How do I import a pre-existing Java project into Eclipse and get up and running? [duplicate]

Question

Comment on Duplicate Reference: Why would this be marked duplicate when it was asked years prior to the question referenced as a duplicate? I also believe the question, detail, and response is much better than the referenced question.

I've been a C++ programmer for quite a while but I'm new to Java and new to Eclipse. I want to use the touch graph "Graph Layout" code to visualize some data I'm working with.

This code is organized like this:

./com ./com/touchgraph ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/Edge.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/GLPanel.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/GESUtils.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/GraphEltSet.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/ImmutableGraphEltSet.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/Locality.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/TGForEachEdge.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/TGForEachNode.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/TGForEachNodePair.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/TGNodeQueue.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/VisibleLocality.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/GraphLayoutApplet.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/GraphListener.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/DragAddUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/DragMultiselectUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/DragNodeUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/GLEditUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/GLNavigateUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/HVRotateDragUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/HVScroll.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/HyperScroll.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/LocalityScroll.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/RotateScroll.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGAbstractClickUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGAbstractDragUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGAbstractMouseMotionUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGAbstractMousePausedUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGSelfDeactivatingUI.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGUIManager.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGUserInterface.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/ZoomScroll.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/LocalityUtils.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/Node.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGAbstractLens.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGException.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGLayout.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGLensSet.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGPaintListener.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGPanel.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGPoint2D.java ./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGScrollPane.java ./TG-APACHE-LICENSE.txt ./TGGL ReleaseNotes.txt ./TGGraphLayout.html ./TGGraphLayout.jar 

How do I add this project in Eclipse and get it compiling and running quickly?

Answer 1

1. Create a new Java project in Eclipse. This will create a src folder (to contain your source files).

2. Also create a lib folder (the name isn't that important, but it follows standard conventions).

3. Copy the ./com/* folders into the /src folder (you can just do this using the OS, no need to do any fancy importing or anything from the Eclipse GUI).

4. Copy any dependencies (jar files that your project itself depends on) into /lib (note that this should NOT include the TGGL jar - thanks to commenter Mike Deck for pointing out my misinterpretation of the OPs post!)

5. Copy the other TGGL stuff into the root project folder (or some other folder dedicated to licenses that you need to distribute in your final app)

6. Back in Eclipse, select the project you created in step 1, then hit the F5 key (this refreshes Eclipse's view of the folder tree with the actual contents.

7. The content of the /src folder will get compiled automatically (with class files placed in the /bin file that Eclipse generated for you when you created the project). If you have dependencies (which you don't in your current project, but I'll include this here for completeness), the compile will fail initially because you are missing the dependency jar files from the project classpath.

8. Finally, open the /lib folder in Eclipse, right click on each required jar file and choose Build Path->Add to build path.

That will add that particular jar to the classpath for the project. Eclipse will detect the change and automatically compile the classes that failed earlier, and you should now have an Eclipse project with your app in it.

Answer 2

I think you'll have to import the project via the file->import wizard:

http://www.coderanch.com/t/419556/vc/Open-existing-project-Eclipse

It's not the last step, but it will start you on your way.

I also feel your pain - there is really no excuse for making it so difficult to do a simple thing like opening an existing project. I truly hope that the Eclipse designers focus on making the IDE simpler to use (tho I applaud their efforts at trying different approaches - but please, Eclipse designers, if you are listening, never complicate something simple).