Eclipse vs IntelliJ IDEA, Software Review

Shane Walsh - 11/12/22 - G00406694@atu.ie

What is the Best Java IDE for you?

No matter what, I'd recommend sticking to a simpler IDE like TextPad 8 for learning the ropes. However once you've developed you're coding abilities to a competent amount, there are many more involved Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). These can offer a range of features, assists and tools to aid you in your experience coding. And luckily for us, there are many free options when it comes to Java IDEs. Today I'm going to focus on the two that I think are the most well rounded and worthwhile competitors for your programming attention, Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA.

Eclipse

Eclipse has been solely dedicated to being an IDE for Java since it's release in 2001, it's available on all popular programming platforms from windows to Linux (Yes, Mac too). I've extensively used Eclipse myself and it's ranked highly among the industry for it's many benefits.

Eclipse comes with a custom compiler and it has an array of plugins that are available on the proprietary marketplace within the software. A menagerie of plugin options is always great as a coder for adding specific functionality for where you in particular might need it. On top of that, it even has a development space for the creating of plugins. Lastly the IDE has tools that allow for efficient charting, reporting and testing. The only gripe I'd give is it does feel old in places and takes quite some time to get comfortable with, but those growing pains can often be worth it.

In Short:

Pros:

• Extensive selection of Plugins, including a plugin development environment.
• Available on cloud and supports other programming languages.
• Free of cost.
• Good efficient tools for many necessary jobs.
• Has a custom compiler.

Cons:

• Can take quite some time to get to grips with.
• Feels old and janky in places, some elements could do with an update.

IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ released hot on the heels of Eclipse in 2001 and is one of the most used Java IDEs you'll find out there. What's important to note is that there is actually 2 different editions, similar to what you'll find in Visual Studio or other IDE's. There's a heavier more proprietary commercial version and a Licensed community Version. IntelliJ IDEA does feature things such as cross-language adjustments for refactoring something from one coding language to another quickly and easily. A often looked over aspect of this IDE is it's high quality feature for analysing your data flow.

IntelliJ IDEA is always boasting it's quality of life, it tries to streamline experiences within coding aiming for convenience and speed. These include language injection, smart completion, static completions and chain completions. In addition it has support for Java frameworks, and many of them. It supports other JVM-based languages for programming as well. It does not feature near as much plugins or functionality related to them as Eclipse does unfortunately, however it is much more modern in UI and use, and easier to get to grips to. 

In Short:

Pros:

• Supports Other JVM-based programming languages.
• Cross-language refactoring, features for analysing data.
• Community Edition is free.
• Convenience features such as chain completion, smart completion and language injection.
• Is more modern in UI and layout, and easier to get started with then Eclipse.

Cons:

• Can be overwhelming in some ways.
• Aspects may slow down with larger projects, however this is improving with newer releases.

References:

Eclipse: https://www.eclipse.org

IntelliJ IDEA: https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/download/#section=windows