Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

Apache Ant

183
151
+ 1
7
Eclipse

2.6K
2.3K
+ 1
392
Add tool

Apache Ant vs Eclipse: What are the differences?

# Introduction
Apache Ant and Eclipse are widely-used tools in software development, but they have key differences in their functionalities and purposes. Understanding these differences can help developers choose the right tool for their specific needs.

1. **Build Automation vs. Integrated Development Environment (IDE)**: Apache Ant is primarily a build tool used for automating software build processes, while Eclipse is an integrated development environment (IDE) that provides a comprehensive set of tools for software development, including code editing, debugging, and project management.

2. **Language vs. Framework Dependency**: Ant is not tied to any specific programming language and can be used to build projects written in various languages. In contrast, Eclipse is tightly integrated with Java and is commonly used for developing Java applications, although it also supports other programming languages through plugins.

3. **XML vs. Graphical User Interface (GUI)**: Ant build scripts are written in XML, which offers a high level of control and customization over the build process but can be complex to manage. Eclipse, on the other hand, provides a user-friendly graphical interface that simplifies development tasks and offers visual tools for coding and debugging.

4. **Community and Plugin Ecosystem**: Apache Ant has a strong community support and a wide range of plugins available for extending its functionality. Eclipse, being an IDE, also has a large community and vast plugin ecosystem, with a variety of plugins for different languages, frameworks, and tools.

5. **Command-Line vs. Interactive Development**: Ant is typically run from the command line interface, making it suitable for automated builds in continuous integration systems. Eclipse, on the contrary, provides an interactive development environment with features like code completion, refactoring, and real-time error checking.

6. **Complexity and Learning Curve**: Apache Ant is more suitable for experienced developers who prefer manual configuration and customization of build processes. Eclipse, with its beginner-friendly interface and integrated tools, is well-suited for developers of all levels, including beginners who are new to software development.

In Summary, Apache Ant and Eclipse differ in terms of their primary functions, language dependencies, scripting languages, user interfaces, community support, development environments, and learning curves, catering to different needs in software development.
Advice on Apache Ant and Eclipse
christy craemer
Needs advice
on
EclipseEclipseIntelliJ IDEAIntelliJ IDEA
and
PyCharmPyCharm

UPDATE: Thanks for the great response. I am going to start with VSCode based on the open source and free version that will allow me to grow into other languages, but not cost me a license ..yet.

I have been working with software development for 12 years, but I am just beginning my journey to learn to code. I am starting with Python following the suggestion of some of my coworkers. They are split between Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA for IDEs that they use and PyCharm is new to me. Which IDE would you suggest for a beginner that will allow expansion to Java, JavaScript, and eventually AngularJS and possibly mobile applications?

See more
Replies (12)
Recommends
on
Visual Studio CodeVisual Studio Code

Pycharm is great for python development, but can feel sometimes slow and community version has Somme very annoying restrictions (like they disabled jupyter notebooks plugin and made it premium feature). I personally started looking into VS Code as an alternative, and it has some very good potential. I suggest you take it into account.

See more
Recommends
on
PyCharmPyCharm

The Community version of PyCharm is free and should give you what you need to get started with Python. Both PyCharm and IntelliJ are made by JetBrains. IntelliJ is initially focused on Java but you can get plugins for lots of other things. I subscribe to JetBrains' Toolbox: https://www.jetbrains.com/toolbox-app/ and have access to all of their great tools.

See more
Recommends
on
Visual Studio CodeVisual Studio Code

Hi, I will give my opinion based on my experience. I have used PyCharm, both community and Professional version. The community has limited functions, like you can't use a Jupyter notebook whereas it's available in the Professional version. PyCharm is slower compared to Visual Studio Code. Also Visual Studio Code is an editor which supports various languages. I myself have used both Visual Studio Code and PyCharm. I feel Visual Studio Code would be better choice. You may as well decide based upon your requirements.

See more
Charles Nelson
Recommends
on
IntelliJ IDEAIntelliJ IDEA

I couldn't imagine using a development tool other than the IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate All Products Pack. A single license allows me to work directly on my server running Ubuntu and/or my workstation running Windows 10 Pro simultaneously. My current project uses HTML, W3CSS, JavaScript, Java, Groovy, Grails, C, GO, Python, Flask, and Rust. For me it's worth every penny of the $150 license fee. And you can try it for free.

See more
awesomebanana2018
Recommends
on
Visual Studio CodeVisual Studio Code

Visual Studio code is easy to use, has a good UI, and a large community. Python works great with it, but unlike some other editors, it works with most languages either by default or by downloading a plugin. VS Code has built in linting, syntax coloring, autocompletes (IntelliSense), and an api for plugins to do there own tooling.

See more
Ivan Martinez Morales
Software Engineer Intern · | 4 upvotes · 730K views
Recommends
on
Visual Studio CodeVisual Studio Code

I'd personally recommend Visual Studio Code as it gives you the flexibility of working in any language, so long as there are extensions to support it. It gives you the flexibility to learn Python, venture into Java, Javascript, and eventually AngularJS, and potentially mobile applications. It's also free and you can install it on your personal computer. I think Visual Studio Code would serve your intended use case best.

