OStatic

Eclipse is an open-source software framework written primarily in Java. In its default form it is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Java developers, consisting of the Java Development Tools (JDT) and the Eclipse Compiler for Java (ECJ). Users can extend its capabilities by installing plug-ins written for the Eclipse software framework, such as development toolkits for other programming languages, and can write and contribute their own plug-in modules. Language packs are available for over a dozen languages.

Eclipse employs plug-ins in order to provide all of its functionality on top of (and including) the rich client platform, in contrast to some other applications where functionality is typically hard coded. This plug-in mechanism is a lightweight software componentry framework. In addition to allowing Eclipse to be extended using other programming languages such as C and Python, the plug-in framework allows Eclipse to work with typesetting languages like LaTeX, networking applications such as telnet, and database management systems. The plug-in architecture supports writing any desired extension to the environment, such as for configuration management. Java and CVS support is provided in the Eclipse SDK.

The key to the seamless integration (but not of seamless interoperability) of tools with Eclipse is the plugin. With the exception of a small run-time kernel, everything in Eclipse is a plug-in. This means that a plug-in you develop integrates with Eclipse in exactly the same way as other plug-ins; in this respect, all features are created equal. Eclipse provides plugins for a wide variety of features, some of which are through third parties using both free and commercial models. Examples of plugins include UML plugin for Sequence and other UML diagrams, plugin for Database explorer, etc.

The Eclipse SDK includes the Eclipse Java Development Tools, offering an IDE with a built-in incremental Java compiler and a full model of the Java source files. This allows for advanced refactoring techniques and code analysis. The IDE also makes use of a workspace, in this case a set of metadata over a flat filespace allowing external file modifications as long as the corresponding workspace "resource" is refreshed afterwards. The Visual Editor project allows interfaces to be created interactively, hence allowing Eclipse to be used as a RAD tool.