View source for ApCoCoA-1:HowTo:Install and Work with the Eclipse GUI

==Introduction==

This HowTo shows you how to get started with the new Eclipse Graphical User Interface (GUI) for (Ap)CoCoA. 

'''Edit June 2016:''' 
'''Please note that there are compatibility problems with Eclipse versions 3.7 and newer. Since Eclipse 3.6 or older versions are no longer supported with updates, we recommend to use the Standalone Versions of (Ap)CoCoA until the compatibility problems have been fixed.'''

==Prerequisites==

* A current [http://www.java.com/ Java runtime environment]
* [http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/ Eclipse] If you are new to Eclipse, the variety of different packages to choose from may be confusing. However, for using ApCoCoA it does not matter which package you choose and we therefore recommend to choose the smallest one (which currently is the ''Eclipse IDE for C/C++ Developers'')
  
  'Note' In order to benefit from the possibilities offered by the Eclipse update mechanism, we highly recommend to switch to Eclipse Galileo or later.

  If you are using Eclipse 3.7 (Indigo) make sure to contact only the ApCoCoA update site, as described below!

* [http://www.apcocoa.org/wiki?title=ApCoCoA:Downloads ApCoCoA]

==Installation==
===Installing and Running Eclipse===
After you have downloaded one of the [http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/ Eclipse packages] (e.g. the ''Eclipse IDE for C/C++ Developers''), unpack the package, go to the newly created folder <code>eclipse</code> and start the eclipse executable. That's all. 
You will next be asked to provide a ''workspace directory''. This is where all your projects and (ApCoCoA) files will be stored. If unsure, just take the suggested directory.
When you start Eclipse for the first time, you are presented with the welcome screen, which you can just close.
[[Image:01_welcome.png|thumb|none|800px]]
If you have downloaded the ''Eclipse IDE for C/C++ Developers'', Eclipse is in the ''C/C++ perspective'' (a perspective defines the arrangement of the different visual elements such as the editor, navigators,...) which is the starting point for this tutorial.
[[Image:02_start_eclipse.png|thumb|none|800px]]

===Installing the Plugin===
One of the really nice things in Eclipse is the ease of installing and updating plugins, i.e. extensions of the Eclipse platform that add new features and functionality to Eclipse, just as the GUI plugin does. To install the ApCoCoA GUI plugin, follow these steps:
* In the menu bar, click <code>Help > Install New Software...</code>
* Next, enter at ''Work with:'' the URL <code>http://www.apcocoa.org/updatesite/</code> and click ''Add...''
* Just click ''Ok'' on the dialog that opens now, a name is optional for your new update site.
* Now you should see the following picture on your screen. [[Image:03_install_dialog.png|thumb|none|800px]]
* Then check Apcocoa GUI and the feature appropiate to your platform (e.g. Linux 32-Bit). Click <code>Next></code>. 
  NOTE: With the combination Eclipse 3.7 (Indigo) + ApCoCoA 1.7 and before, disable "Contact all updatesites ..."! 
* Eclipse then looks up the plugins that have to be installed and presents you a review and confirm page. Click <code>Next></code>.[[Image:04_review_dialog.png|thumb|none|800px]]
* Accept the license agreement and click <code>Finish</code>.[[Image:05_accept_license.png|thumb|none|800px]]
* Next you will be asked to restart the Eclipse platform which is recommended.
* Finally, you should see some new additions in the menu and tool bars.<br/><br/>[[Image:New_Additions.jpg]]


You are now ready to set up and use ApCoCoA with Eclipse.

==First Steps==
===Configure Eclipse===

In the current alpha release, neither ApCoCoA executables are not packed with the Eclipse plugin yet. 
The plugin does also not check for installed ApCoCoA executables. Therefore, the paths have to be configured manually as follows.

