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Configuring Eclipse as TCL/TK IDE

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To configure Eclipse as a TCL/TK IDE you would need the plugin DLTK (Dynamic Language Toolkit). Information on DLTK is available http://www.eclipse.org/dltk/

DLTK supports other scripting languages such as PERL, PHP, TCL/TK etc.

Things you would need to setup TCL/TK Eclipse IDE –

  • Eclipse 3.4 or greater (ofcourse) : Java or JavaEE IDE.
  • DLTK’
  • TCL/TK
  • Komodo Remote Debugger

Steps to follow are –

  • Download and install Eclipse 3.4 or greater from eclipse.org (install the Java or JavaEE IDE).
  • To install the DLTK, in your eclipse IDE navigate the menu item “Help > Software Updates…”, or “Help > Install New Software…” to install plugins/updates.
  • After the site has been added it would show the list of plugins available under DLTK. Choose the following –

>>> Dynamic Language Toolkit – Core Frameworks

>>> Dynamic Language Toolkit – Core Frameworks SDK

>>> Dynamic Language Toolkit – iTCL Development Tools

>>> Dynamic Language Toolkit – iTCL Development Tools SDK

>>> Dynamic Language Toolkit – TCL Development Tools

>>> Dynamic Language Toolkit – TCL Development Tools SDK

>>> Dynamic Language Toolkit – XOTcl Development Tools

>>> Dynamic Language Toolkit – XOTcl Development Tools SDK

  • After you have selected all the above packages and agreed to the license agreement, install them.
  • After the install of the components, eclipse will re-start and the TCL environment (perspectives, windows etc.) would have been configured into eclipse.
  • Now download and install TCL Shell and interpreter itself. For Windows, you can download it from ActiveState (http://www.activestate.com/activetcl/) and for Linux download it from www.tcl.tk/software/tcltk/
  • After you have installed TCL in your preferred path/location; Open Eclipse IDE and follow the menu option “Window > Preferences > TCL“; Click on “Interpreters“, click Add button on the right, enter interpreter name as “TCL” and click “Browse..” and choose the path to the Tcl interpreter executable. Click OK and save the setting.
  • Now you are done. You can write and run TCL programs via Eclipse.
  • To debug your Tcl programs you would need to install the Komodo remote debugger.
  • You can download Komodo from activestate – http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Downloads/Komodo/RemoteDebugging
  • Install the above software under a directory of your choice.
  • Now, open eclipse, and navigate to the following menu option “Window > Preferences > TCL“, expand TCL and then choose “Debug > Engines > Active State“. Under the “Paths” tab, select the “Path:” dropdown and under “External Debugging Engine” select browse and choose the executable for komodo remote debugger (for windows it would be dbgp_tcldebug.exe). Click OK and save the setting.

Now you are all set. You should be able to choose new TCL project, write your Tcl code and debug your programs.

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28 responses to “Configuring Eclipse as TCL/TK IDE”

  1. ice809 Avatar
    ice809

    Great post. Thanks.

    Reply
  2. jimbo Avatar
    jimbo

    hi, nice post,

    is there a way to add tcl packages in eclipse?

    thanks

    Reply
  3. Izia Elman Avatar
    Izia Elman

    Simple and clear,
    Thank you!

    Reply
  4. ypf1990 Avatar
    ypf1990

    Thanks!I come from China, and I followed you!
    my blog is: http://jyguagua.com ^_^

    Reply
    1. blogsai Avatar
      blogsai

      Thanks :-). If only I knew how to read Chinese, I would have followed your blog !

      Reply
  5. Eclipse中Tcl环境搭建_Configuring Eclipse as TCL/TK IDE | 勤奋的小青蛙

    […] 参考博客：https://blogsai.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/configuring-eclipse-as-tcltk-ide/ […]

    Reply
  6. Harsh Gupta Avatar
    Harsh Gupta

    Thanks a lot for your suggestion and optimistic solution.

    It really pulled me out of TCL Interpreters / Debugger IDE’s

    Reply
  7. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    I got to here:
    After you have installed TCL in your preferred path/location; Open Eclipse IDE and follow the menu option “Window > Preferences > TCL“; Click on “Interpreters“, click Add button on the right, enter interpreter name as “TCL” and click “Browse..” and choose the path to the Tcl interpreter executable. Click OK and save the setting.

