Eclipse Oxygen/Neon and groovy - is it possible?

Question

4 years ago I wrote on Groovy using Eclipse and was happy. Later I used Groovy through IntelliJ or NetBeans. Now again I am supposed to work in Eclipse but I can and want to do many tests in Groovy.

The problem is that when I am trying to get any Groovy plugin from Eclipse Marketplace, Eclipse agrees to install the Groovy-Eclipse feature only with condition of uninstalling of virtually everything. These plugins are old, base on even older jars and are incompatible with contemporary plugins, basing on more modern jars. I am sorry if I am telling that wrong, I am trying up to my understanding of Eclipse plugins compatibility and creation.

I see three ways:

To forget Groovy and do tests on Java. But analyzing XML, HTML and JSON in java is much less convenient. I wouldn't like to go that way.

To load the Eclipse for plugin developers, the source code of Groovy plugin and recreate it with new jars. It is the most interesting way, but I am horrified by the amount of work - it will take weeks. Or more. And I need tests now.

To install some light Eclipse package that has Groovy. That would be fast. But I won't like to install some several years old version.

IMHO, I am not breaking the rules, for I am not asking for a tool. I am asking for a modern, correct and compatible combination of versions of the known tools - Eclipse and Groovy plugin.

Also, it is not a duplicate of the old questions, for I know how to work on Groovy on old versions of Eclipse. And I am asking about new versions - Oxygen or Neon.

I can see on the GitHub https://github.com/groovy/groovy-eclipse/wiki/Groovy-Eclipse-2.9.2-Release-Notes obviously the last version of groovy for Eclipse. But how can I add it to an Eclipse package? Not a way is given on the page. What is the sense of making an Eclipse plugin that does not support an import from Eclipse? Obviously, there should exist some way.

If I go to https://www.function1.com/2016/06/installing-eclipse-groovy-plugin, there is a version of Groovy for Mars. It agrees to be installed on Oxygen only on conditions of uninstalling maven and java. A bit too severe, isn't it?

Solution 1

The marketplace reference for Groovy has been updated. The GitHub project wiki for Groovy-Eclipse lists the latest snapshot and release update sites that you can use to install Groovy support into Eclipse.

After installing Eclipse Oxygen (4.7) IDE for Java Developers, add Groovy support like this (if you don't have the marketplace client):

Go to Help > Install New Software...

Click Add... button

Enter

• "Groovy Development Tools" for Name (or something similar)
• "http://dist.springsource.org/release/GRECLIPSE/e4.7" for Location

(Other locations on this page, in particular, you may want to try the "snapshot builds" instead of the release builds; in that case use the URL "http://dist.springsource.org/snapshot/GRECLIPSE/e4.7" for example.)

Click OK button

Select "Main Package / Eclipse Groovy Development Tools" in Available Software dialog

Click Next button twice

Select "I accept the terms..."

Click Finish button

Once updates have finished, click Restart Now.

You can now do File > New > Project > Groovy > Groovy Project

The following elements appear as installed in Help > About Eclipse > Installation Details (image is a bit out-of-date)

Solution 2

I'm using eclipse Oxygen Release (4.7.0) for groovy/gradle/grails projects with no huge problems. I started with "Eclipe IDE for Java Developers" and installed several packages afterwards.

Here's a list of "Installed software":