See more
Isaac Povey
Casual Software Engineer at Skedulo · | 3 upvotes · 730.1K views
Recommends
on
IntelliJ IDEAIntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ really is the best for Java, I switched from eclipse years ago and never looked back. As for javascript, python and angular either using the standalone products from jetbrains (pycharm for python, webstorm for js) or installing the relevant plugins for InteliJ will be your best bet. Pycharm etc. are really just InteliJ with some additional plugins installed.

See more
Pranshu Verma
Engineer at Cisco Systems · | 3 upvotes · 730K views
Recommends
on
PyCharmPyCharm

If you starting with Python then PyCharm is better. For Java I would suggest to go with IntelliJ IDEA but people also prefer eclipse so I would say try both and then decide. For JS/Angular/React I would suggest go with VSCode. I personally use it and prefer as its light weight and have good integration with chrome for frontend development.

PyCharm, IntelliJ IDEA are both products of JetBrains. They have a free (limited feature) and paid edition. Eclipse is free. VSCode is also free.

See more
Brian Turner
System Architect at Mary's Watch, Inc. · | 1 upvotes · 730K views
Recommends
on
IntelliJ IDEAIntelliJ IDEA

Easy to learn and everything you need

See more
Recommends
on
PyCharmPyCharm

All three are great, however, I believe that IntelliJ IDEA's multiple IDE's are slightly more straight-forward and more up-to date than Eclipse. If I had to choose one specifically for Python projects I would go with PyCharm.

See more
Recommends
on
PyCharmPyCharm

Pycharm is all you need to get start coding in python or any of its framework. Its an awesome tool you should give it a try :)

See more
Pritam Nandy
Engineering Manager at Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited · | 1 upvotes · 677.5K views
Recommends
on
PyCharmPyCharm

This is a very easy to use tool and gives you the opportunity to start coding right after the installation with almost everything setup automatically by the tool.

See more
Decisions about Apache Ant and Eclipse
Manabu Tokunaga
CEO, Co-Founder at WinguMD · | 10 upvotes · 549.5K views

I originally chose IntelliJ over Eclipse, as it was close enough to the look and feel of Visual Studio and we do go back and forth between the two. We really begin to love IntelliJ and their suite of IDEs so we are now using AppCode for the IOS development because the workflow is identical with the IntelliJ. IntelliJ is super complex and intimidating at first but it does afford a lot of nice utilities to get us produce clean code.

See more
Manage your open source components, licenses, and vulnerabilities
Learn More
Pros of Apache Ant
Pros of Eclipse
  • 4
    Flexible
  • 1
    Simple
  • 1
    Easy to learn
  • 1
    Easy to write own java-build-hooks
  • 131
    Does it all
  • 76
    Integrates with most of tools
  • 64
    Easy to use
  • 63
    Java IDE
  • 32
    Best Java IDE
  • 9
    Open source
  • 3
    Hard for newbews
  • 2
    Great gdb integration
  • 2
    Professional
  • 2
    Good Git client allowing direct stage area edit
  • 2
    True open source with huge contribution
  • 2
    Great code suggestions
  • 2
    Extensible
  • 2
    Lightweight
  • 0
    Works with php

Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions

Cons of Apache Ant
Cons of Eclipse
  • 1
    Slow
  • 1
    Old and not widely used anymore
  • 14
    2000 Design
  • 9
    Bad performance
  • 4
    Hard to use

Sign up to add or upvote consMake informed product decisions

- No public GitHub repository available -

What is Apache Ant?

Ant is a Java-based build tool. In theory, it is kind of like Make, without Make's wrinkles and with the full portability of pure Java code.

What is Eclipse?

Standard Eclipse package suited for Java and plug-in development plus adding new plugins; already includes Git, Marketplace Client, source code and developer documentation. Click here to file a bug against Eclipse Platform.

Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

What companies use Apache Ant?
What companies use Eclipse?
Manage your open source components, licenses, and vulnerabilities
Learn More

Sign up to get full access to all the companiesMake informed product decisions

What tools integrate with Apache Ant?
What tools integrate with Eclipse?

Sign up to get full access to all the tool integrationsMake informed product decisions

What are some alternatives to Apache Ant and Eclipse?
Gradle
Gradle is a build tool with a focus on build automation and support for multi-language development. If you are building, testing, publishing, and deploying software on any platform, Gradle offers a flexible model that can support the entire development lifecycle from compiling and packaging code to publishing web sites.
Apache Maven
Maven allows a project to build using its project object model (POM) and a set of plugins that are shared by all projects using Maven, providing a uniform build system. Once you familiarize yourself with how one Maven project builds you automatically know how all Maven projects build saving you immense amounts of time when trying to navigate many projects.
Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat powers numerous large-scale, mission-critical web applications across a diverse range of industries and organizations.
Jenkins
In a nutshell Jenkins CI is the leading open-source continuous integration server. Built with Java, it provides over 300 plugins to support building and testing virtually any project.
Make
The GNU Compiler Collection and GNU Toolchain (Binutils, GDB, GLIBC)
See all alternatives