2Working with IDEs

Introduction

As like with most other tools, frameworks, APIs and systems you may use a variety of editing/programming/compiling tools with cmsWorks too. Stripped down, you might even program and extend cmsWorks yet alone only using a JDK and a text editor. This, of course, is not the most desirable way to create a modern website.

cmsWorks is tool / tool chain agnostic

cmsWorks thrives to be agnostic to your tools or your preferred tool chain because we do not know which your preferred tools are. In other words, you may use whatever tools are suitable for you.

Anyway, modern IDEs help a lot getting the workload done using tools for programming and evaluation. This chapter describes the work with cmsWorks using Eclipse in special and how to integrate cmsWorks in your favorite tool in general.

How cmsWorks classes and jars are organized

cmsWorks follows a straight-forward file system policy. The needed files for cmsWorks are stored in their respective folders using a so called "exploded deployment", meaning that cmsWorks and it's associated files are available in single class files (this is necessary i.e. for hot redeployment scenarios). These files, moreover their folders have to be configured to your IDE so that it can help you in your development process.

But not everything in cmsWorks is developed by itechWorks on it's own. We rather highly rely on well-tested, bullet-proof open source software (OSS with moderate licenses like MIT, Apache 2.0, LGPL etc.) having their own JAR files delivered with cmsWorks. Using a modern IDE and benefiting from it means that you will have to "announce" them to your IDE, too.

Using Eclipse with cmsWorks

Exemplarily, the next chapter explains a fast-to-setup way for the Eclipse-IDE.