klugblog

public class Parent() {
    public String variableName = "parent value";
    
    public String getVariable() {
        return variableName;
    }
}  

public class Child() extends Parent {
    public String variableName = "child value";
    
    public String getVariable() {
        return variableName;
    }
}  

Parent myParent = new Parent();
System.out.println("myParent.variableName = " + myParent.variableName);
System.out.println("myParent.getVariable() = " + myParent.getVariable()

Child myChild = new Child();
System.out.println("myChild.variableName = " + myChild.variableName);
System.out.println("myChild.getVariable() = " + myChild.getVariable()

myParent.variableName = parent value
myParent.getVariable() = parent value

myChild.variableName = child value
myChild.getVariable() = child value

System.out.println("parent member cast as child = " + ((Child)myParent).variableName); 
System.out.println("parent method cast as child = " + ((Child)myParent).getVariable()); 

System.out.println("child member cast as parent = " + ((Parent)myChild).variableName); 
System.out.println("child method cast as parent = " + ((Parent)myChild).getVariable()); 

parent member cast as child = child value
parent method cast as child = parent value

child member cast as parent = parent value
child method cast as parent = child value

A declaration d of a field, local variable, method parameter, constructor parameter or exception handler parameter named n shadows the declarations of any other fields, local variables, method parameters, constructor parameters or exception handler parameters named n that are in scope at the point where d occurs throughout the scope of d.

• Surfed eclipse.org for about fifteen minutes. Could not find an appropriate section relative to the Eclipse Java IDE, having not fully understood the differences between the numerous "projects" that were outlined. The site is massive and intimidating.
  
  
• Surfed the Frequently Asked Questions for anything related to "Java" and "IDE". Read the entire FAQ. Still not sure if I need to download the "Eclipse Platform" or the "Eclipse SDK" or possibly both. Most SDK's that I have seen contain libraries, tools, examples and documentation, and I don't think that is what I need. Still frustrated, not being able to find some sort of organized "product" that will assist me in writing java code.
  
  
• Surf to the download page. Pick a mirror and select "3.1 Stream Stable Build" (it seems to be the latest stable build). The resulting download page spills on for pages.
  
  
• Guessing that maybe the "Eclipse SDK" is actually what I need to download (since it is listed at the top) I pick the appropriate platform. The resulting download is a stunning 92.2 MEGABYTES! And that's WITHOUT the required JDK.
  
  
• I already have the necessary JDK as part of my Intellij Idea install so I skip the JDK download.
  
  
• I explode the compressed Eclipse package.
  
  
• My default system JDK is 1.3.1 since that is the target for my J2EE app. I try to find anything that looks like a config file or such to point Eclipse to the appropriate JDK. Can't find anything except a standalone executable.
  
  
• Make several unsuccessful efforts at launching the executable with the appropriate JDK. Decide it is easier to configure my J2EE app to use the older 1.3.1 JDK than continue trying to fool the stupid Eclipse executable.
  
  
• Surf to sun.com to find the necessary JDK. Download 1.4.2_07 (80.9 MB). Install another freaking JDK on my machine.
  
  
• Talk with a friend who suggests I try MyEclipse instead of regular Eclipse. Decide that that might be better for me since it seems to be more of an organized "product".
  
  
• Delete the installed Eclipse directory.
  
  
• Surf to MyEclipseIDE.com. Hey, it even has IDE in the name... Clearly this is closer to what I was expecting from Eclipse.
  
  
• Register as a user, log in, surf to the Downloads page. Note with disgust that MyEclipse Enterprise Workbench 3.8.4 states "Make sure you have Eclipse 3.1 M4 installed before downloading." Gah!
  
  
• Surf to the Eclipse download page...again. Download the same 92.2 MB file...again.
  
  
• I explode the compressed Eclipse package...again.
  
  
• Download MyEclipse Enterprise Workbench 3.8.4 (an additional 58.22 MB). This project has now consumed more than 231 MB.
  
  
• Install MyEclipse. Now I have a 150 MB Eclipse direcory and a 91.5 MB MyEclipse directory. MyEclipse contains no application, just an enormous plugins directory.
  
  
• Launch MyEclipse using the installed shortcut, which interestingly simply points to the original Eclipse directory.
  
  
• Create a new EJB project. Select the top level directory of my J2EE project, but the dialog will not let me continue. I change to a subdirectory that contains the src directory and I can continue. The app then nails the processor at 100% for about twenty minutes (on a 1.70 GHz Pentium 4 with 1 GB of ram).
  
  
• My project directory is now polluted with hundreds of *.class files mixed in among the src directory, and there are various new directories scattered about (.metadata, .plugins, etc.). Why is everything being compiled before I have set up any project specific configuration? I haven't told Eclipse where to put my compiled classes or where the required libraries are located. I try to open a single java file, and the app again pegs the processor and is unusable for five minutes.
  
  
• I cannot stand having anything in the project that is not part of the CVS repository, so I delete the project directory and pull new source from CVS. Surely there must be some way to keep the Eclipse related config pollution out of the source code directory, otherwise someone might accidentally check this stuff into CVS.
  
  
• I also delete the pollution from eclipse/workspace as well. Let's try this again.
  
  
• New EJB Project. This time I choose the default location (eclipse/workspace). Now I can't select the location of my source code since it resides outside the eclipse/workspace directory. Delete, start again...
  
  
• OK, I can't select the top level of my project, since the src directory is not a direct descendant. If I choose the parent of the src directory, I cannot choose the appropriate compilation target since that is now outside the project root. Either way, my project directory gets polluted with Eclipse config turds.
  
  
• I specify top level of project and set a relative path for src directory. Eclipse pegged for twenty minutes with status "Building workspace (n%)" Why the hell is it building before I can configure anything?
  
  
• I fight to prevent Eclipse from building after any config change, managing to find and squeeze in a few project configuration changes such as the proper output directory and inclusion of the necessary libraries along the way. Eclipse still seems to not want to cooperate most of the time and most of my time is spent looking at a modal progress bar, despite having cancelled the current action.
  
  
• I delete the current project and try again several times, each time making slight changes to the project and waiting for twenty minutes. Once the project contained no files at all. Once all of the packages in the project were prefixed with "src." which caused thousands of warnings and a five minute pause after selecting any file. Once the application just crashed after reporting that one project was overlapping a previously created project.
  
  
• After considerable effort, I think I have somewhat of a workable project. There are still missing pieces, but I could probably now effectively write code even if I had to compile and deploy by calling ant externally.