1. Getting Groovy with Eclipse:
Next generation tool support for
dynamic languages
Andrew Eisenberg
SpringSource
a division of VMWare
1
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

2. What is Groovy-Eclipse?
• Eclipse tool support for the Groovy
programming language
• Recent release of Groovy-Eclipse 2.0.1
• Two Goals:
– Deep integration with Java Development
Tools (JDT)
– Editing support for Groovy's dynamicism
2
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

3. What is Groovy?
This is Java:
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println(“Hello, EclipseCon.”);
}
}
3
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

4. What is Groovy?
This is Groovy:
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println(“Hello, EclipseCon.”);
}
}
4
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

5. What is Groovy?
This is really Groovy:
print “Hello, EclipseCon.”
• Groovy is a dynamically typed JVM language
• Builds upon the strengths of Java
– syntax, libraries, runtime, ...
• Supports extra features
– scripting, meta-programming, DSLs, …
5
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

6. Groovy-Eclipse
• Deep integration with JDT
– JDT compiler integration (Demo 1)
– Debug support (Demo 2)
• Editing support for Groovy's dynamicism
– Groovy type inferencing (Demo 3)
6
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

7. What is deep integration with JDT?
• Optimize Edit / Save / Compile / Test
– Same level of quality: Java <-> Groovy
• Similar feature set where makes sense
• Seamless Cross-referencing
7
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

8. How to achieve Deep integration
• Extended JDT compiler
– Compiles both Java and Groovy
– No need for stub generation
• Compiler output not just class files
– Abstract Syntax Tree (AST)
– Java model
8
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

9. Demo 1
• JDT – Groovy Compiler integration
9
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

10. Debug support
• Much like as in Java:
– launching applications, tests
– breakpoints
– stepping
– variables view
– hot swap (new!)
– display view (work in progress)
• But, also:
– launching scripts
– closure support
– filter uninteresting stack frames
10
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

11. Demo 2
• Debugging – integration with JDT
11
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

12. IDE support for Groovy's
dynamicism
Inferencing engine
• guess type information statically
def x
x = (-1).abs() x instanceof Integer
x = “foo” x instanceof String
x.abs() MissingPropertyException!!!
12
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

13. Inferencing Engine is extensible
• Custom DSLs can plug in (e.g., Grails)
• Used for many parts of the UI:
– Content Assist
– Navigation
– Search
– Underlining unknown references
13
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

14. Demo 3
• Type inferencing provides IDE support for
groovy dynamicism
14
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

15. Groovy-Eclipse
• Deep integration with JDT
– Editor
– Compiler
– Debugger
• Support for Groovy's dynamicism
– Type inferencing
15
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.

16. Eclipse is now Groovy!
Groovy-Eclipse:
http://groovy.codehaus.org/Eclipse+Plu
gin
Andrew Eisenberg
aeisenberg@springsource.com
Thank you!
Copyright 2010 SpringSource. Copying, publishing or distributing without express written permission is prohibited.
16