One of the things I’ve thought about doing with All Things is adding a list of various things I want to learn about. Actually, it would have to be limited only to top priority things, since there’s always a million things that I’d like to learn about, if only I had the time.
Two things that would be near the top of such a list would be the X-Plane flight simulator, which I do have but rarely can find the time to use, and the Eclipse software development tools framework, which I keep deferring downloading and installing, waiting until I’m ready to start so I get the latest version, since it keeps getting better and better.
As the title indicates, this post is about Eclipse, not X-Plane, though my reasons for wanting to learn them share some similarities. Both packages take a broad view, with an architecture that is intentionally very extendible, allowing the toolset to be used in a lot of different ways. Both continue to rapidly improve, and both seem to already perhaps be the best toolset available.
While X-Plane is limited to flight simulation, it allows a lot of manipulation of aircraft, flight dynamics, etc., to where it’s becoming possible to do serious engineering with the package. Hopefully it will continue to grow in scope and capability.
With Eclipse, scope is perhaps the key word to use in describing it. As I understand it, its newly-redesigned plug-in architecture and general design make it suitable for use with most any language, potentially, and all kinds of add-on tools.
It’s starting to look like, outside the Microsoft .NET/Visual Studio ecosystem, that most all software development tools vendors are either moving to Eclipse or risking marginalization. Borland, long viewed as one of the best tool vendors, is now embracing Eclipse. Others such as Sun and JetBrains still seem to be holding out, but I wonder why.
I can’t help but think Eclipse might be the best opportunity to come along in software in a long time (and a potential threat to Microsoft). Rather than fighting, tools vendors should realize it’s what customers want. It’s certainly very interesting to me, the kind of person who needs more structure than the average programmer type, but doesn’t want to be limited by just a few choices. Now, if I can just find some time to learn Eclipse!