    But I don’t have a TCL option anywhere. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    1. blogsai Avatar
      blogsai

      If DLTK TCL plugins were installed (as described in previous steps) then this option must be visible. Were you able to install DLTK TCL plugin ?

      Reply
  8. Alex Avatar
    Alex

    how can I perform wish? I do TCL/TK and if I Run the program, it just says invalid command “canvas”

    Reply
    1. blogsai Avatar
      blogsai

      Sorry. Much of the coding I do is with TCL and not TK. So am not sure.

      Reply
      1. rattlecad Avatar
        rattlecad

        you can add “package require Tk” to your code an run it with “tclsh” instead of “wish”

  9. Ablinkn Avatar
    Ablinkn

    Alex,

    When you configure which interpreter to use add wish. After that you may make it your default or select it for a particular project.

    Reply
  10. victor perez Avatar
    victor perez

    Thank you very much for this great piece of advice. I am about to start a loong project in TCL. This is priceless

    Reply
    1. blogsai Avatar
      blogsai

      Thanks victor. Wish u good source on ur project

      Reply
  11. Nwe Nwe Avatar
    Nwe Nwe

    when I install http://download.eclipse.org/technology/dltk/updates-dev/1.0/ in software updates of eclipse and choosing 8 packets you said, I encounter this error “Cannot complete the install because one or more required items could not be found. Software being installed: Dynamic Languages Toolkit – TCL Development Tools 1.0.1.v20090903-2153-7D-4EB7sQSMTibkCiTAc (org.eclipse.dltk.tcl.feature.group” and I can’t go to Finish Steps. So, what do I need to fix this error? Please kindly share me. I uses Eclipse Juno on Ubuntu 12.10 to write Tcl/Tk for NS 2. Hoping anything about this error. Thank in advance.

    Reply
    1. blogsai Avatar
      blogsai

      http://download.eclipse.org/technology/dltk/updates-dev/1.0/ was for the version of Eclipse I used at the time I wrote this blog. For Juno, you might have to try later versions of these plugins did you try http://download.eclipse.org/technology/dltk/updates-dev/3.0/

      Reply
  12. Yanis Avatar
    Yanis

    Very good post.
    I would be grateful if you could answer me the following question.

    While debugging a scrip in Eclipse, how do I watch the values of the TCL variables?

    Reply
    1. Yanis Avatar
      Yanis

      OK, I found how to do it. It was an Eclipse issue.
      During a debug session, you just have to open a tab called ‘”(x)=Variables”

      Reply
  13. Sajan Johnson Avatar
    Sajan Johnson

    Hi, How to install komodo debugger. I have downloaded komodo debugger could you please give me the commands to install it.

    Reply
    1. blogsai Avatar
      blogsai

      The instructions are on the site http://docs.activestate.com/komodo/4.4/install.html

      Reply
  14. Dman Avatar
    Dman

    I got the TCL to work on eclipse but I cant seem to use anything in Tk. How do i get Tk to work?

    Reply
    1. Dman Avatar
      Dman

      Never mind i got it.

      Reply
  15. Matthias Avatar
    Matthias

    Thanks for the post, helps a lot. Is there any init.tcl script started when opening eclipse?

    Reply
  16. Arun Avatar
    Arun

    Hi Sai,
    This is very useful information. Thanks for this.

    I installed successfully on my windows system using active tcl and i am able to execute/debug local tcl programs.
    But, I like to know is it possible to execute or debug a remote tcl file using eclipse?. I am finding the HOST as “Localhost” always while creating a TCL project. Is there any option to provide host other than Localhost?

    Reply
  17. guptamr Avatar
    guptamr

    i Installed all the required plugins as listed above. Eclipse (Juno) restarted but I cannot see TCL listed in the list of perspectives nor in the Windows>Preferences> . Why is that ?

    Reply
  18. Cohen Avatar
    Cohen

    I got the following error on linux :
    Debugger process was unexpectedly terminated

    while windows works fine , any suggestions?

    Reply
  19. tuvu1@yahoo.com Avatar
    tuvu1@yahoo.com

    follow all your instruction, and everything works perfectly, just want to add a little more details to this sentence: “…and choose the path to the Tcl interpreter executable”.
    this is the detail I would add:
    the executable is under tcl/bin/
    and you can choose ‘tclsh’ or any other executable that you want to work with such as ‘wish’ or ‘teacup’

    Reply

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