Developing Plug-Ins for the Eclipse 3.0 Platform

Developing Plug-Ins for the Eclipse 3.0 Platform
Duration: 5 days
Audience
Prerequisites
This course is for developers who already know Java and want to learn the Eclipse platform.
Java developers
Architects
Participants must be proficient in Java in order to do the labs.
Description
Eclipse is a platform for building Rapid Application Development (RAD) environments. The Eclipse framework is based on a plug-in model that enables software tool vendors to plug in their own development tools. The platform provides a common user interface model for working with tools. It is designed to run on multiple operating systems. Plug-ins can be built using the Eclipse portable APIs and may run unchanged on any of the supported operating systems. This course teaches attendees the architecture of the Eclipse platform. It covers the whole spectrum of writing a plug-in for the platform. This is a highly hands-on course, with programming labs constituting about 60% of the course.
Objectives
Upon completion of this course, attendees will be able to:
Understand the architecture of the Eclipse platform
Use the Standard Widget Toolkits to write their own widgets
Use the JFace UI framework
Develop a full-fledged plug-in
Productize a plug-in
Course Outline
Eclipse Overview
What is Eclipse
Eclipse platform architecture
Eclipse SDK
Write your first plug-in
The plug-in.xml file
Packaging and installing a plug-in Plug-in Development Environment (PDE)
PDE Concepts
plug-in.xml editor
Using PDE to build a simple plug-in
Debugging plug-in code SWT - The Standard Widget Toolkit
SWT overview - What, why, and how
SWT widgets
Layouts
SWT event model
Graphics
Color model
Thread model JFace - The User Interface Framework for Plug-Ins
JFace overview
Viewers
Using the Tree Viewer
Using the Text Viewer
Editors
JFace resource module
JFace wizard module
Progress indicators
Dialogs
Resources and Resources Plug-In
Resources overview
Resources and workspace
Resources and file systems
The Resources API
Resource markers
Tracking resource changes
Incremental project builders
Project natures
Participating in workspace save
Project natures
Writing Workbench Plug-ins
Overview of Workbench Components
Overview of workbench extension points
The plug-in class
View Actions Extension Point
Editors Extension Point
Editor Action Extension Point
Popup Menus Extension Point
Workbench Menu contribution
Action Sets Extension Point
Perspectives Extension Point
New Wizards Extension Point
Process of Creating a Wizard
Preferences
Property pages
Dialogs and Wizards
Dialogs Overview
JFace Dialog Framework
SWT Dialog Widgets
Wizards Overview
newWizards Extension Point
Process of Creating a Wizard
Preferences and Properties
Extending the Preferences Dialog
How are Preferences Used
How are Preferences Stored
Defining a Preference Page Extension
The Preference Page Class
Preference Page Implementation
Interacting Between GUI and Preference Store
Reacting to Preference Setting Changes
Extending Properties Dialog
How Is Properties Dialog Used
Process for creating a Property Page
Defining a Property Page Extension
Defining the Property Page Class
Implementing Property Page User Interface
Accessing Properties
Help
Contributing Online Help
Process of offering Help
Creating HTML contents
Creating Table of Contents Files
Linking Table of Contents Files
Providing Anchors
Declaring the Help Extension
Providing Context Sensitive Help
Process of adding Context Sensitive Help
Declaring a Help Context Extension
Creating the Infopop Contents
Associating the Context Id with UI Component
Fragments
What is a Plug-in Fragment
Where is Fragment defined
The fragment.xml file
PDE and Fragments
Features
Update Manager
Overview of Features
Default Features in Eclipse
Translatable Strings
Primary Feature
Description, License URL, etc.
Updating Features
Plug-ins in a Feature
Prerequisite Plug-ins
Prerequisite Matching Rule
Root and Included Features
PDE Project for Features
feature.xml Editor
Exporting Feature
Feature and Product Branding
Feature Branding
Feature Branding Information
Product Branding
Files for Product Branding
The install.ini File
How is Product Branding Information Used
The Splash Screen
Packaging for Delivery
Packaging as a Product
Process of Packaging an Eclipse-Based product
Packaging as an Extension
Using Installatoin Tool to create an Installer
Packaging for Update Manager
The site.xml File
Using PDE to create site.xml File