.. This file is part of the OpenDSA eTextbook project. See .. http://opendsa.org for more details. .. Copyright (c) 2012-2020 by the OpenDSA Project Contributors, and .. distributed under an MIT open source license. .. avmetadata:: :title: Installing the Web-CAT Submission Plug-in for Eclipse :author: Ayaan Kazerouni; Alex Hicks; Cliff Shaffer :institution: Virginia Tech :requires: :satisfies: Web-CAT Plugin :topic: Programming Tutorial :keyword: Web-CAT; Eclipse IDE :naturallanguage: en :programminglanguage: N/A :description: Describes how to install the Web-CAT submission plugin in the Eclipse IDE. Installing the Web-CAT Submission Plug-in for Eclipse ===================================================== Introduction ------------ Here are instructions for how to install the Web-CAT submission plug-in for Eclipse. These instructions were written for Eclipse version 25-3. If you have not installed Eclipse yet, or are running a version earlier than this, you can download the most recent version of the Eclipse IDE for Java Developers for your platform/architecture from https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/. You will need to chose a package (you can chose the installer, and then Eclipse IDE for Java Developers) and an architecture (most people want x860-64). .. odsafig:: Images/InstallVersion.png :width: 650 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: InstallVersion If you are running a reasonably up-to-date version already, then you can check for updates at ``Help --> Check for Updates``. **Note:** Eclipse requires JRE 21 or later to install, but we will **NOT** be using JRE 21 for projects. So the next step is to install a version of Java that Web-CAT can use. Installing Java 11 ------------------ Downloading the JDK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Download the Java 11-LTS JDK from https://adoptium.net/temurin/releases/?version=11&os=any&arch=any&package=jdk. We recommend downloading the .msi if you are on Windows or the .pkg if you are on Mac. Once you have downloaded the installer, run it to install Java 11 on your system. Make note of the path Java 11 is installed to, as you will need it later. .. odsafig:: Images/javalocation.png :width: 650 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: javalocation Configuring the Eclipse JRE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once you have installed Java 11, you will need to configure Eclipse to use Java 11 as the default JRE. To do this, open Eclipse and navigate to ``Window --> Preferences``. In the window that comes up, in the column on the left, click on ``Java --> Installed JREs``. You should see a window like this: .. odsafig:: Images/InstalledJREs.png :width: 650 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: InstalledJREs If the newly installed JRE is already listed, you can select it and set it as the default JRE by clicking on the ``Default`` button. Hit ``Apply and Close`` to close the Preferences window. If the JRE is not listed, you will need to add it manually. Click on the ``Add`` button. In the window that comes up, select ``Standard VM`` and click ``Next``. In the next window, click on ``Directory`` and navigate to the location where you installed Java 11. Select the folder that contains the JDK (it should be something like ``OpenJDK 11.0.26`` or ``Temurin-11``) and click ``OK``. You should now see the JDK listed in the Installed JREs window. Select it and click ``OK`` to close the Preferences window. You should now be able to create and run Java projects using Java 11. You will then be taken back to the Preferences window where you should see the JDK you just added in the list of installed JREs. Select the JDK you just added and click on the ``Default`` button. This will set the JDK you just added as the default JRE for Eclipse. Hit ``Apply and Close`` to close the Preferences window. Setting the Compiler Compliance Level ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once you have set the default JRE, you will need to set the default compiler compliance level to Java 11. To do this, in the Preferences window, click on ``Java --> Compiler`` and the first line will be ``Compiler compliance level``. Set this to ``11``. You should see a window like this: .. odsafig:: Images/CompilerCompliance.png :width: 650 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: CompilerCompliance Click on ``Apply and Close`` to close the Preferences window. Installing the Plug-in ---------------------- .. Un-Installing an Old Plug-in .. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you already have an earlier version of the Web-CAT plug-in installed, you will first need to uninstall it. For those installing it for the first time, skip to the section on Installing the Plug-In. Open Eclipse, and in the tool bar at the top of the screen, go to ``Help --> About Eclipse IDE``. Then click on the button that says ``Installation Details``. A window something like this should come up: .. odsafig:: Images/InstallDetails.png :width: 650 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: InstallDetails Select ``Web-CAT Electronic Submitter`` and click ``Uninstall``. Follow the prompts, clicking ``Next`` and ``Finish`` as appropriate, and restart Eclipse to complete the process. If you don't see a line labeled something like ``Web-CAT Electronic Submitter`` then you probably do not have the Web-CAT plugin installed. Installing the Plug-in ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Open Eclipse, and in the tool bar at the top of the screen, go to ``Help --> Install New Software``. The following window will come up: .. odsafig:: Images/PluginInstall1.png :width: 750 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: PluginInstall1 In the ``Work With`` text box, paste this link: https://web-cat.org/eclstats * Next, click ``Add``. A dialog box will pop up with two text boxes. * Make sure the above URL is in the box labeled ``Location``, and put in a sensible name (like "Web-CAT plugin") in the box labeled ``Name``. * Once that's done, click ``Add``. This is what the window should look like now: .. odsafig:: Images/PluginInstall2.png :width: 750 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: PluginInstall2 * Check the boxes next to ``Web-CAT Electronic Assignments Feature`` and ``Web-CAT Java Development Extras``, and