Gild is an Eclipse plugin designed to facilitate programming instruction and learning.
Gild (Groupware enabled Integrated Learning and Development) is an Eclipse plugin that supports the teaching and learning of programming. This software is designed specifically for the classroom and for students, making it an ideal option for teachers who want to integrate course materials with code examples. The current project work includes improving collaborative, customization, and marking support, which will make Gild even more useful for educators.
One of the key features of Gild is its completeness as a Java programming environment. The software features a fully-featured Java editor with syntax highlighting, auto-indentation, and bracket matching, as well as a robust debugger that makes it easy to debug single-threaded programs. The software has a tasks view that displays compilation errors and warnings, and its resource navigator doesn't hide information about the directory structure of your java projects. It also has an important ability to quickly backup and load coursework and materials using the Export/Import Archived Project feature. The documentation for Gild is written in a step-by-step manner with examples to help users learn how to use the software.
Gild also includes several pedagogical aids that make teaching and learning programming easier. For instance, tool-tips tell students what part of the programming process they are in, and compiling/running/debugging programs is made easy, without hiding the important details. Teachers, assistants, and classroom tutors can also take advantage of specialized tools within Gild, including a specialized HTML browser that synchronizes HTML course notes and lecture slides with source-code content and opens Java source files in the Gild Java editor using HTML links in the lecture slides. The software also features a Marker View (experimental), which allows teachers and teacher's assistants to mark Java source code using a standard marking scheme. Marks can be saved as HTML documents to be loaded on the web, or as XML markup that students can load in their own copy of Gild.
Gild also includes the DrJava plugin from Rice University in its install, which allows students and teachers to enter and run Java code on-the-fly. The software requires Eclipse version 3.1 and Java SDK version 1.4.* or 1.5.*, making it compatible with a wide range of computers.
In summary, Gild is a robust, yet simple programming environment designed specifically for classroom use. Its various features and tools make it ideal for both students and educators. Furthermore, it is released under the Common Public License, which provides an added level of security and transparency for users.
One of the key features of Gild is its completeness as a Java programming environment. The software features a fully-featured Java editor with syntax highlighting, auto-indentation, and bracket matching, as well as a robust debugger that makes it easy to debug single-threaded programs. The software has a tasks view that displays compilation errors and warnings, and its resource navigator doesn't hide information about the directory structure of your java projects. It also has an important ability to quickly backup and load coursework and materials using the Export/Import Archived Project feature. The documentation for Gild is written in a step-by-step manner with examples to help users learn how to use the software.
Gild also includes several pedagogical aids that make teaching and learning programming easier. For instance, tool-tips tell students what part of the programming process they are in, and compiling/running/debugging programs is made easy, without hiding the important details. Teachers, assistants, and classroom tutors can also take advantage of specialized tools within Gild, including a specialized HTML browser that synchronizes HTML course notes and lecture slides with source-code content and opens Java source files in the Gild Java editor using HTML links in the lecture slides. The software also features a Marker View (experimental), which allows teachers and teacher's assistants to mark Java source code using a standard marking scheme. Marks can be saved as HTML documents to be loaded on the web, or as XML markup that students can load in their own copy of Gild.
Gild also includes the DrJava plugin from Rice University in its install, which allows students and teachers to enter and run Java code on-the-fly. The software requires Eclipse version 3.1 and Java SDK version 1.4.* or 1.5.*, making it compatible with a wide range of computers.
In summary, Gild is a robust, yet simple programming environment designed specifically for classroom use. Its various features and tools make it ideal for both students and educators. Furthermore, it is released under the Common Public License, which provides an added level of security and transparency for users.
What's New
Version 2.2.0: N/A