[java] How do I import a pre-existing Java project into Eclipse and get up and running?

Comment on Duplicate Reference: Why would this be marked duplicate when it was asked years prior to the question referenced as a duplicate? I also believe the question, detail, and response is much better than the referenced question.

I've been a C++ programmer for quite a while but I'm new to Java and new to Eclipse. I want to use the touch graph "Graph Layout" code to visualize some data I'm working with.

This code is organized like this:

./com
./com/touchgraph
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/Edge.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/GLPanel.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/GESUtils.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/GraphEltSet.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/ImmutableGraphEltSet.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/Locality.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/TGForEachEdge.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/TGForEachNode.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/TGForEachNodePair.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/TGNodeQueue.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/graphelements/VisibleLocality.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/GraphLayoutApplet.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/GraphListener.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/DragAddUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/DragMultiselectUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/DragNodeUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/GLEditUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/GLNavigateUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/HVRotateDragUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/HVScroll.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/HyperScroll.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/LocalityScroll.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/RotateScroll.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGAbstractClickUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGAbstractDragUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGAbstractMouseMotionUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGAbstractMousePausedUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGSelfDeactivatingUI.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGUIManager.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/TGUserInterface.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/interaction/ZoomScroll.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/LocalityUtils.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/Node.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGAbstractLens.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGException.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGLayout.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGLensSet.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGPaintListener.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGPanel.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGPoint2D.java
./com/touchgraph/graphlayout/TGScrollPane.java
./TG-APACHE-LICENSE.txt
./TGGL ReleaseNotes.txt
./TGGraphLayout.html
./TGGraphLayout.jar

How do I add this project in Eclipse and get it compiling and running quickly?

I think you'll have to import the project via the file->import wizard:

http://www.coderanch.com/t/419556/vc/Open-existing-project-Eclipse

It's not the last step, but it will start you on your way.

I also feel your pain - there is really no excuse for making it so difficult to do a simple thing like opening an existing project. I truly hope that the Eclipse designers focus on making the IDE simpler to use (tho I applaud their efforts at trying different approaches - but please, Eclipse designers, if you are listening, never complicate something simple).

This assumes Eclipse and an appropriate JDK are installed on your system

1. Open Eclipse and create a new Workspace by specifying an empty directory.
2. Make sure you're in the Java perspective by selecting Window -> Open Perspective ..., select Other... and then Java
3. Right click anywhere in the Package Explorer pane and select New -> Java Project
4. In the dialog that opens give the project a name and then click the option that says "Crate project from existing sources."
5. In the text box below the option you selected in Step 4 point to the root directory where you checked out the project. This should be the directory that contains "com"
6. Click Finish. For this particular project you don't need to do any additional setup for your classpath since it only depends on classes that are part of the Java SE API.

In the menu go to : - File - Import - as the filter select 'Existing Projects into Workspace' - click next - browse to the project directory at 'select root directory' - click on 'finish'