Setting up plugin.xml¶

The plugin.xml file is known as the manifest and provides all the hooks used to tie together the Eclipse framework.

Some of these entries were filled out for you during Creating a Plugin.

• id: id for the plugin, each plug-in gets its own package tree to prevent source code conflict

• name: externalized to plugin.properties, display name for Plug-in

• version: release version based

• provider-name: externalized to plugin.properties, usual “Refractions Research, Inc.”

• runtime: identify jars for this plug-in

• requires: captures dependency information, this is a soft link that is resolved via “dynamic classpaths” as part of the eclipse plug-in development environment

  • note import is based on plugin

• extension: associates id with well known What is an Extension Point with classes in this plug-in

  • try and make id match the class
  • top level id entries have the plugin “id” prepended (like “org.geotools.udig.ui””.” “UDigApplication”
  • nested id entries need to be explicit (like “org.geotools.udig.ui.UDigPerspective”)

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <?eclipse version="3.0"?>
  <plugin
      id="org.geotools.udig.ui"
      name="%pluginName"
      version="0.1"
      provider-name="%providerName">
      <runtime>
          <library name="udig-ui.jar">
              <export name="*"/>
          </library>
      </runtime>
      <requires>
          <import plugin="org.eclipse.core.runtime"/>
          <import plugin="org.eclipse.ui"/>
      </requires>
  
      <extension
          id="UDigApplication"
          point="org.eclipse.core.runtime.applications">
          <application>
              <run
                  class="org.geotools.udig.ui.UDigApplication">
              </run>
          </application>
      </extension>
      <extension
          point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectives">
          <perspective
              name="%perspectiveName"
              class="org.geotools.udig.ui.CatalogPerspective"
              id="org.geotools.udig.ui.CatalogPerspective">
          </perspective>
      </extension>
  </plugin>
  

Setting up plugin.properties¶

The plugin.properties file is used to externalize strings from the plugin.xml manifest. This is good practice and will allow us to provide French support later.

pluginName = UDig Application Plug-in
providerName = Refractions Research, Inc.
perspectiveName = Local Catalog

For more information:

• Plugin Internationalization

Setting up build.properties¶

The build.properties file is used when bundling up the plug-in for use:

bin.includes = plugin.xml,\
               *.jar,\
               udig-core.jar,\
               plugin.properties
source.udig-core.jar = src/

Setting up build.xml¶

Use of an ANT build.xml file for plug-in bundling is optional (although it does save you from using the wizard everytime).

If you want to create an ANT build file to build your plug-in:

1. Right click on your plugin.xml file
2. Select PDE-Tools-> Ant build file

When we set up nightly builds this step will be mandatory.

Dependency Hack

To set up proper dependencies, do the following:

Set up proper classpath:

1. Right click on project, select properties

2. Select Java Build Path

3. Select Projects tab

   • Check org.eclipse.core.runtime
   • Ok.

4. Add the following to your plugin.xml:

   <requires>
      <import plugin="org.eclipse.core.runtime.compatibility"/>
      <import plugin="org.eclipse.ui"/>
   </requires>
   

Reference

• Rich Client Paltform Tutorial - Part 1
  • Handy for setting up the initial app, but also contains more information regarding the UI.
  • A lot of this page is ripped from there