Menus Extension Mapping

This is mostly tables and descriptions of mappings from the extension points org.eclipse.ui.actionSets, org.eclipse.ui.editorActions, org.eclipse.ui.viewActions, and org.eclipse.ui.popupMenus to the new org.eclipse.ui.menus extension point.

A mapping from the 4 extension points to the new org.eclipse.ui.menus extension point.

• org.eclipse.ui.actionSets: place actions and menus in the main menu bar, and actions in the main toolbar. The actions are visible when the action set is visible.
• org.eclipse.ui.viewActions: place actions and menus in the view dropdown menu, and actions in the view toolbar. The actions are always visible.
• org.eclipse.ui.editorActions: place actions and menus in the main menu bar, and actions in the main toolbar. The actions are visible when the editor of that type is active.
• org.eclipse.ui.popupMenus - viewerContribution: place actions and menus in a context menu that matched the specified context id. The actions are always visible.
• org.eclipse.ui.popupMenus - objectContribution: place actions and menus in any context menu. The actions are visible when the objectClass and filter criteria are met.

Top level extension element mappings:

Extension	Old Element	New Element	Differences
actionSets	actionSet	menuContribution/TBD	Menu placement is covered by menuContributions. In 3.3M5 action sets generate and activate contexts with the same id. Definition decisions will be made in .3.M6
viewActions	viewerContribution	menuContribution	The viewerContribution targetID is part of the menuContribution locationURI.
editorActions	editorContribution	menuContribution	The editorContribution targetID becomes part of item and menu element visibleWhen expressions.
popupMenus	viewerContribution	menuContribution	The viewerContribution targetID is part of the menuContribution locationURI, and targets the unique identifier of a context menu inside a view or editor part.
popupMenus	objectContribution	menuContribution	An objectContribution is identified as a menuContribution with a locationURI that starts with "popup:org.eclipse.ui.menus.popup.any". Visibility criteria like objectClass and filter will be controlled by each element's visibleWhen expression. Enablement is controlled by the active handler for an command contribution.

The common elements have a different structure in the org.eclipse.ui.menus extension point.

Old Element	New Element	Differences
<menu/>	<menu/>	The new menu allows an icon to be specified, and splits the mnemonic out from the label.
<separator/>	<separator/>	The separator specifies its visibility.
<groupMarker/>	<separator/>	A group marker is a separator with visibility set to false and it must be named.
<action/>	<command/>	It has a separate difference table.

Differences between <action/> and <command/>

Action Attribute	Item Attribute	Differences
id	id	The item id is a unique identifier for the item, but is optional.
label	label	The item label doesn't include the &. If it is left out, the Command name is used.
accelerator	-	This is done through org.eclipse.ui.bindings.
definitionId	-	This is no longer necessary.
menubarPath	-	This is no longer necessary, it is part of a "menu:" or "popup:" locationURI.
toolbarPath	-	This is no longer necessary, it is part of a "toolbar:" locationURI.
icon	icon	No difference.
disabledIcon	disabledIcon	No difference.
hoverIcon	hoverIcon	No difference.
tooltip	tooltip	No difference.
helpContextId	helpContextId	No difference.
style	style	it supports the same styles. Note, radio button is just a style attribute, not a grouping attribute.
state	TBD	This is coming in 3.3M6.
pulldown	-	This is no longer necessary.
class	-	This is no longer necessary, the item executes the specified command.
retarget	-	This is no longer necessary. All commands are like retargetable actions.
allowLabelUpdate	-	This is no longer necessary.
enablesFor	-	This is no longer necessary, the active handler decides if it is enabled and can use core expressions.
actionID	-	Using items and commands, the handler activation will determine which handler gets to run, so I suspect this is not necessary.
-	commandId	The id of the command to execute.
-	mnemonic	The letter to assign the & to.
selection subelement	-	All enablement is done through the active handler core expressions.
enablement subelement	-	All enablement is done through the active handler core expressions.
class subelement	parameter subelements	The class subelement could be used to pass declaration arguments to IActionDelegate. For items, the parameter subelements can pass declaration parameters to the command to be executed, if that command takes parameters.
-	visibleWhen subelement	The visibility of each menu or toolbar item is determined declaratively using core expressions.

Enablement, selection, or visibility mappings from objecContributions to the core expressions. If working against the current selection, most tests must be within an iterate element.

Element	Attribute	New Element and Attribute	Comments
objectContribution	objectClass	instanceof element	Inside an iterate element when used on the current selection.
objectContribution	nameFilter	propertyTester	There is already a resource property tester provided
objectContribution	adaptable	adapt	To see if the selection is adapatable use adapt isntead of instanceof.
filter	-	adapt element	You can specifically adapt each selection to org.eclipse.ui.IActionFilter. This might be replaced with the test element and propery tester extension point in 3.3M6.
objectClass	-	instanceof element	You can test the class of a selection element.
objectState	-	adapt element	You can specifically adapt each selection to org.eclipse.ui.IActionFilter. This might be replaced with the test element and propery tester extension point in 3.3M6.
pluginState	-	TBD	this is coming in 3.3M6.
systemProperty	-	systemTest element	Test a system property.
-	-	with element	changes the object to be inspected for all its child element to the object referneced by the given variable.
-	-	equals element	perform an equals check on the object in focus. Effectively obj.toString().equals(value)
-	-	count element	test the number of elements if the current object is a java.util.Collection - like current selection or active contexts.