With the latest release of Eclipse – Eclipse Juno, create some confusion with two version of eclipse releases – Eclipse 4.2 and Eclipse 3.8.
I looked around internet and found some info which bring clarity on … Eclipse Juno – Eclipse 4.2 – Eclipse 3.8.
If you go to obvious link to download eclipse : http://eclipse.org/downloads/ It will say “Eclipse 4.2 Juno download”
From eclipse project plan link: (Excerpt)
| This document lays out the feature and API set for the next feature release of the Eclipse SDK after 3.7, designated release 4.2 and code-named Juno. This release is occurring simultaneously with the 3.8 platform release. The 4.2 release is a mature platform release containing significant new feature work, while the 3.8 release focuses on stability and bug fixes. |
Also from Eclipse Juno Release Train Has Arrived: (Excerpt)
| Eclipse 4.2 in now the mainstream platform for the Eclipse community. The existing Eclipse 3.x code stream is being put into maintenance mode. Eclipse 4.2 includes a compatibility layer that allows existing Eclipse plugins and RCP applications to work on the new platform. |
So, Eclipse 4.2 is standard/mainstream release for this year from Eclipse and named as Eclipse Juno.
Also, Eclipse 3.8 is released this year but it has bug fixes over Eclipse 3.7 (Indigo).
Eclipse 3.x put into maintenance mode and now onwards Eclipse 4.x is standard/mainstream/release_train for Eclipse.
How does Eclipse 4.x differ from 3.x architecturally? (From Eclipse FAQ)
| The Eclipse SDK 4.2, for the most part, contains all the plug-ins that make up Eclipse 3.8. That is, all of JDT and PDE, and most of the Platform, are the same bits as in 3.8. What’s different is the implementation of the Workbench, i.e. the org.eclipse.ui.workbench plugin, and the technologies this new implementation is based on. Before the release, the technologies (modeled UI, dependency injection and service-based programming model, CSS-based styling) were called ‘e4′ but we are now referring to them as the Eclipse 4 Application Platform or E4AP. On top of the Eclipse 4 Application Platform, the 4.2 Workbench offers an implementation of the 3.x Workbench APIs, to provide backwards compatibility mainly for the Eclipse IDE. |
So, Eclipse 4.2 is based on E4 architecture of modeled UI, dependency injection, service-based programming model, CSS-base styling.
Also Eclipse 4.2 provides 4.2 workbench which offers backward compatibility to 3.x Workbench.
In short, Eclipse 4.2 is in line of E4 releases and also has compatibility with Eclipse 3.x plugins and RCP.
In case, you don’t like Eclipse 4.2 default look & feel : To get classic look and feel (of Eclipse 3.x), Open Eclipse 4.2, go to Windows->Preferences->General->Appearance, Choose Theme-Classic and restart Eclipse.
Reference Links:
Eclipse FAQ – http://wiki.eclipse.org/Eclipse4/Eclipse_SDK_4.0_FAQ Eclipse Juno Release Train Has Arrived – http://www.eclipse.org/org/press-release/20120627_junorelease.php Project Plan For Eclipse Project, version Juno – http://www.eclipse.org/projects/project-plan.php?projectid=eclipse Eclipse Juno and the Future of the Eclipse Platform – http://www.infoq.com/news/2012/01/eclipse-juno Eclipse Juno Brings Eclipse 4 as Standard – http://www.infoq.com/news/2012/06/eclipse-juno Download Eclipse 3.8 – http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/R-3.8-201206081200/index.php
