Explaining the Eclipse prefix in Eclipse Collections
Eclipse Collections is a standalone open source collections library for Java
After a decade of Eclipse Collections existence as a project at the Eclipse Foundation, I still find myself having to explain the difference between Eclipse Collections, Eclipse IDE, and the Eclipse Foundation to developers who have the mistaken impression that Eclipse Collections is part of or requires the Eclipse IDE. Eclipse Collections is a standalone Java library which is a project managed at the Eclipse Foundation. It is not part of and does not require you to use the Eclipse IDE to use it.
The prefix Eclipse in Eclipse Collections comes from the Eclipse Foundation, not the Eclipse IDE. The first two bullets below should be enough to make it clear what Eclipse Collections is and that it has no dependencies on any IDE. The first five bullets explain the existence of the Eclipse Foundation and how it relates to Eclipse Collections and the Eclipse IDE. The remaining five bullets are there to help clear up any remaining doubts as to the existence of a dependent relationship between Eclipse Collections and the Eclipse IDE or any other IDE. There is no such dependency.
Clarifying the Eclipse prefix in Eclipse Collections
- Eclipse Collections is a standalone open source Java collections library.
- Eclipse Collections was formerly known as GS Collections.
- Eclipse IDE is an open source Integrated Development Environment.
- Eclipse Foundation is an open source foundation like Apache Software Foundation, Linux Foundation, etc.
- Eclipse Collections and the Eclipse IDE are separate projects managed at the Eclipse Foundation.
- Eclipse Collections isn’t dependent on the Eclipse IDE.
- The Eclipse IDE isn’t dependent on Eclipse Collections.
- Developers who use IntelliJ, NetBeans, VS Code and other Java IDEs can use Eclipse Collections.
- Developers who use the Eclipse IDE can also use Eclipse Collections.
- Developers can use Eclipse Collections without using any IDE, as Eclipse Collections is a standalone Java library and not part of any IDE.
The prefix Eclipse was first used with the Eclipse IDE in 2001. The prefix Eclipse was later was used to name the Eclipse Foundation in 2004. Eclipse Collections joined the Eclipse Foundation as a Java project at the end of 2015. All three share the prefix Eclipse in common, similar to many of the projects at Apache sharing the Apache prefix (e.g. Spark, Tomcat, Commons, etc.).
This a public service that I provide to the open source development community for free in an attempt to clarify any lingering confusion caused by the Eclipse prefix.
Thank you for reading!
I am the creator of and committer for the Eclipse Collections OSS project, which is managed at the Eclipse Foundation. Eclipse Collections is open for contributions. I am the author of the book, Eclipse Collections Categorically: Level up your programming game.
