Development Environment Setup

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:Java Development Kit (JDK) 8 or laterVerify your Java installation:

java -version
javac -version

You should see output indicating JDK version 8 or higher.

This project uses Java Swing for the GUI and JDBC for database connectivity, both of which are included in the standard JDK.

MySQL ServerThe application requires a MySQL server instance to connect to. Install MySQL Server 5.7 or later:

Download from mysql.com
Or install via package manager (apt, brew, etc.)

Recommended IDEWhile you can use any text editor, we recommend:

IntelliJ IDEA (Community or Ultimate)
Eclipse IDE for Java Developers
Visual Studio Code with Java extensions

Clone the Repository

Clone the project repository to your local machine:

git clone <repository-url>
cd mysql-sql-editor

Replace <repository-url> with your actual repository URL.

Project Structure Overview

Familiarize yourself with the project structure:

mysql-sql-editor/
├── src/                    # Source code directory
│   └── com/
│       └── app/
│           ├── Main.java              # Application entry point
│           ├── Controller/
│           │   └── Controller.java    # MVC Controller
│           ├── Model/
│           │   └── Model.java         # Database logic
│           └── View/
│               ├── View.java          # Login view
│               └── SqlEditorView.java # SQL editor view
├── lib/                    # External libraries
│   └── mysql-connector-j-9.2.0.jar
└── doc/                    # Documentation

Key Directories:

src/ - All Java source files organized by package (com.app)
lib/ - Contains MySQL Connector/J JDBC driver
doc/ - Project documentation and resources

Architecture:The application follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern:

Model (Model.java) - Database connection and query execution
View (View.java, SqlEditorView.java) - User interface components
Controller (Controller.java) - Connects model and views, handles events

Configure Your IDE

IntelliJ IDEA
Eclipse
VS Code
Command Line

Open IntelliJ IDEA and select File → Open
Navigate to the project directory and click OK
IntelliJ should automatically detect the Java project structure
Add the MySQL JDBC driver to the project:
- Go to File → Project Structure → Libraries
- Click + → Java
- Navigate to lib/mysql-connector-j-9.2.0.jar and select it
- Click OK to add it to the project
Configure the JDK:
- Go to File → Project Structure → Project
- Set Project SDK to JDK 8 or later
- Set Project language level to 8 or later
Mark src as the Sources Root if not already marked (right-click → Mark Directory as → Sources Root)

IntelliJ IDEA provides excellent support for Java projects with automatic code completion, debugging, and refactoring tools.

Open Eclipse and select File → Open Projects from File System
Click Directory and navigate to the project folder
Click Finish
Add the MySQL JDBC driver to the build path:
- Right-click the project → Build Path → Configure Build Path
- Go to the Libraries tab
- Click Add JARs (if lib is in the project) or Add External JARs
- Navigate to lib/mysql-connector-j-9.2.0.jar and add it
- Click Apply and Close
Set the JDK:
- Right-click the project → Properties → Java Build Path
- Under Libraries tab, ensure JDK 8+ is configured
Verify that src is recognized as a source folder

Eclipse will automatically compile Java files as you edit them.

Open VS Code and install the following extensions:
- Extension Pack for Java (by Microsoft)
- Language Support for Java (by Red Hat)
Open the project folder: File → Open Folder
VS Code should detect the Java project automatically
Configure the classpath:
- Create or edit .vscode/settings.json in the project root
- Add the MySQL JDBC driver to the classpath:
```
{
  "java.project.referencedLibraries": [
    "lib/**/*.jar"
  ]
}
```
Reload the window: Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window

VS Code’s Java extensions provide IntelliSense, debugging, and testing support.

If you prefer working from the command line without an IDE:

Ensure javac and java are in your PATH
Navigate to the project root directory
You’re ready to compile and run (see Building)

Command-line compilation requires manually specifying the classpath with the -cp flag to include the MySQL JDBC driver.

Verify Setup

Test that your environment is correctly configured:

Compile the project (from the project root):

javac -cp "lib/mysql-connector-j-9.2.0.jar" -d bin src/com/app/**/*.java src/com/app/*.java

If compilation succeeds without errors, your setup is complete!

On Windows, use semicolons (;) instead of colons (:) as the classpath separator:

javac -cp "lib/mysql-connector-j-9.2.0.jar" -d bin src/com/app/**/*.java src/com/app/*.java

For detailed build instructions, see the Building guide.

Next Steps

Now that your development environment is set up:

Learn how to build and run the application
Understand the project dependencies
Explore the architecture components for detailed class documentation

Troubleshooting

Java version issues If you encounter errors related to Java version compatibility:

Ensure you’re using JDK 8 or later
Check your JAVA_HOME environment variable
Verify your IDE is using the correct JDK version

Classpath issues If you see ClassNotFoundException for MySQL driver classes:

Verify mysql-connector-j-9.2.0.jar is in the lib/ directory
Ensure the JAR is properly added to your IDE’s build path or classpath
Check that the -cp flag includes the correct path to the JAR

IDE not recognizing source files

Mark the src directory as a source root in your IDE
Refresh or reload the project
Check that the package structure matches the directory structure (com/app)

Getting Started

User Guide

Architecture

Development

Reference

Development Environment Setup

Next Steps

Troubleshooting

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

User Guide

Architecture

Development

Reference

​Next Steps

​Troubleshooting

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Next Steps

Troubleshooting