title: System.console() returns null from Eclipse but fine with Command Prompt
body: <p>When I use System.console from Eclipse Helios, it always returns null. </p>
  
  <p>However, when I use it directly from command line (i.e. compiling and executing a java source code manually from command prompt), I do get a Console object. </p>
  
  <p>To know, why this happens I checked <a href="http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/io/Console.html" rel="noreferrer">this</a> link. According to it, when I run my Java code from Eclipse, a background job scheduler must be starting my JVM. What does this mean?</p>
  
  <p>And how differently is my JVM started when I start it from command line?</p>
  
  <p>I also checked <a href="http://illegalargumentexception.blogspot.com/2010/09/java-systemconsole-ides-and-testing.html" rel="noreferrer">this</a> link. Here McDowell says that cmd.exe is a console device. So then I am again confused that exactly is a console device?</p>