JGrasp ( is the bomb! I really like this IDE, developed and supported by the CS department at Auburn University.
I give Eclipse 4 stars, with a half star off each for the necessity of workspace/project setup and the file input difficulties. It also has debugging features that are nice, including step in, step over and variable tracing. Some positives about Eclipse are code-completion, which just means that once you start typing a command, it shows you the rest of the command and you can just hit a key to complete it, saving some typing errors and debugging problems, and thus speeding up the coding process overall. There is a way to make sure all files are in the same folder, but there are a few steps you must take, and it is not very intuitive. class file into separate folders (bin and class folders), which makes it cumbersome to deal with data files. By default, the project separates the source file (.java) and the. The other disadvantage is the extra steps you must take to enable file input without designating a path. That alone is intimidating for the beginner, and quickly causes frustration and the tendency to give up, in my opinion. It requires setting up a workspace, and then a project, and then making sure files are members of the project. Once the student has become proficient, then it is a much more plausible choice to transition to Eclipse.
JGRASP IDE DRIVER
A beginning programming student has no business trying to use a professional IDE, no more than a beginning student driver should be driving a high-powered Indy car. It is a professional level IDE, and many use that argument to justify using it. Many teachers and students use it, and have found it suitable, but for me it is too difficult, especially when trying to get setup and definitely when trying to use data file input.
JGRASP IDE FREE
Let’s talk about Eclipse ( which is free and open source. I give it 4 1/2 stars, with the 1/2 star off for the lack of debugging with the free version. There are ways to get around that though, and the ease of use definitely trumps that disadvantage. The only down side I have discovered is that the free version does not have debugging features like step in and step over, or the ability to trace variable values. JCreator is distributed by the Xinox Corporation ( ), and is excellent for student use.
JGRASP IDE TRIAL
Be careful though! It might say Learning Edition, and it turns out to be a 30-day trial after which they ask for money.
JGRASP IDE DOWNLOAD
JCreator is free if you download the “classic” student version.
JGRASP IDE HOW TO
Another thing I really like about JCreator that I have not found in other IDEs is the ability to show the output in a separate console window. It may be possible with other IDEs, but I have not yet found out how to do it in others. Also, file input is easy just make sure the data file is in the same folder as the. I like it because it is easy to use, no workspaces or projects necessary, just open the file and go. I know many teachers who use it for the same reasons. I’ll start with JCreator ( it is what I used for years with my students, and with which I am most familiar and comfortable. JCreator has a paid version that is more powerful than the free version, but that is a choice you must make.
The best thing about all these IDEs is that they are free to obtain and use. We’ll explore four of the more commonly used ones with which I am most familiar: Several IDEs are available out there, most for free, some at a cost. a way to compile/debug/run a program at the click of a button.a text editor in which programs are coded.Generally speaking, in my opinion after 20+ years of CS teaching, the easier an IDE is to learn how to use, the better it is for beginning students.Īn IDE essentially provides two primary functions: There are several out there, all equally effective, some easier to use, some powerful enough for professional use. It’s partly a word-processor, and partly a debugging, compiling and executing application for the program. Given that programming in itself is difficult enough, choosing a tool that streamlines this important learning process is crucial to student success and confidence.Īn IDE is an Integrated Development Environment, which simply means an application that serves as a convenient mechanism to develop and test programs in any language, including Java. One of the most important initial choices by a computer science teacher is what IDE to use with beginning students, one that offers the necessary features, but does not require a steep learning curve that might inhibit initial student progress.
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