FAQ Eclipse

Q. Everything is gone! How can I get it back?

A. Window - Show View - Package Explorer or play around and try another selection, New Window...

Q. I have the package explorer opened, but I can't see my code (where I type).

A. Start hitting plus symbols until you find .java files, then double click them and it will look familiar!

Q. My home computer doesn't know anything about the Robot class. Why not?

A. Eclipse does not come with many of the packages that we use. Therefore, you must add those packages (usually in a .jar file) to the computer you are using. I have all the .jar files (they are also present on the classroom computers) and you must get them and copy to some location on your comp. Many times, it makes sense to copy the .jar into the bin directory of your project. Wherever you put the file, you must tell Eclipse (more specifically the project) where any outside .jar files can be found. Here is how you do it.

Open Project Properties

Select "Java Build Path". Then select the "Libraries" tab. Then hit "Add External JARs" button. You can then navigate to the directory where your .jar file can be found. You can have Eclipse copy the .jar file to a project directory, too (recommended for portability of project).

Q. I made a lot of progress today and I want to make sure that my work isn't lost... What can I do?

A. Best answer is to always work on a flash drive. Copy the entire folder from the "Workspace" folder (you can get there from the desktop shortcut). Paste onto your flash drive (found using "My Computer" icon and navigating to the drive icon). Make sure you eject your flash drive and take it with you!

Alternatively (or additionally), you can attach your project in an email. It must be zipped first to maintain the directory structure. Then attach the .zip file to an email or put into your cloud storage. Right click the folder, choose "Send To " , then "Compressed (zipped) Folder".