Java Specification Request (JSR) 223 defines a set of APIs and a related framework to integrate the Java platform with scripting languages. The APIs are part of the standard library that ships with Java SE 6, so you get free scripting support whenever you run applications on a SE 6 JVM. This also applies to applications built upon the Eclipse platform.
JSR-223 defines various kinds of interactions between scripting languages and the Java platform, including:
* Embedding interpreted scripts into Java applications * Modifying and controlling Java objects from within a scripting context * Using the Java language to write and expose script interpreters
This new article on devx demonstrates how to enhance the Eclipse platform and the applications built upon it with the power and benefits of scripting languages, taking advantage of these new Java SE 6 capabilities. You will learn how to extend the Eclipse Platform with scripts to enable the following:
Automate repetitive tasks you usually perform within your integrated development environment
Perform fast user interface (UI) prototyping by modifying both the UI and the control logic on the fly
Allow users to customize your applications beyond the common sets of preferences, enabling users to add small snippets of logic into their preferred scripting or domain specific languages (DSLs).
Most of these benefits derive from the nature of scripting languages. They generally are dynamically typed, in some cases are specific to a particular domain of problems, usually are simpler to learn and write than compiled languages, and not bound to a write-compile-run cycle like older languages such as Java and C.
You need only a basic understanding of JSR-223 internals to follow this article. Read full article.