Useful Eclipse Add-ons and Plugins

For those of you who use the Eclipse IDE, I'd recommend the FindBugs and UML Lab plugins. These are by far some of the most useful plugins for Eclipse. FindBugs is free and easy to install, and it's developed by a team at the University of Maryland. UML Lab is free for students, but you do have to send them a scanned copy of your student ID and enter some student information. You can also get a 30-day free trial of UML Lab if you aren't a student.

FindBugs is a plugin that will... go figure... find bugs in your code and brings them to your attention. It is better at finding small bugs than Eclipse is, and it will give you layman's explanations of certain errors. To use FindBugs, you simply right click on the open file in java and select "Find Bugs". After this, it will tag lines with errors that will not allow the program to compile or simply note poor usage of methods or classes.

UML Lab allows you to create a visual representation of your java projects. Once you've installed UML Lab, you can actually program with those visual representations. That is, you can create visual associations between your files, and when you go back and look at your code, UML Lab will have inserted the appropriate code to make those associations real in your program. Pretty cool, huh? Programming with visuals.

To install FindBugs, you can checkout this link here findbugs.cs.umd.edu/eclipse/. But I will also run you through the steps.

• With Eclipse open, go to the "Help" menu and select Install New Software. 
• From there, copy this link into the "Work with:" field at the top: http://findbugs.cs.umd.edu/eclipse and click "Add". 
• Below you will see "FindBugs" show up with a check box next to it--check the box. 
• Click next. 
• There will be a license agreement from FindBugs, go ahead and click "I agree". 
• From there, the setup should finish, and Eclipse will complain that you're using third party software.
• Click ok and let Eclipse restart itself. 

To get a free copy of UML Lab for students, go here www.uml-lab.com/en/uml-lab/academic/. On the left there will be a version of UML Lab for students, and you will have to fill out some information:

• First name
• Last name
• University or organization
• The website of said university or organization
• Your email address
• Your student number
• A scan or image of your student ID
• Your address, city, postal code, and country

You will also have to agree to some license terms and conditions. Alternatively, you can get a 30-day free trial of UML Lab if you are not a student. Simply go here www.uml-lab.com/en/download/ and follow the directions.