Speed & Efficiency

Hello everybody,
I have been evaluating many Java IDEs and compilers looking for one that enables me to develop java apps at very high speed.
I am looking for:
an editor which:
- syntax checks as you type
and a debugger which:
- shows you variable values in tables (and when hovering over source code)
- lets you jump to lines before and after current line
- lets you edit source code during debugging
and a compiler which:
- compiles "hello world" app in under 0.1 seconds
- only recompiles project classes which have changed
- compiles direct into jar file
and an environment which:
- lets me type java directly into an immediate window (very useful during debugging sessions)
does anybody know of one?

Let's make a deal. I'll tip you about a great IDE and you'll change your display name to something compliant with our naming policy.

It's a deal!

Great. Now if you'd just make that change... (hint: the naming policy requires a real-looking, two-part name)

There we go ...

Great. Now about that IDE... I'd suggest Eclipse. It doesn't have all the features you mentioned (at least as far as I know), but it's definitely up to par with commercial IDEs.

Forgot to mention the features I think Eclipse doesn't support out-of-the-box.

- lets you jump to lines before and after current line
- lets you edit source code during debugging

I don't think these are supported.

- compiles "hello world" app in under 0.1 seconds

I don't think there are much differences here between IDEs...

- compiles direct into jar file

This can be done with an Ant script

- lets me type java directly into an immediate window (very useful during debugging sessions)

Eclipse lets you write evaluations during debugging which in practice lets you see the values of certain expressions from step to step.

I'm not sure what "jump to lines before and after the current line" means, but the Eclipse JDT debugger definitely allows source code modification during debugging. You can even edit the code in the method you are currently stepping through, which I thought was pretty cool. When you save the file, it'll reload the class if the changes are non-structural, and assuming you're running a 1.4 level JVM.

Originally posted by Lasse Koskela:
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- lets you jump to lines before and after current line
- lets you edit source code during debugging
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I don't think these are supported.

Well, at least it has both
- "run to cursor" and "step over", and
- drop (to?) frame, which lets you "undo" method calls.

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- compiles "hello world" app in under 0.1 seconds
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I don't think there are much differences here between IDEs...

What should be noted is that Eclipse has a very good inbuild incremental compiler. Per default it compiles your source code every time you save it. Most often it feels like instant compilation. Eclipse 3.0 additionally compiles in the background. So typically you don't have to wait for the compiler at all.

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- lets me type java directly into an immediate window (very useful during debugging sessions)
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Eclipse lets you write evaluations during debugging which in practice lets you see the values of certain expressions from step to step.

Also, with JDK1.4+ you can open a "scrapbook page", where you can scribble and execute/evaluate arbitrary Java expressions.