Eclipse gains a browser interface
The developers of the Orion Eclipse project have released an early version of their IDE that runs in a browser, a solution based on the client-server model. The server is written in Java and handles file and user administration, while a client written in JavaScript and running in the browser provides, for instance, editing features. Client and server communicate via a REST interface.
Orion's main purpose is to help users create web applications by providing an editor, version control, file navigation and a debugger. Details of the developers' mission statement can be found in the project's wiki. However, the developers say that the project is a long way from being completed and it is not yet a complete JavaScript IDE. This becomes obvious when first loading a JavaScript file: a syntax check will mark such constructs as document.getElementById
as flawed because document
doesn't appear to be defined.
Interested developers can download Orion for Windows, Linux or Mac OS X under the terms of the Eclipse Public Licence (EPL). New versions are scheduled to be released about every six weeks.
(ehe)