Pieces of Flare

Pieces of Flare is an Eclipse Plugin that provides a convenient solution for (J2EE) developers to synchronize source directories within their project with deployment directories on the AppServer. This ensures that any changes made to the project source directory are automatically reflected in the deployment directory. The plugin is specifically designed to allow for automatic JSP file deployment whenever they are saved, though it can also be used for any file type.

One of the standout features of Pieces of Flare is that it only runs on files that have been saved. This allows the system to track changed deltas more easily, compared to a custom ant builder that may not be as efficient. The plugin is named after the Eclipse framework, with "Flare" added for a touch of personality, inspired by a conversation about the cult classic movie "Office Space."

Currently, the most pressing need for Pieces of Flare is to develop some UI for the XML configuration. However, interested users can contact the developers on the forums if they wish to contribute to this feature.

Version updates provide users with new and improved functions. For example, the latest version introduces support for the scp file copy protocol, which enables users to copy files to remotely located hosts. There are also improvements to the logging system, making it easier to debug configurations. In addition, the plugin has a simple check to see if the fromDir and toDir paths exist, so users can easily locate any errors. Finally, the debug attribute can be set to false once the system is up and running, which suppresses info level logging. Overall, Pieces of Flare is an excellent plugin for Eclipse users looking for an efficient way to manage their project source and deployment directories.