click ``Next``. * It will then tell you about files that it plans to install. Click ``Next``. * Accept the terms of the license agreement, and click 'Finish'. The install will start now. This might take some time depending on your internet connection. Probably at least once it pause and warn you that you are about to install software with unsigned content. If this is your first time installing the plugin, then You are likely to get a window titled ``Trust Authorities`` that looks like: .. odsafig:: Images/trust_authorities.png :width: 750 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: trust_authorities When it does this, select the checkbox next to 'https://web-cat.org/' and click the ``Trust Selected`` button. At some point while downloading the plugin files, you might get another window titled ``Trust Artifacts`` that looks like: .. odsafig:: Images/trust_artifacts.png :width: 750 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: trust_artifacts If so, click ``Select All`` and click the ``Trust Selected`` button. The install will continue. Restart Eclipse when prompted to complete the process. Final Setup ~~~~~~~~~~~ Once you have the plug-in installed, you need to set it up to be able to communicate with Web-CAT: * Go to ``Window --> Preferences`` (``Eclipse --> Preferences`` on Mac). * In the window that comes up, in the column on the left, click on Web-CAT Assignments. You should see this window: .. odsafig:: Images/WebCATAssignment.png :width: 750 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: WebCATAssignment Put in the following information: * Submission Definition URL: https://web-cat.cs.vt.edu/Web-CAT/WebObjects/Web-CAT.woa/wa/assignments/eclipse?institution=VT * Email: Your VT email address (PID@vt.edu). * Username: Your PID. * You can leave Outgoing SMTP Mail Server blank. * In the ``Download URL`` field, enter the URL for your semester. So if you are taking the class in Spring 2026, you would use this URL: https://courses.cs.vt.edu/cs3114/Spring26/assignments.xml * Click on ``Apply and Close`` to complete the process. Installing student.jar ---------------------- If you are using Web-CAT, then you probably will want to use the VT local support for JUnit tests. For many courses, you will be given "starter code" in the form of a project that you can drop into Eclipse, and that already contains the student.jar file in the project library folder along with the proper classpath information. But in case you want to create your own Eclipse project and add the student.jar (or any other library in the form of a .jar file), here is the process. First, download the |studentjar| file. .. |studentjar| raw:: html student.jar Then, in Eclipse, right click on your project, and navigate to ``Build Path --> Configure Build Path``. In the window that comes up, click on the ``Libraries`` tab. Select ``Classpath`` and click ``Add External JARs``. Navigate to the location where you saved the ``student.jar`` file, select it, and click ``Open``. The ``student.jar`` file should now be listed in the ``Classpath`` section as shown below: .. odsafig:: Images/studentjarClassPath.png :width: 750 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% :alt: studentjarClassPath Now click ``Apply and Close`` to complete the process. You should now be able to use the VT local support for JUnit tests. **Note:** While you install the student.jar file, you may also want to check that your project is set to use Java 11. To do this, while you are in the ``Java Build Path`` window, under ``Libraries``, and make sure that the JRE System Library is set to Java 11. If it is not, you can click on the ``JRE System Library`` and click ``Edit``. In the window that comes up, select ``Alternate JRE`` and select the JDK you installed earlier. Click ``Finish`` to complete the process. See |external_link1| for some practical advice on getting started with JUnit testing. At the time of this writing, the prefered version of JUnit to use is Junit 4. .. |external_link1| raw:: html here Installing formatting support ----------------------------- You might want to make sure that your Eclipse style checker is as close as possible to the style guide that Web-CAT is enforcing. To do this, you can install configuration files for tools that are used by Web-CAT. Eclipse Formatter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Download this file: |stylefile| (Right click and Save-As). Then install it into Eclipse, as described below. .. |stylefile| raw:: html vtcsstylefixed.xml Once it is installed, press CTRL-SHIFT-F (Windows) or COMMAND-SHIFT-F (Mac) within Eclipse to format your code. To install: Mac: ``Eclipse->Preferences->Java->Code Style->Formatter->import`` the above file, then click ``okay``. Windows: ``Window->Preferences->Java->Code Style->Formatter->import`` the above file, then click ``okay``. .. odsafig:: Images/EclipseFormatter.png :width: 650 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90% Checkstyle Formatter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Download this file: |checkstylefile| (Right click and Save-As). Then install it into Eclipse, as described below. .. |checkstylefile| raw:: html checkstyle.xml Once it is installed, right click on the project folder, and select ``Checkstyle --> Activate Checkstyle``. Alternatively, right click on a file, or on the default package to check your entire project, and select ``Checkstyle --> Check Code with Checkstyle``. If necessary, you can also right click on a file, or on the default package, to clear the checkstyle errors, and select ``Checkstyle --> Clear Checkstyle Errors``. To install: Mac: ``Eclipse->Preferences->Checkstyle`` and click ``New`` and then ``External Configuration File`` and name it ``Web-CAT``, then click ``Browse...`` and select the above file then click ``OK``. In the list, select the ``Web-CAT`` configuration and click ``Set as Default``. Finally, click ``Apply and Close``. Windows: ``Window->Preferences->Checkstyle`` and click ``New`` and then ``External Configuration File`` and name it ``Web-CAT``, then click ``Browse...`` and select the above file then click ``OK``. In the list, select the ``Web-CAT`` configuration and click ``Set as Default``. Finally, click ``Apply and Close``. .. odsafig:: Images/CheckstyleFormatter.png :width: 650 :align: center :capalign: justify :figwidth: 90%