Anyone using Jext?

phobos

Hi,

Right I'm just after downloading Jext 2.12 and I think its the business. But I can't give it the full thumbs up yet, coz I don't know how to use it. It doesn't seem to come with its own help system. I have pottered in around the options panel and customized the interface to suit, but that's about it. I can't seem to get the syntax highlighting or auto indentation working. I would appreciate if someone could help me there, or even possibly point me to a valid tutorial online.

Also, since I am coming from a Jbuilder 3.5 background, I am wondering if the popup aids exist in Jext. By that I mean, for example when you type something like System. you will be presented will all the objects/packages in the System package and from that you can select one as opposed to having to type it etc. That is also handy for knowing what kind of paramenters certain methods take also (anyone that's used JBuilder or the MSVS suite will know what I'm talking about). Anyway I would love if that's available.

Overall it seems to be a good editor, but I still haven't managed to get the simple stuff off the ground. I like the way it's open source and the fact that it was completely written in Java. You can see the poor refresh rates in the GUI, lol.

TBH I don't like JBuilder, but it's the best thing that I have found so far. I was tempted a while back to write my own editor that would suit my needs (J2EE templates, syntaxing, JDK abstracting etc). Also why does every IDE I come across (including Jext), insist on you using packages. Why cant I just place all my source code in to a single working directory and take it from there. To hell with all that package crap (well for small programs anyway).

TIA

;-phobos-)

phobos

K,

I got the syntax highlighting/auto indenting working!. I think it just needed a restart to init the new IDE variables values, I dunno

But is there a way to get the popup helpers or even a plugin to do so. I was @ www.jext.org and it didn't seem to be in their plugin list. Also their didn't seem to be any help docs (which is pretty bad, don't ya think).

Anyway....

;-phobos-)

Hobbes

Doesn't have it as far as I know.

I'm using Forte. JEXT is nice editor, but it is not a full Java IDE.

phobos

Yeah I thought that alright, because I spent about half an hour trying to find a way to plug a JDK in to it. Ah well

Still I don't mind using if for the purposes of an editor. But does Forte have the popup thingy I'm talking about?

If I had though about this at the start of the summer, I would have spent my time writing a proper one for college. Damn it.

;-phobos-)

Hobbes

Yes Forte has the popup thingy, it will even popup for your own classes/methods/etc.

Has oodles of other features and the latest JDK links into it fine.

It's also free (all be it a pain to get access to).

I'm using the Linux version and it works great. There is a windows version.

phobos

Cheers m8, appreciating the help

;-phobos-)

Enygma

Isn't Forte Sun's version of Netbeans? (www.netbeans.org)
Might be easier to get, and a newer version too.
I used Forte for a bit and it's quite nice but I'd still prefer JBuilder to it.
JBuilder 5 is sweet cause you can use Emacs style editing

I'm slowly weaning my way off Emacs JDE

Evil Phil

The only thing I didn't like about forte for windows was the lack of method navigation (or else not being able to find it). It's kinda like VB in that way and it's a pain. All the different windows were awkward as well. Other than that it's a good IDE. Although I'm sticking to JBuilder for now.

Hobbes

yep it's netbeans, a later version.

It does have a navigator however if you want it to navigate the JDK classes I would guess you would have to add the source or cab to the viewer to do it.

phobos

I am involved with the Irish Java Users Group (admin), and we got those Jumpstart packs from Sun. It came with Forte CE, which is what I'm using right now.

But what I don't like about the interface is the whole multi-window thing. Tis kinda like VB4 (I hated that). But VB5 took care of it. Ya know what I'm talking about?

Apart from that it;s a wicked IDE. Borland are sending us on Evaluation version of JBuilder 5 to play with, I'm looking forward to that coz I've been using 3.5 [Enterprise Ed] up to this. TBH there's plenty of room for improvement there.

;-phobos-)

dragonkin

I was on the Jext mailing list and the popup support is on the way... a plugin called magic refraction or something also the help docs are any extra download, but maybe you already have this ?

I especially like the console part and Pyros, which made compiling simple.