Mylyn

What do you like best?

1. I can switch context from one development task to another by a single click! This means seeing only files that are relevant to the task at hand.

2. Mylyn automatically keeps track of the time I spent in Eclipse working on the task. This is extremely cheap, and much more precise than any manual time tracking.

3. Mylyn integrates with JIRA and many other work-management applications. This means I can update JIRA task status without having to leave Eclipse window. It also allows me to attach Mylyn context to JIRA ticket, so that another developer can use it later.

What do you dislike?

1. I use multiple Eclipse workspaces, one per development branch, and tasks sometimes span branches, i.e., workspaces, but there's no simple, bulletproof way to share the task context among multiple workspaces.

2. Sometimes, one task builds on top of another - it would be useful to start working on a task by copying the context of another, similar task. Currently, I'm not aware of a way to do that in Mylyn.

Recommendations to others considering the product:

Keep the tasks small, e.g., by leveraging sub-tasks. This will allow you to gain maximal benefits from Mylyn.

Optimal granularity of tasks means <= 7 open files, <= 4 hours to complete the task

What problems are you solving with the product? What benefits have you realized?

1. Focus on a single task at a time. Not seeing irrelevant files in my IDE means less opportunities to get sidetracked. Coupled with fine-grained tasks, Mylyn allows razor-sharp focus, critical for efficient software development.

2. Every time I move from my IDE to a web browser, I risk losing focus on the development task I'm currently working on, by getting distracted either by an open browser window (e.g., Facebook), or by an extension (e.g., new GMail in my inbox). Being able to interact with my work management application without leaving my IDE means fewer distractions, which means being able to finish my development faster and with better quality.