How to install Eclipse on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS?

Introduction

Eclipse is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that is used to create software applications. It was primarily used for Java application but now we can make applications in other languages also by installing plug-ins.

Eclipse Foundation maintains it's development, it is cross-platform and written in Java.

We can install it on the Ubuntu but before that make sure our system fulfills all the prerequisites.

It includes a plug-in system and a base workspace to customize the environment. For Java development, it's the second most famous IDE and was the most famous until 2016. Also, it can be used for developing documents with packages and LaTeX for the software Mathematica. Several development environments contain the JDT (Java development tools) for Scala and Java, Eclipse CDT for C++/C, Eclipse PDT for php, and others.

The starting codebase is derived from IBM VisualAge.
The Eclipse SDK (software development kit), which contains Java development tools, is integrated for Java developers.
The user abilities can be extended by getting plug-ins written for Eclipse Platform, like development toolkits for many programming languages, and can contribute and write their plug-in modules.
Plug-ins can be dynamically plugged-stopped and are termed bundles.

Eclipse SDK is open-source and free software, published upon the Eclipse Public License terms as it's not compatible with the GNU GPL. It was one of the initial IDEs to execute upon GNU Classpath and run without issues upon IcedTea.

Architecture of Eclipse

Eclipse utilizes plug-ins to offer every functionality on top of and within the run-time system. This run-time system is Equinox-based, where Equinox is an implementation of the core framework specification of OSGi.

Additionally, to allow the Eclipse Platform to be continued using several other programming languages, like Python and C, the plug-in framework permits the Eclipse Platform to operate with typesetting languages, such as LaTeX and other networking applications, including database management system and telnet.

The plug-in architecture provides support for writing a desired extension in the environment, like for configuration management.
CVS and Java support is given in the Eclipse SDK, along with support for various version control systems offered by third-party plug-ins.
With run-time kernel exception, everything is a plug-in in Eclipse.
Hence, all developed plug-ins coordinate with Eclipse in a similar way to other plug-ins; this way, every feature is "created equal".
Eclipse offers plug-ins for a huge range of features, a few of which are taken from third parties with both commercial and free models.
Some plug-in examples include for UML (Unified Modeling Language), for Sequence, many UML diagrams, a DB Explorer plug-in, and many others.

The Eclipse SDK contains the Eclipse JDT (Java Development Tools), providing an IDE and a built-in Java incremental compiler with a complete Java source file model. It permits advanced code analysis and refactoring techniques. Also, the IDE uses a workspace; this way, a collection of metadata on a flat filespace permits external file changes when the associated workspace resource is renewed afterward.

Rich Client Platform

To develop general-purpose software, Eclipse offers RCP (Rich Client Platform). The following elements establish RCP:

Equinox OSGi- It is a typical building framework.
SWT (Standard Widget Toolkit)- It is a compact widget toolkit.
Core platform- It is a boot Eclipse and runs plug-ins.
JFace- These are viewer classes used to get the programming of the model view controller to text editors, text handling, file buffers, SWT, etc.
Eclipse Workbench- It includes wizards, perspectives, editors, and views. Some Eclipse-based RCP examples include:
- AnyLogic
- UDig
- Portfolio Performance
- DBeaver
- Remote Component Environment
- Apache Directory Studio
- NetIQ Designer (Attachmate-Novell) for Identity Manager
- IBM Notes 9 and 8

Web Tools Platform

The Eclipse WTP (Web Tools Platform) project is an addition to the Eclipse platform using tools to develop Java EE and Web applications. It contains graphical and source editors for a range of languages, built-in applications, wizards to streamline development, and APIs and tools to support expanding, running, and checking tests.

Server Platform

For GlassFish, Tomcat, and other servers, Eclipse provides development and can install the needed server from the IDE directly. It offers remote debugging, permitting a user to see variables and processes using an application code that's running on the linked server.

Modeling Platform

This modeling project includes every official Eclipse Foundation project concentrating on model-based evolution technologies. Each is suitable with the Eclipse Modelling Framework established by IBM. These projects are divided into many categories: Amalgam, Research and Technology, Abstract Syntax Development, Concrete Syntax Development, Model Development Tools, and Model Transformation.

The project, i.e., Model Transformation, uses EMF (Eclipse Modelling Framework) based models as the input and generates either a text or model as a result.

