Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Android Build a Simple Android App (retired 2014) Getting Started with Android Android Setup and the Crystal Ball Project

Posted by Hiroki Hokari
Hiroki Hokari
5,308 Points

Proper place to put eclipse, workplace, and projects.

Not again! Every now and then when I close eclipse, it deletes the explorer list on far left of the screen. I try to import, since that's what I found on search of how to regain the list, but it tend to end up with missing something and it doesn't work as an android application, which I'm working on.

Files that make up the application is still available, but once they are tore apart from "package", I have no idea about those thousands of tiny files.

The problem here is, I guess, that directories for those files are not properly placed. I'm using C: directory. Just C:. Because I think I saw some comments saying you should not put them under sub-directory like user directory. I didn't understand what sub-directory means, so I was like "what is NOT-sub?, and I chose to put them directly in C:.

Anyway my question is Where I can place eclipse and those files surrounding eclipse and workplace that seems to be where I put projects.

9 Answers

JT Keller
JT Keller
12,731 Points
JT Keller
JT Keller
12,731 Points

At the end of the day, I would recommend that you put your workspace wherever you'd like. When you initially install Eclipse, it should ask you where you want your default workspace, choose browse and decide based on your personal preference. You can always create multiple workspaces for different types of projects. For instance, I have a workspace within a folder for a mobile app development class I'm taking at college. I have another setup for projects that I create on sites like Treehouse, and I even have one for random algorithm/data structure implementation exercises. It's easy to create or switch between them by going to File > Switch Workspace > Other in Eclipse. I hope that helps. I'd also recommend not checking the use this workspace by default when Eclipse opens option...that way you can choose the workspace you want for that session.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7234656/create-a-new-workspace-in-eclipse

Valery Kukatov
Valery Kukatov
6,996 Points
Valery Kukatov
Valery Kukatov
6,996 Points

You can place it anywhere you want. It doesn't matter. I have mine placed in my secondary hard drive on the laptop under Android and Workspace. You could always just use the default it gives you.

But really it sounds like you are having problems that don't relate to folder location. If you don't mind, just try to re-install Eclipse, if that doesn't solve problems... may be your java is out of date. Honestly, it's a weird problem. Keep us in the flow of what is happening and how you came to the problems. Did you have this happen on your first app creation? What changed? Have you tried to use a different folder?

Good luck. Sorry that you are having problems. :(

Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points
Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points

If you uninstall and reinstall again it will ask you as soon as you boot up eclipse. I've done this many times because my android sdk was not loading properly and i had to change things. So go for it! Please reply with your progress so we know everything is going good!:)

Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points
Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points

So for me my setup is like this:

Eclipse is located (however i downloaded the bundled version with the android sdk so my eclipse folder is inside that android sdk folder) : C drive/Program Files(x86)

Workspace is located: C:\Users\Name

with my projects located in the workspace folder hope this helps!

Hiroki Hokari
Hiroki Hokari
5,308 Points
Hiroki Hokari
Hiroki Hokari
5,308 Points

Thank you for your reply. You say "default" but eclipse doesn't have installer so the first place it's placed depends on where I unzip the files, right?

Okay I try recalling what I did. I use Desktop to put downloads primarily for the sake of simplicity, unzip the file that is, in this case, android_dev_environment_windows_64bit.zip with "eclipse" file, "Java" file, "sdk" file, etc included inside, which is available on the very first page of android developing course. Then I put this file to C: directory. When I create a project, It is located in C: as well because I don't know where I should.

Java is up-to-date.

Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points
Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points

I believe when you first boot up eclipse it asks you where you want to place the workspace folder which will hold all of your projects which for me is placed in C:\Users\Name

Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points
Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points

and remember there isnt really a way to actually uninstall eclipse. Instead just delete the folder that holds eclipse. Then redownload...here is the latest eclipse version called kepler. click on the link and downloads for your os is on the right https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/eclipse-standard-432/keplersr2

Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points
Aaron Arkie
Aaron Arkie
5,345 Points

But for sake of not having to redownload and unzip you can start eclipse go to file and click switch workspace and from there assuming you have a worskpace in mind select that directory.

Hiroki Hokari
Hiroki Hokari
5,308 Points
Hiroki Hokari
Hiroki Hokari
5,308 Points

Maybe I found the solution. Here is what I did. After re-doing everything, my directory(C:/ANDROID/android_dev_environment/) was like this,

.metadata appcompat_v7 CrystalBall eclipse Java sdk initial_setup.bat README.txt SDK Manager.exe

I found this uncomfortable, because eclipse/Java/sdk seem like "parents" files and CrystalBall/.metadata/appcompat_v7 seem like "their children" so I felt strange if they all live in the same place. So I create "Workspace" file next to eclipse and put those three "children" into it. Then there you are, eclipse didn't display the project, BUT I found an interesting button which I never used before: "switch workplace" in file tab, and when I press it and assign workspace to new created workspace folder, eclipse automatically restarted itself and ta-da! It worked!

I think what I missed has been assigning correct workspace folder.