7 Eclipse Killer Features; 5 Eclipse Annoyances

Date: 2007-07-24  |  Tags: eclipse, emacs  |  1 Comment

Here are my pros and cons after using Eclipse for about a year. I've been using mostly 3.2 and recently updated to version 3.3. For the most part it is great. There are some annoyances that hopefully can be fixed. Maybe I need to learn Java and start working on the code. I've also thought about switching to Emacs. I used Emacs for a short time on a Solaris box and liked it a lot. I can't seem to make the switch now, though, because a.) it's not pretty enough, and b.) I don't want to take the time to learn it again.

Eclipse Killer Features:

• Search across entire workspace for selected text with CTRL+ALT+G. It's the fastest interface I've used for selected text, it organizes the search results, highlights all items, and shows pretty markers in the margin. (see below.)
• Pretty markers to show search items, compile errors/warnings, modified text, bookmarks, etc.
• Code completion with CTRL+SPACE. It is pretty.
• Automatic variable renaming with ALT+SHIFT+R. It's faster and more reliable than search and replace.
• Good keyboard support. "Quick Access" is a very nice addition in Eclipse 3.3. Hit CTRL+3 and then type the name of any Eclipse command. (See Quick Access (Ctrl+3) is bliss! for more info.) To open a file, hit CTRL+SHIFT+R and type in the name of the file. The dialog provides filename completion. Fast.
• Good integration with SVN using Subclipse: allows me to compare revisions, view the repository history, open an old revision next to my working copy, and take a glance at pretty file icons to tell me the state of files. (This no longer applies since I switched to Mercurial.)
• Put views almost anywhere you want (docked, detached, fast view). Switch between editors with CTRL+F6, switch between views with CTRL+F7, and switch between perspectives with CTRL+F7.

Eclipse Annoyances:

• Can't open a file from the command line.
• It is slow. In this article, Stevey Yegge even wrote a Eclipse haiku about it:

  startApplication()
  thenWaitFriggingForever()
  thenItGoesRealSlow()

  It's a great article, btw.
• All the extra decorations take up a lot of screen real estate. (Can't completely customize everything. E.g. can't get rid of the scroll bars.)
• No macros. (This is what Emacs is all about.)
• No (good) Mercurial plugin.

Eclipse vs. Emacs conclusion: Sticking with Eclipse for now because it is prettier (and because I know how to use it.)