Eclipse employs the Java toolkit graphical control elements known as SWT (Standard Widget Toolkit), whereas almost every Java application utilizes the Java standard AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) or Swing.
Also, the user interface of Eclipse utilizes a common graphical user interface later known as JFace, which reduces the construction of SWT-based applications.
Eclipse was developed to execute on Wayland all along a GSoC (Google Summer of Code) project in 2014.
Language packs were improved by the Babel Project as of 2017, providing translations into 40+ natural languages.
The projects, i.e., model-to-model transformations, contain ATL (ATLAS Transformation Language), which is an open-source transformation toolkit and language used for transforming a provided model or generating a new model using the provided EMF model.
On the other hand, model-to-text transformation projects include Acceleo, which is a MOFM2T implementation, a typical model-to-text language using OMG (Object Management Group).
The code generator, i.e., Acceleo, can produce a text language, including Python, PHP, Java, etc., with EMF-based models specified with a metamodel (SysML (Systems Modeling Language), UML (Unified Modeling Language), etc.).
The projects of Model Development Tools are implementations of many modeling standards utilized in the industry and toolkits.

Projects can be detected implementations of many standards among those:

MMT (Model-to-Model Transformations)
NEDA (National Electronic Distributors Association)
XSD (XML Schema)
SBVR (Semantics of Business Vocabulary and Business Rules)
IMM (Interactive Media Manager)
BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation)
OCL (Object Constraint Language)
SysML (Systems Modeling Language)
UML (Unified Modeling Language)

The project, i.e., Concrete Syntax Development, includes the Graphical Modeling Framework, which is Eclipse-based and committed to the EMF-based model's graphical representation. The project, i.e., Abstract Syntax Development, is used to host the Eclipse Modeling Framework, which is the core of almost every Eclipse Foundation modeling project and the framework present for EMF, such as CDO (Connected Data Objects), EMF validation, or EMF query.

For the Eclipse package, the project, i.e., Amalgam, offers the integration and packaging between every modeling tool committed to modeling tools.

The project, i.e., Technology and Research, is the Modeling project's prototype. This project hosts every Eclipse Foundation modeling project during the incubation phase.

Application Lifecycle Management of Eclipse

In Eclipse, task management and ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) require an optional element known as Mylyn, which is open-source employment of the task-focused interface. It offers an API for all tools enclosing the task-focused interface. It supports a developer to work well with several different tasks, including new features, problem reports, and bugs, for software developers.

Tasks are unified into Mylyn. Mylyn checks user activity and attempts to recognize information associated with the task for every integrated task. It uses the task context to concentrate on the Eclipse UI on the corresponding information. Mylyn integrates with several repositories, like GitHub, Unfuddle, JIRA, Mantis, Redmine, Trac, and Bugzilla. It concentrates on developing productivity by decreasing navigation, scrolling, and searching. Also, Mylyn is meant to provide sharing expertise, reusing past attempts, planning, and multitasking.

The project title originates from myelin, which is an insulating layer electrically that surrounds the axons of neurons. The actual title of this project is "Mylar", duplicated a boPET film company trademark, so the Eclipse Foundation modified the project title.

Alternative Distributions of Eclipse

Many alternative distributions are available in the Eclipse project.

PHP Development Tools

For the Eclipse platform, PHP Development Tools offers a framework. This project encompasses every development component, such as developing PHP, code completion, and providing extensibility. It pulls the available Eclipse WTP (Web Tools Platform) and DLTK Dynamic Languages Toolkit.

Android Development Tools

In 2015, ADT (Android Development Tools) was superseded by the own plugin of Eclipse Foundation, known as Andmore: Development Tools for Android, when Google stopped their plug-in development for the Eclipse IDE, that's developed to offer a unified environment where to create Android applications. Andmore/ADT extends the Eclipse abilities to allow developers to set up new Android projects, build an application UI, include Android Framework API-based packages, export signed .apk files to share their applications, and debug the applications with the Android SDK tools. It is available free to download. For Android, ADT of Google was the official IDE until 2015, but it was substituted by Andmore of Eclipse and the official Android Studio.

Prerequisites

Ubuntu
Java
login as root into the terminal

The installation process includes the following steps.

Eclipse Installation

Visit official site of eclipse http://www.eclipse.org and download a zip folder. After downloading, locate to the download folder and extract folder. Use the following command to extract folder.