• Buildship: Eclipse Plug-ins for Gradle 2.1.2.v20170807-1324 org.eclipse.buildship.feature.group Eclipse Buildship
• Code Recommenders for Java Developers 2.4.9.v20170613-1301 org.eclipse.recommenders.rcp.feature.feature.group Eclipse Code Recommenders
• EclEmma Java Code Coverage 3.0.0.201706140232 org.eclipse.eclemma.feature.feature.group Eclipse EclEmma
• Eclipse IDE for Java Developers 4.7.0.20170620-1800 epp.package.java Eclipse Packaging Project
• Eclipse Java Development Tools 3.13.0.v20170612-0950 org.eclipse.jdt.feature.group Eclipse.org
• Eclipse Platform 4.7.0.v20170612-1255 org.eclipse.platform.feature.group Eclipse.org
• Eclipse Quicksearch 3.7.3.201602250752-RELEASE org.springsource.ide.eclipse.commons.quicksearch.feature.feature.group Pivotal Software, Inc.
• Eclipse RCP 4.7.0.v20170612-1255 org.eclipse.rcp.feature.group Eclipse.org
• Eclipse Web Developer Tools 3.9.0.v201706011953 org.eclipse.wst.web_ui.feature.feature.group Eclipse Web Tools Platform
• Eclipse XML Editors and Tools 3.9.0.v201706011851 org.eclipse.wst.xml_ui.feature.feature.group Eclipse Web Tools Platform
• Git integration for Eclipse 4.8.0.201706111038-r org.eclipse.egit.feature.group Eclipse EGit
• Groovy Compiler 2.4 2.9.2.xx-201711060326-e47 org.codehaus.groovy24.feature.feature.group Codehaus.org
• Groovy-Eclipse Feature 2.9.2.xx-201711060326-e47 org.codehaus.groovy.eclipse.feature.feature.group Codehaus.org
• Java implementation of Git 4.8.0.201706111038-r org.eclipse.jgit.feature.group Eclipse JGit
• JavaScript Development Tools 2.1.0.v201706011953 org.eclipse.wst.jsdt.feature.feature.group Eclipse Web Tools Platform
• JDT Core patch for Groovy-Eclipse plugin on Eclipse 4.7 2.9.2.xx-201711060326-e47 org.codehaus.groovy.jdt.patch.feature.group Codehaus.org
• Jspresso Developer Studio Spock tests feature 3.0.7.201611272038 org.jspresso.contrib.sjsplugin.spock.feature.feature.group Maxime HAMM
• Oomph Setup 1.9.0.v20170706-0615 org.eclipse.oomph.setup.feature.group Eclipse Oomph Project
• YEdit Feature 1.0.20.201509041456-RELEASE org.dadacoalition.yedit.feature.feature.group YEdit Project

A couple of them can definitely be deleted.

Comments

[Gangnus]

That could be what I need - a set of plugins that work. For I have already been experimenting for a day and don't want to waste more time for that. But... What additional plugins have you installed? Eclipse IDE for Java Developers. -> What is the next one? You see, not the list of installed jars, but the list of installed plugins, in the order of installation. And I need only two points in it - the source Eclipse package and that one that brings Groovy.

[Gangnus]

After Eclipse IDE for Java Developers I see no groovy/gradle/grails neither in Marketplace nor in Oxygen standard download sites. What is the name of the plugin?

[injecteer]

@Gangnus gradle ==> buildship, groovy ==> groovy eclipse feature + compiler, grails doesn't exist anymore

[Gangnus]

groovy eclipse feature + compiler are jars that are present in 2 plugins named Groovy proposed on Marketplace. Both have versions much older than 2.9.2. The question remains: What should I install? What is the name of the plugin?

[injecteer]

@Gangnus pick the latest one - for Indigo

[Gangnus]

Indigo is OLDER than Juno. The compiler is from year 14. And the feature refuses to install.

[injecteer]

yeah, pick the other one. A colleague of mine had to uninstall the buildship, install groovy feature and install buildship again.

[Gangnus]

I have uninstalled everything except Eclipse IDE, Java, XML, Git integration (2) and java implementation and m2e (2). Anyway, the feature refuses to be installed.

[injecteer]

I'm using this repo dist.springsource.org/snapshot/GRECLIPSE/e4.7 to install groovy feature

[Gangnus]

It is very interesting. I have imported egit plugin, opened that groovy-eclipse as a project. But I need it to work as an eclipse plugin. Sorry, reference only does not answers the question - how to make groovy work on Eclipse?

[emilles]

You can install the Eclipse Groovy Development tools, which are available at the included link. The marketplace Groovy references point to old Codehaus locations of the tools that are now at Github at the link given.

[Gangnus]

First sentence - So, I have to create the plugin myself? Second sentence - ...and?. sorry, your idea is interesting, so +1. But it is still not the answer, even a little bit.

[emilles]

No, you do not need to create the plug-ins. The wiki page that is linked has install sites for the pre-built releases and snapshots of the necessary tools.