How to configure Eclipse 3.0.2 on Mac OS 10 to run WebObjects

As with any open source project, lack of documentation can be really frustrating. So here is a quick overview on how to configure Eclipse 3.0.2 to run WebObjects.

You'll need a bunch of plug-ins provided by WOLips. Adding them manually can be daunting, at least it was for me! So here is how you can let Eclipse do the job for you:

1. From the Help menu, click on Software Updates, then Find and Install.

2. Click on the option Search for new features to install. Click Next.

3. Click on New Remote Site. Enter http://www.objectstyle.org/woproject/update/. OK, and click Next.

4. You should now see a list of packages to install. I chose those that pertain to WebObjects, or I thought they did; I chose WOLips Goodies Mac and WOLips. You'll likely see a number of versions for each package. I chose the latest.

Now that that's done, let's start with a WO project:

1. From Window, click on Open Perspective, and then Other. You should see WOLips listed; select it.

2. Go to File, then New. Choose WOApplication.

3. To compile and run the application, right-click on the root node of the application in the project explorer pane, and choose Build Project. To run it, do the same, click Run, and then WOApplication. Voila!

Happy WOing!