Glossary

CLASS Files

A compiled Java source file.

compilation unit

A Java source file.

field

A field inside a type.

import container

An import container represents a collection of import declarations. These can be seen in the Outline view.

import declaration

A single package import declaration.

initializer

A static or instance initializer inside a type.

JAR Files

JAR (Java ARchive) files are containers for compiled Java source files. They can be associated with an archive (i.e., ZIP, JAR) as a source attachment. The children of JAR files are packages.JAR files can be either compressed or uncompressed.

JAVA Files

These are editable files that are compiled into byte code (CLASS) files.

java projects

Projects contain compilable Java source code and are the containers for source folders or packages.

JDT

Java development tooling; a workbench component that allows you to write, edit, execute, and debug Java code.

JRE

Java runtime environment (e.g., J9, JDK, etc.).

method

A method or constructor inside a type.

package declaration

The declaration of a package inside a compilation unit.

packages

Packages contain Java compilation units and CLASS files.

refactoring

Refactoring means behavior-preserving program transformations. The JDT supports a number of transformations described in Martin Fowler's book Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code, Addison Wesley, 1999. In short, refactoring is a comprehensive code editing feature that helps you improve, stabilize, and maintain your Java code.

When you refactor your code, your goal is to make a system-wide coding change without affecting the semantic behavior of the system or introducing new bugs. After a refactor, your code should be cleaner and more efficiently structured.

type

A type inside a compilation unit or CLASS file.

source folder

A folder containing Java packages.

VCM

Version control management. This term refers to the various repository and versioning features in the workbench.

VM

Virtual machine.