Paul Krill
Editor at Large

Eclipse launches group to shepherd popular Java IDE

news
Jun 17, 20212 mins

The panel, featuring IBM, will look to ensure that the popular dev tool meets market needs.

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The Eclipse Foundation has formed a working group to ensure the continued evolution and sustainability of the popular Eclipse IDE suite of technologies. In conjunction, a new quarterly release of the IDE, supporting the latest version of standard Java, has been published

Called the Eclipse IDE Working Group, the panel will provide governance, guidance, and funding for communities that support delivery and maintenance of Eclipse IDE products. Formally unveiled on June 17, the group will hone in on the desktop IDE and underlying technologies to meet market requirements. Members of the group include IBM, SAP, EclipseSource, and Yatta Solutions. The working group’s charter cites these specific tasks, among others:

  • Oversee the development of the release plan
  • Set criteria by which final products become “official”
  • Provide a framework to guide the production of intermediate products required in the development of the IDE 
  • Act in coordination with the Eclipse Management Organization to administer the services hosted
  • Assist in the growth of the ecosystem, including Eclipse Marketplace

Inquiries about participation in the working group can be made to Eclipse. Renowned particularly in the Java space, the open source Eclipse IDE has been around for 20 years and is used by millions of developers, according to Eclipse. The foundation also launched the 2021-06 release of the IDE on June 17, accessible at eclipse.org. Capabilities include:

  • Support for Java 16, which was published in March.
  • Improved Java development tools, with new cleanups and improved debug hovering.
  • Support for Mac AArch64 (Arm64) architecture, leveraged in Apple M1 systems.
  • An improved embedded terminal, supporting the opening of files and links with Ctrl+Click.
Paul Krill

Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld. Paul has been covering computer technology as a news and feature reporter for more than 35 years, including 30 years at InfoWorld. He has specialized in coverage of software development tools and technologies since the 1990s, and he continues to lead InfoWorld’s news coverage of software development platforms including Java and .NET and programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Go. Long trusted as a reporter who prioritizes accuracy, integrity, and the best interests of readers, Paul is sought out by technology companies and industry organizations who want to reach InfoWorld’s audience of software developers and other information technology professionals. Paul has won a “Best Technology News Coverage” award from IDG.

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