
application.
Along the same lines, IDEA allows you to setup multiple
"execution profiles" for running and debugging applications.
This might include JUnit testing, remote debugging, or even
WebLogic instances. Something else worth noting is that the
exception window allows for easy navigation to the source code
for quick edits and fixes.
New on the Java Boutique:
New Review:
Time Management Made Easy with the Quartz Enterprise Job Scheduler
Why not just use the Java timer API? This open source scheduling
API boasts simplicity, ease-of-integration, a well-rounded feature
set, and it's free!
New Applet:
Reverse Complement
Reverse Complement is a simple applet that converts DNA or RNA
sequences into three useful formats.
Elsewhere on internet.com:
WebDeveloper Java
Lots of Java information on webdeveloper.com
WDVL Java
Thorough Java resource at the Web Developer's Virtual Library.
ScriptSearch Java
Hundreds of free Java code files to download.
jGuru: Your View of the Java Universe
Customizable portal with online training, FAQs, regular news updates, and tutorials.
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