Environment Setup
Prerequisites
Regardless of the Development environment you prefer, there are some common prerequisites:
Java JDK
You will need a Java JDK installed. Be mindful of which version you install:
- Ignition platform 7 requires a Java 1.8 JDK
- Ignition platform 8 requires a Java 11 JDK
You have several options for JDKs. Popular options are:
Build System
You will need to choose and install a build system. Recommended build systems include Gradle and Maven.
To install Gradle:
- Linux
- OSX
- Windows
SDKMAN! is a tool for managing parallel versions of multiple Software Development Kits on most Unix-based systems: sdk install gradle 8.1.1.
OSX users using brew can brew install gradle.
- Download the latest Gradle distribution.
- Create a new directory
C:\Gradlewith File Explorer. - Open a second File Explorer window and go to the directory where the Gradle distribution was downloaded. Double-click the ZIP archive to expose the content.
- Drag the content folder
gradle-8.1.1to your newly createdC:\Gradlefolder. - In File Explorer right-click on the This PC (or Computer) icon, then click Properties -> Advanced System Settings -> Environmental Variables.
- Under System Variables select Path, then click Edit. Add an entry for
C:\Gradle\gradle-8.1.1\bin. - Click OK to save.
To install Maven:
- Linux
- OSX
- Windows
Linux users can use their package manager to install at the command line: sudo apt-get install maven.
OSX users using brew can brew install maven.
Windows users can install via Chocolatey (choco install maven) or by downloading the installer at the Maven downloads page.
Download IDE and Set Up Your Workspace
- Eclipse
- IntelliJ
Download Eclipse IDE for Java Developers from http://www.eclipse.org/
When you first start Eclipse, you will be asked what workspace you want to work in. A workspace is a folder on your hard drive that holds a collection of projects. You can have multiple workspaces. If you're already an Eclipse user, you'll want to create a new workspace.
To make a workspace, create a folder to be your workspace or choose a path through Eclipse when you start the IDE. For example: C:\development\IgnitionSDK_Workspace. The SDK dependencies will be configured inside the IDE.
Download IntelliJ Community Edition from https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/
When you first install IntelliJ, you will be prompted to do the following:
- Check the option to "Add 'bin' folder to the PATH".
- Check the option to "Add 'Open Folder as Project'".
- Accept all other defaults.
- Reboot when prompted.
We also recommend that you set up auto-import.