Eclipse plugin

[Ary Manzana]

Hello!

Is anyone interested in making a *great* eclipse plugin? A plugin 
similar to JDT.

I know some IDEs out there exist, but none of them is really powerful. 
For example I think DDT is dead, or out of date.

My intentions are:

- To use Walter's code to make the parsing and build a model, since it's 
the only safe way to guarantee compliance with the current DMD compiler. 
Then diffing changes in the source should make changes in the plugin 
quite simple. (not to use ANTLR, for instance)
- To document every public class, so that other people can join the 
project "easily". I took a look at the DDT code and I found just a 
little bit of comment... :-(
- To use an architecture similar to the one JDT uses. DDT tried this, 
but I don't know what happened (most of the classes are empty!)... For 
example PHPEclipse uses many of JDT classes and interfaces (redefining 
them)... even keeping the same names! (i.e. IJavaElement)
- To make things with patience. First do the parsing (port the parser), 
build a model and have an outline. Second singal syntax errors. Third 
signal simple semantic errors (I believe method "semantic" of Dsymbol... 
maybe "semantic2" and "semantic3" uses relationships between modules). 
Fourth, copy JDT architecture. Fifth, add renaming, refactoring, 
autocomplete, quick fixes, etc. ... In the middle of those points be 
able to compile everything :-P

With patience I mean: take a deep look at how JDT is done, then put 
yourself to program.

Fourtunately, I've already ported most of the parser (for D 0.168) to 
Java, I already build a model, have an outline view and singal simple 
syntax errors. Not just the line number, but the exact positions where 
the error is present. Also the plugin compiles automatically your code, 
but I still don't know how to link everything automatically (I'm missing 
some rule, I guess). And nothing more: I'm currently reading a lot of 
code from the JDT core plugin, and some Walter's code.

I think a D plugin for eclipse would be of big utility to the D 
community. Since I started programing in Java with Eclipse I totally 
forgot about compiling, getting errors, fixing them, having to 
"find/search" to do refactoring, etc. And programming like that is so, 
so fast you only have to focus on your code, really.

I know, Walter, you think an IDE is something non-essential. But for big 
projects it is *really* helpful.

A good IDE, and some good core libraries, is what missing here (IMHO).

Is anyone interested?