Projects and Other Program Elements

The starting point for development work in the VisualAge for Java IDE is a project.   Projects are units of organization used to group packages.  They can be used, for example, to group packages from a certain provider, to group packages related to one application or customer, or to group frequently used classes that provide interrelated function.  You can use them as best suits your development situation.

Packages and classes have the same meaning as in other implementations of the Java language. They are Java constructs.  Projects contain packages, packages contain classes and interfaces, and classes contain methods. We refer to these constructs collectively as "program elements".

In the IDE, the following symbols are used to represent the different program elements:

    [Project]  Projects
        [Package]  Packages
            [Class]  Classes or [Interface]  interfaces
                [Method]  Methods or constructors

The Workbench organizes all the program elements that are in the workspace. From the Workbench, you can view, create, modify, and manage program elements. You can also open browsers and other windows that help you perform specialized tasks on program elements.

The Repository Explorer organizes all the program elements that are in the repository. With the Repository Explorer, you can view all editions of all projects, packages, classes, interfaces, and methods that are in the repository.

The Standard Projects
The following projects are loaded into the workspace by default when you first install the IDE:

Others that are shipped with VisualAge for Java are stored in the repository, but not initially loaded into the workspace.  You can add them as you need them.

tentergf.gif (577 bytes) Every project, package, class, or interface has an owner who is responsible for the quality of that program element and is authorized to release it. Each edition of a class or interface also has a developer, who is the only person who can version that program element.

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Workspace
Repository
Editions and Versioning

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Creating a Project
Creating a Package
Creating a Class
Creating an Interface
Deleting Program Elements from the Workspace
Printing Program Elements
Searching for a Program Element in the Workspace
Searching for a Program Element in the Repository
Versioning a Program Element
Adding Projects and Packages from the Repository to the Workspace

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VisualAge for Java IDE Symbols