§Setting up your preferred IDE

Working with Play is easy. You don’t even need a sophisticated IDE, because Play compiles and refreshes the modifications you make to your source files automatically, so you can easily work using a simple text editor.

However, using a modern Java or Scala IDE provides cool productivity features like auto-completion, on-the-fly compilation, assisted refactoring and debugging.

§Eclipse

§Generate configuration

Play provides a command to simplify Eclipse configuration. To transform a Play application into a working Eclipse project, use the eclipsify command:

without the source jars:

[My first application] $ eclipsify

if you want to grab the available source jars (this will take longer and it’s possible a few sources might be missing):

[My first application] $ eclipsify with-source=true

You then need to import the application into your Workspace with the File/Import/General/Existing project… menu (compile your project first).

You can also start your application with play debug run and then you can use the Connect JPDA launcher using Debug As to start a debugging session at any time. Stopping the debugging session will not stop the server.

Tip: You can run your application using ~run to enable direct compilation on file change. This way scala templates files are auto discovered when you create new template in view and auto compiled when file change. If you use normal run then you have to hit Refresh on you browser each time.

If you make any important changes to your application, such as changing the classpath, use eclipse again to regenerate the configuration files.

Tip: Do not commit Eclipse configuration files when you work in a team!

The generated configuration files contain absolute references to your framework installation. These are specific to your own installation. When you work in a team, each developer must keep his Eclipse configuration files private.

§IntelliJ

§Generate configuration

Play provides a command to simplify Intellij IDEA configuration. To transform a Play application into a working IDEA module, use the idea command:

without the source jars:

[My first application] $ idea

if you want to grab the available source jars (this will take longer and it’s possible a few sources might be missing):

[My first application] $ idea with-sources

You then need to import the application into your project (File->New Module->Import existing Module)

Tip: There is an Intellij IDEA issue regarding building Java based Play2 apps while having the Scala plugin installed. Until it’s fixed, the recommended workaround is to disable the Scala plugin.

To debug, first add a debug configuration

• Open Run/Debug Configurations dialog, then click Run -> Edit Configurations
• Add a Remote configuration, then select Remote
• Configure it:
  • Set a name
  • Transport: Socket
  • Debugger mode: Attach
  • Host: localhost
  • Port: 9999
  • Select module you imported
• Close dialog - click Apply

Start play in debug mode:

$ play debug

which should print:

Listening for transport dt_socket at address: 9999

Set some breakpoints. Run the web app by executing the task play (again I had to do this in same terminal I ran play debug). Finally, browse http://localhost:9000. IntelliJ should stop at your breakpoint.

If you make any important changes to your application, such as changing the classpath, use idea again to regenerate the configuration files.

§Netbeans

§Generate Configuration

Play does not have native Netbeans project generation support at this time. For now you can generate a Netbeans Scala project with the Netbeans SBT plugin.

First edit the plugins.sbt file

resolvers += {
  "remeniuk repo" at "http://remeniuk.github.com/maven" 
}

libraryDependencies += {
  "org.netbeans" %% "sbt-netbeans-plugin" % "0.1.4"
}

Now run

$ play netbeans

Next:

– Play 2.0 for Scala developers
– Play 2.0 for Java developers