Should projects be divided into separate Eclipse IDE workspaces?

Question

I have several applications that are/have been developed using the same tools/technologies (Maven, Java, Subversion, etc.) and properties (such as the same code formatting rules).

Each application consists of multiple projects (on average ~4). Should all projects reside in one Eclipse IDE workspace or should separate workspaces be created for each application?

Answer 1

I usually work within separate projects within the same workspace. If the technologies are similar I find myself more productive if I don't have to re-create the whole workspace. Even if there are multiple applications with several projects, clear naming of projects keeps things organized. For my needs the project options are sufficient for my different environments. Multiple workspaces are more useful to me when I'm developing with different platforms. (Java vs Python)

The truth is it comes down to personal preference. Eclipse is such a versatile tool, and there are just as many ways to use it as there are ways to configure it. Finding something that works for you is probably the best solution.

Answer 2

A better question would be "what situations require separate workspaces". Outside of those situations, it comes down to personal preference.

Here is a partial list:

1. Projects rely on conflicting plugins or conflicting plugin versions.
2. Projects rely on conflicting workspace preferences. This typically happens with preferences that are singleton. For instance, when developing plugins, there is only one target platform that is active at any given time for the entire workspace.
3. The number of projects in the workspace and/or the size of these projects causes Eclipse performance problems.

Answer 3

Separate workspaces. If you want to copy workspace properties, you have that option in Eclipse. I even keep branches in separate workspaces. It's much cleaner.

example reason: Different target platforms for each project. It would be incomfortable to constantly switch target platforms from the preferences.

Conclusion: It seems more appropriate to have 2 opened Eclipses, than confusing working sets.

Answer 4

Your question is opinion based.

In my opinion, I prefer to have one workspace with multiple projects and I close the projects that do not apply to my current task.