* Go to <code>Window > Preferences > ApCoCoA Preferences</code>
* Set paths to the ApCoCoA command line executable and ApCoCoA Server or BBF Server and click <code>OK</code> [[Image:06_setting_apcocoa_paths.png|thumb|none|800px]]
* Verify the settings by starting ApCoCoA, clicking on the ''(Re)start ApCoCoA Process'' button [[Image:ApCoCoA_Restart_Button.jpg]]. In the console view you can see now the ApCoCoA greeting message.<br/>[[Image:Greeting_Message.jpg|thumb|none|800px]]

===Create a new Project===

All work done within Eclipse is organized into projects. To create a new project
* Go to <code>File > New > Project ...</code><br/>[[Image:07_apcocoa_project.png|thumb|none|800px]]
* In the Project Wizard, select <code>ApCoCoA Project</code> in the <code>Other</code> category and click <code>Next</code>.
* Name the project ''GUI Tutorial'' and click <code>Finish</code>. [[Image:New_Project_Name.jpg|thumb|none|800px]]
* If you are not already in the ''ApCoCoA Perspective'', Eclipse asks you now if you want to switch to it. Accept this.
* In the Navigator on the left side you can now see the newly created project, moreover, Eclipse created a new folder in the workspace directory.<br/>[[Image:08_eclipse_navigator.png|thumb|none|800px]]

===Create and use an (interactive) Editor Window===

To enter (Ap)CoCoA commands and programs, you need an editor window. Within the (Ap)CoCoA QT-GUI, there are two kinds of editor windows or, more specific, editor tabs: a) the interactive default editor tab, where you enter commands but usually do not edit programs (since the window is cleared after sending its content to (Ap)CoCoA); and (b) the "persistent" editor tabs, where you edit your programs. The interactive behavior is mimicked in Eclipse if you create a special "file" with the extension <code>.aco</code>:

* Right-click on the ''GUI Tutorial'' project and select <code>New > File</code>.
* Create a new file e.g. named <code>interactive.aco</code> and click <code>Finish</code>. [[Image:New_File_Interactive.jpg|thumb|none|800px]]
* Type a sample command in the new editor window and send it to ApCoCoA, typing <code>Ctrl+Enter</code>. [[Image:Hello_World.jpg|thumb|none|800px]]
* The editor windows content is then added to the history and the editor is cleared. As in the CoCoA QT-GUI, you can navigate through the histroy with <code>Alt+Left</code> and <code>Alt+Right</code>.
* Note that the content of interactive editors is not saved to disk!
  Tip: If you are uncomfortable with the key bindings, you can simply change them in the General Preferences (<code>Window > Preferences > General > Keys</code>).

To create a "normal" editor window, create a file with the extension <code>.coc</code> or <code>.cpkg</code>. Files with this extension are associated to ApCoCoA editors with all their features (syntax coloring, sending content to the ApCoCoA process via <code>Enter+Enter</code>,...).

===Getting Help===
To access the ApCoCoA Help go to <code>Help > Help Contents</code>. On the left side you find the ApCoCoA Handbook.<br/>[[Image:ApCoCoA_Help.jpg|thumb|none|800px]]

==Further Topics==

===Working with the ApCoCoA / BBF Server===
To start the ApCoCoA Server, click on the button ''Start ApCoCoA Server'' [[Image:Start_ApCoCoA_Server.jpg]].

Since there is initially only one console view that would be shared by both the server and the cocoa process it is more convenient to 
* pin the ApCoCoA console<br/>[[Image:Console_Pin.jpg|thumb|none|800px]]
* open a second console view<br/>[[Image:Open_Console_View.jpg|thumb|none|800px]]
* rearrange the two console views (see below).

===Adjust the Appearance===
In Eclipse, it is possible to rearrange the visual components in (almost) any way you like via drag & drop.<br/>
[[Image:GUI_Rearrangement.jpg|thumb|none|800px]]

===Known Issues===
* If you update the Eclipse GUI to 0.1.2 you should recheck your preferences and make sure that the CoCoA Interpreter / ApCoCoA Server are the ones delivered from the updatesite.

[[Category:HowTo Old]]