Does Eclipse have a weight problem? I tackle that question in part four from my interview in Eclipse Magazin.
Galileo is a reflection of the vast diversity that exists at Eclipse. Like Eclipse is more than just a Java IDE, so too is Galileo. Officially, thirty-three projects participate in Galileo, but you’re correct: if you include sub-projects and components, the real number is around to fifty. Those projects and components (the Eclipse Development Process doesn’t really distinguish between the two) represent a diverse collection of interests.
Eclipse is probably best known as a Java IDE. That functionality is represented by the Java development tools (JDT) project. But Eclipse is more than just a Java IDE. Eclipse plays host to numerous frameworks, APIs, exemplary tools, and runtimes. If your focus is language support in Eclipse-based IDEs, then Galileo projects like Web Tools, Data Tools, PHP Development Tools (PDT), and Dynamic Languages Toolkit (DLTK) project with its support for Ruby and TCL will be of interest. But there’s more in Galileo for software developers; especially modelers. The Eclipse Modeling Project is a prolific contributor to Galileo: the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) and EMF Technology (EMFT) projects together contribute eleven sub-projects and components. Add the Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF) and the modeling projects deliver almost a full quarter of Galileo. Of course, no software developer should even consider trying to live without Mylyn.
But Eclipse is about more than software development. The Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT) project is again participating in the annual release train. Many of projects have very little to do with an IDE. In fact, many of the projects are pure runtimes: EclipseLink, Equinox, Riena, RAP, and Swordfish are examples.
I don’t think that Eclipse has a weight problem. We have a very diverse collection of projects that offer a little something for everyone.
See part one, part two, and part three of this series.
