RDi terminology

This page is intended to be a glossary with brief explanations of terminology used in RDi.

RDi is an IBM extension to the open source Eclipse development platform [1]. Eclipse is big. Really big. If you decide to read up on Eclipse, be aware that most of the Eclipse projects don't have a one to one mapping for RPG programmers familiar with PDM and SEU.

Connection: This is an RSE concept that lets you group filters together with a custom library list so you can organise your work into logical projects.

Integrated iSeries Debugger: GUI debugger for any application that is running on IBM i.

iSeries Projects: Allows you to do development when disconnected from System i. Also allows use of source change management tools like CVS, Subversion and Clear Case.

Label decoration: In iSeries Projects, this shows you what state each member is in.

Perspective: Child window that's opened within a workbench window. The perspective has tabs (called views) and controls the menu bar and tool bar as well as the editor. Open perspectives via Window->Open Perspective.

Platform: Complete software package.

Plug-in: Extension to the Eclipse framework which RDi is based on. Plug-in's can contribute perspectives, views, pop-up menu items, etc. RDi itself is actually a very large collection of plug-in's.

RSE: Remote System Explorer. This is a perspective intended to let you graphically perform tasks similar to PDM.

Toolbar buttons: Icons that appear at the top of a view, perspective or workbench. For a description of the icons and their meaning (V7.x), use Help->Welcome, Overview, Workbench basics, Toolbar Buttons. This brings up a browser with an overview of the workbench. At the bottom is a related link called Toolbar Buttons.

View: Tabbed (or sometimes standalone) subset of a perspective. Views contain editors and may have their own menus, accessible from a downward pointing triangle icon. The view lets you navigate resources in your workspace.

Workbench: The visible desktop development window. The invisible 'guts' of Eclipse is called the workspace. The workbench can have multiple child windows open simultaneously. These child windows are called perspectives. Each perspective can have multiple tabs called views.

Workspace: The Files, folders and projects that are stored on disk. Together these resources make up your workspace.