# Eclipse Web Tool Project

> Markdown version of https://brajeshwar.com/2005/eclipse-web-tool-project/ — 2005-12-29

Based on experience, further twisted by personal choice, I have multiple version of [Eclipse](http://www.eclipse.org/) - Default (test bed), Zorn, Flash. Very recently, I have a new addition *WTP* or the [Eclipse Web Tools Platform](http://www.eclipse.org/webtools/).

Why not Dreamweaver?

## Personal

[Dreamweaver](http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/) is a fantastic software and is one of the best Web Development Tool. Unfortunately, looking at my own usage history, I have never used Dreamweaver ever since the MX version. Nonthless, it gets installed as a part of the Studio Package. Upon evaluation, the only tool that is used on a regular basis is [Flash](http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/).


## Team

In a Team Development environment, every individual have to have a license and Macromedia Studio do not allow splitting the license. If you have a single license for Stuio 8, it cannot split the Flash and Dreamweaver licence between 2 developers even if either of them uses Flash and Dreamweaver separately. Nonthless, one can buy individual Dreamweaver (Dreamweaver 8 cost $399) licences for the developers but for a not-so-big Team like ours, it is a considerable price to pay everytime a new developers is added to the team.

Another factor in the decision was that our ColdFusion Team uses CFEclipse, and the Flash Team uses Eclipse and Flash Plug-ins. Thus, Eclipse becomes the preferred choice for Web Development too and with the fact that WTP is Free, made us choose the same.

## What is Eclipse Web Tools Platform?

Eclipse Web Tools Platform project extends the Eclipse platform with tools for developing J2EE Web applications. The WTP project includes the following tools: source editors for HTML, Javascript, CSS, JSP, SQL, XML, DTD, XSD, and WSDL; graphical editors for XSD and WSDL; J2EE project natures, builders, and models and a J2EE navigator; a Web service wizard and explorer, and WS-I Test Tools; and database access and query tools and models.

Tools provided will include editors, validators and document generators for artifacts developed in a wide range of standard languages (for example, HTML/xHMTL, Web services, XQueries, SQL, etc.) Supporting infrastructure will likely comprise a specialized workbench supporting actions such as publish, run, start and stop of Web application code across target server environments.

Some Use Cases as defined on the WTP site;

-Develop and publish a static HTML site.
-Develop Web pages based on JavaScript and CSS.
-Deploy an applet on a given HTTP server.
-Develop SQL statements and generate static Web pages from database queries.
-Develop XSD and XSLT for XML based Web pages and Web services.
-Develop and publish WSDL schema on UDDI registries.
-Explore UDDI registries and dynamically test Web services via WSDL.
-Test Web services for WS-I compliance.

Well, that is even a bit more than what is needed. If you rather code and love text editors more than a [WYSIWYG](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WySiWyG) tool, WTP is not a bad choice at all. I had been a die hard fan of my Favorite Text Editor, [Textpad](http://www.textpad.com/) and had been using it since early 2003. But it has its limitations and I am now more easier, comfortable with *WTP*.