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![[Jackpot Logo]](COM.sun.jackpot.external.images.jackpot_logo_small.gif) |
Jackpot
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Mission
Integrated Development Environments
(IDEs) are now widely used for software development. As
effective as they have become, opportunities still exist for
substantial improvements in programmer productivity. The specific
focus of this group is on source code: presenting more information
and offering better tools for dealing with source code into the
programmer's immediate working environment.
Strategy
Some improvements require rethinking fundamental technologies, for
example the display engine used by source code editors. Others involve
adapting and migrating into IDEs some technologies that were previously
available only in high-end tool suites or in research prototypes.
We are performing a series of experiments with technologies
intended for integration into NetBeans <www.netbeans.org>: a
modular, extensible IDE that has been in Open Source since June 2000.
Projects
The Jackpot group is currently working in three areas:
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Source Code Metrics
We have developed an Open Source metrics framework for NetBeans
(available at <metrics.netbeans.org>)
that is intended to make metrics valuable to developers in their daily
work. Although the framework is seeded with basic metrics for Java
source code, our intention is to engage the programming community in
developing additional code metrics appropriate to their needs.
This framework was mentioned in Sun's NetBeans
3.4 Press Release as one of the Contributed Modules.
A separate module for reading class files (available at <classfile.netbeans.org>)
was also contributed to NetBeans as part of the metrics work.
Code Analysis & Transformation
We are experimenting with a general purpose engine for
analyzing and transforming Java source code. Using a linguistic-based
representation, this engine has a number of potential applications
that include driving rich visual displays, analyzing code properties,
locating interesting sites, and performing reliable code
transformations.
Source Code Editing
We are exploring architectures for source code editors that go
beyond the ubiquitous "text widget with colors." The goal is to give
programmers the kind of visually rich, highly productive experience
desktop publishers now expect when producing natural language
documents.
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More Information
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