DrJava

DrJava is a free development environment for writing Java programs, designed primarily for students. Its intelligent editor supports coding, while the Interactions pane lets users evaluate Java code interactively. The project also describes JUnit testing support, a source-level debugger, and Javadoc generation for source files. DrJava runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and is released under a standard BSD open-source license. The current beta is compatible with Java 8, which the project identifies as the only supported version of traditional Java. It is distributed only as a JAR, a packaging choice intended to reduce cross-platform compatibility problems. The Eclipse plugin is described as very old and compatible only with Eclipse versions from the same era. On Linux, the FAQ reports an incompatibility with the Compiz window manager and recommends disabling Compiz if the problem occurs. Submitting bug reports and feature requests requires logging in with a SourceForge account. The listed Free plan costs nothing; there is no free trial.

DrJava offers core coding, evaluation, testing, and documentation tools in a free environment. Its Java 8 compatibility and older Eclipse plugin are important constraints to weigh first.

DrJava is suited to students learning Java who want an editor, interactive code evaluation, testing, and debugging tools. It may also suit users who can work with the Java 8-compatible beta and JAR distribution.