Remote pair programming with Eclipse

@ 2009-03-07 by João Paulo Pizani Flor

Today I’ve found one more VERY useful Eclipse plugin. It allows you to edit documents together with other people through the Internet, in real-time. Each and every letter you type will immediately be seen by the person on the other side, and vice-versa. The name of this plugin is DocShare, and it’s part of the ECF (Eclipse Communications Framework).

How it works?

Using DocShare is quite simple. You just open the window with the file you want to edit. Then right-click inside this window and select “Share editor with”. Then you just need to choose with whom you wish to share the editing. The chosen person will get a notification in his/her Eclipse, telling that you want to edit a file with him/her. If the invitation is accepted, you two begin immediately to edit the file together.

Naturally, the other person must also have DocShare installed for the sharing to happen.

This step-by-step of how to use the plugin was taken from the plugin’s official Website. There you can find the complete feature list, instructions on how to install and use, and much more.

Integration with instant messaging networks

The ECF (Eclipse Communications Framework), of which DocShare is part, allows you to talk with and see the status of your friends in several instant messaging networks, including MSN and Google Talk. You can, therefore, share the editing of some file with the friends in your contact list.