Re: [Jikesrvm-researchers] IDE

[Steven A. <au...@wa...>]

Emacs's extensibility (in Emacs-LISP) means that it isn't just a text 
editor.  Many people have added useful extensions.

For example, there is the very handy tags-table feature.  In the Jikes 
RVM top source directory ($RVM_ROOT/rvm), you can type "make tags" and 
generate TAGS, a file that Emacs can then use to go to function 
definitions and class definitions by name.  With two keystrokes 
(Meta-.), you can find the definition of the class or method whose 
name the cursor is on top of.

Being able to compile within Emacs is also handy.  If you set JIKES to 
"jikes --emacs", and then build Jikes RVM within it, the Jikes 
compiler prints out error messages in a form such that, with a single 
keystroke, you can go to the line of  source code that Jikes is 
complaining about.

I also find the Emacs auto-indentation and syntax highlighting to be 
useful.

VIM is also a fine editor with a rich feature set, but I know Emacs 
better so I am using it here for my example.

The above may help explain how Jikes RVM was written and is maintained 
with these two text editors.

--Steve Augart

Guy Korland wrote:
> Hi,
> In my research I use the JikesRVM as a platform for my tests.
> But I found it very difficult to add new code to the JikesRVM without 
> any java
> code development IDE. (because of the preprocessing use).
> In the website I found instructions on how to use emacs or vi, but I 
> find it
> hard to believe that someone can write all this big project in text 
> editors.
> Is there any IDE you used in the development process?

-- 
Steven Augart

Jikes RVM, a free, open source, Virtual Machine:
http://oss.software.ibm.com/jikesrvm