Online tutorials and frequent bugs discovered in the IDE
Hello to all
I've been learning, practicing and doing some programming in the java language for a few months. So when I heard that sun released a IDE for RAW development I was excited. I've used Java Sun Studio Creator and online tutorials for over 2 weeks now and I have also visited Winston Prakashs online blog on tips to increase my productivity and make the best use of Sun Studio Creator.
As my time is extremely precious I use the online tutorials with a implicit trust that the people who wrote them actually know what the heck they are talking about. So you can imagine my surprise when after doing approximate 25-30 of the tutorials I began to notice a emerging pattern of java applications not building or exception errors when I try to run the code/components from the tutorials. After double, triple checking I came to realize that the errors were coming from the IDE itself! Or more specificically it's default system configuration was simply either 1. missing certain classes or interfaces from the library or 2. the person who was writing the tutorials is using a different version of the IDE than Iam using (Iam using Sun Studio Creator 2 update 1). 3. Iam sad to say that at the moment Sun Studio Creator has disappointed me in a number of ways in that it has frustrated me (unable to get many example tutorials to work ((EJB and WebServices to work as given in the online tutorials as an example))) and also taking up my precious time as Iam trying to find workarounds in getting the IDE to simply build AND run a example web applications from Sun's own site without much duress or workarounds/patches?
I honestly wish that Sun Studio Creator update 1 was as convenient for me as it is for the others on the site who have sworn to it's effectiveness in building sophisticated web applications and services very quickly. As of right now I cannot honestly say it has been easy for me using the IDE to build certain critical components that I need for a client. Using a variety of tools such as NetBeans IDE, FlashMX 2004 and Sun Studio Creator, I constantly find myself spending 4 times the amount of time trying to get Sun Studio Creator to simply "work" as intended than with the other IDE's at my disposal.
Iam also particularly interested in how Walter Hardy learned how to use Sun Studio Creator and the Java Language at the same time. Did he use the online tutorials? Did he subscribe to Sun's Customer Support service? What tools did he use to overcome some of the bugs in the IDE that is hampering me from using it effectively? I intend to not only ask Sun these questions but also Walter Hardy.And I hopefully I'll get a honest and Sincere answer.
If anyone has a fix or knows how to run these tutorials on creator please respond
http://developers.sun.com/prodtech/javatools/jscreator/learning/tutorials/index .jsp
Use EJB Components or Web Services
and
http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/winston?entry=code_google_search_in_no
Code Google Search in no time using Creator 2.
[3076 byte] By [
tutorials] at [2007-11-26 8:51:30]
# 1
Hello Tutorials,
I am one of the tutorial writers. All of the tutorials on http://developers.sun.com/prodtech/javatools/jscreator/learning/tutorials/index .jsp have been tested by quality engineerig against Sun Java Studio 2 and Sun Java Studio 2 update 1.
What operating system and browser are you using? Perhaps you are working with a combination that was not tested.
At the bottom of each tutorial is a comment box. We encourage all readers to submit comments when they encounter problems. It takes about 1 week for the comments to get to us. If you include your email address we will reply. In addition, the tutorials team keeps an eye on forum posts for people who are having problems with the tutorials. We are always glad to help, and we frequently go back and modify our tutorials if we see patterns of reader confusion.
Today, we received a comment about the Using EJB Compoenents tutorial. Perhaps that came from you? If not, you can submit a comment, or post it here. It would be nice to have some specifics so that we can figure out why the tutorial is not working for you. What was the first step for which you encountered the problem? What were the indications/error messages?
Chris Kutler
Sun Java Studio Creator Tutorials Team
http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/divas
# 2
Hi,
Thanks for posting your message. I can understand your concerns about the time and effort it takes to get going with Creator.
Please understand that while Creator is an entry-level IDE, you are also taking on the Java framework. Creator doesn抰 attempt to hide it from you, so you still need to put the time in to become proficient in a technology that people are devoting their careers to. Creator simplifies the process greatly, but you still have to code Java, learn about data binding, JSF and a lot more.
We've been developing primarily with ColdFusion for over a decade now - Java being relatively new to us, it definitely takes additional time and effort to build Java applications, but less and less with each day.
You mentioned Flash. I remember trying to build Flash applications in the first few years after Macromedia released it, and it was a very frustrating process. Although today the Flash IDE is better, building Flash applications is still quite tedious and often not very intuitive. Creator has made a tremendous stride forward in its second evolution that I think makes it intuitive, while also paving the way for its future.
My experience is that as I learned to use Creator, I also got to know a lot about Java. One resource I found very helpful was 揟he Java Studio Creator Field Guide?by Gail and Paul Anderson. You can download chapters from the SDN or buy the book. I also read some general Java technology books to get a bit of background on the framework. The rest of it was all building applications and going through tutorials, as well as talking to professionals in the field. I have not had the problems you mention with tutorials, so please submit your comments to Sun staff as Chris Kutler suggests in her post.
Hang in there - it takes time. Give yourself time to learn without the pressure of meeting client deadlines and don't lose perspective on the fact that you are taking on an extremely powerful technology; it should take a while to become proficient with it.
Walter Hardy
# 3
I would like to add that I've switched from Windows to Linux, and since then noticed far fewer problems in JSC2. No need to delete o move the userdir, o reinstallation of the software. Still uses a lot of memory but keeps working stable and faster.
The comment is not to suggest a switch in your OS platform, but to inform Creator engineers know about it. May be of interest.
Best regards
Antonio.
