Author: JT Smith
its first tool for Linux based on the Eclipse Platform — the WebSphere
Studio Application Developer for Linux beta. IBM’s new WebSphere Studio
tools are the first commercially available tools built on Eclipse.
Eclipse is a new open source environment for creating, integrating and
deploying application development tools for use across a broad range of
computing technology. It provides a common set of services and establishes
the framework, infrastructure and interactive workbench used by project
developers to build application software and related elements.
WebSphere Studio Application Developer is part of a new family of WebSphere
Studio tools that will deliver the industry’s broadest support for J2EE, Web
services, XML, HTML, rich media, site design, voice, wireless and embedded
devices.
“The WebSphere Studio Application Developer is both a set of IBM tools, and
it’s also a framework for other tools vendors to put their tool on top of,”
said Scott Handy, director of Linux solutions marketing for the IBM Software
Group. “This will increase the number of tools available for both Windows
and Linux, because we have over 1,200 developers from over 150 companies
already participating in the Eclipse project.”
Developers working on WebSphere Studio and other Eclipse-based tools use a
common, easy-to-use interface that provides a consistent “look and feel,”
regardless of vendor, which cuts training costs for customers.
This unified interface and easy integration encourages team-oriented
programming and developer collaboration among people with different skills,
such as programmers, Web content developers, business analysts, database
administrators, wireless and voice application developers, and graphic
artists. It also enables developers to customize their environment and
mix-and-match tools of their choice.
Through Eclipse, seamless integration of tools from several different
vendors will be possible on Windows(tm), Linux® and QNX® developer
workstations. Since the platform became available for download on November
7th, an average of more than 4,000 downloads have been logged daily.
Partners Driving Support for Eclipse
Partners are an important part of IBM’s strategy, since partners can more
easily and tightly integrate with integration software, such as WebSphere,
and with other vendors who build tools on Eclipse technology. More than 30
companies are building products based on Eclipse open source technology so
they can seamlessly integrate with other tools built on the technology,
including WebSphere Studio tools.
