OpenShift Quickstart: free Java EE 6 Full Profile in the Cloud

1. sign up at http://openshift.redhat.com.You will need to confirm your email.
2. Login and create application, choose 'Kitchensink Example' to have a good Java EE 6 example.
3. Download eclipse indigo http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/release/indigo/sr2
4. Start eclipse, Help -> Install new Software ... -> Add ... http://download.jboss.org/jbosstools/updates/stable/indigo  

 

and select JBoss Cloud Development Tools -> JBoss OpenShift Tools and JBoss Maven Support

restart eclipse after installation

5. File -> New -> Project ... -> Open Shift Application

6. Check [x] use existing application and choose the kitchen sink example

7. Go to the SSH preferences. Generate a RSA Key ... in Key Management and copy the public key. Go to the Open Shift account and add this to the Public Keys in My Account.

8. Finish -> Right click on the project -> Maven -> Update Project Configuration ...

9. start coding 

10. select servers tab at the bottom, right click on OpenShift Server -> publish will push the git repository and restart the server.

11. Add your own local server to test small changes faster locally. Therefore download JBoss 7.1 at http://www.jboss.org/jbossas/downloads/ . Right click in the server tab: New -> Server, select JBoss AS 7.1 and set the home directory path in the next step to the directory where the downloaded server has been extracted.

Modern IDE Features

Choosing your IDE for Web-Development or Software Development in general is an important decision, because you will be bound to it with learning the shortcuts, the plugins, the menu trees or the preferences structure. A modern IDE should get you started as fast as possible with the new technology by supporting you with good examples, syntax highlighting, a meaningful project structure, multiple customizable windows to get an overview and the IDE should be good documented. But also in later stages, when you are a more experienced programmer it should help you out with customizable shortcurts, macros, code generation, plugins or an advanced debugging view and functions. Some more feature which should provided:

• Syntax Highlighting
• Code Completion
• Code Formatting
• Integrated Test Environment
• Advanced Debugging
• Free Plugins
• Customizable Shortcuts
• Sample Applications
• Code Generation
• Software Modelling
• Model - Code Traceability
• Collaboration
• Intelligent [suggested] Refactorings
• Programming Hints
• File History
• Full Integration of Software Engineering tools.
• Gui Builder 

The requirments highly depend on the technology you want to use, e.g. in case of HTML, CSS and JS probably previewing your application in a real browser while coding and JavaScript code completion is more important than a lot of free plugins. There is a new Version of WebStorm out now, watch the awesome LiveEdit Demo:


Live preview as coding is also provided by free online tools like JS Bin and Tinkerbin