Eclipse support added to Google Apps Script

Aiming to help developers riddled by having to work on the Google Web page editor when using Google Apps Script, Google has now added support for a full-featured IDE in the form of an Eclipse plugin. The Eclipse editor will enable users to work on bigger than average scripts, implementing features that offer Google Drive syncing, as well as collaborative group implementation. The editor’s autocomplete will save you some time typing, files can be managed through your personal choice of external version-control systems, and the offline option will come in handy when you’re on the move. The catch is that you have to upload your scripts to Google Drive in order to run them, and though running them in the cloud has its advantages and is an easy enough task anyway, it means your testing and debugging options will be somewhat limited. Other limitations include not being able to create new projects (only importing existing projects is supported), autocomplete suggestions are not provided for libraries or advanced Google services and .gs and .html files must be placed on the projects root folder before they can be saved on Google Drive. As the Google Apps Developers’ Blog points out, Apps Script started out as a tool that would enable developers to add new features to Google Apps, but the platform soon surpassed its founders’ expectations: thousands of professional coders moved in and celebrated its ease of use, by elevating it into a go-to location for coding. The plugin utilizes the public Google Drive SDK to sync Apps Script files on your local file system and your Google Drive, and if you’re already using Eclipse, all you have to do is navigate to Marketplace via the program’s Help menu, and install the Google Plugin. Then sign in to Google and you’re all set to import your projects. While online, the plugin will take care of syncing automatically, so you don’t have to worry about losing your progress.