Rich Client Platform/How-to

This page has been migrated to https://github.com/eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.ui/blob/master/docs/Rich_Client_Platform/Rich_Client_Platform_How_to.md

RCP

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FAQ

This page is a checklist to get started in building an Eclipse RCP application. It is intended to keep as minimal as possible.

This was tested on Eclipse 3.5 (Galileo).

IDE

http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/

Link "Eclipse for RCP/Plug-in Developers"

Download and unzip: eclipse-rcp-galileo-*.zip

Launch Eclipse

Open PDE (Plug-in Development Environment) perspective: Window > Open Perspective > Other > Plug-in Development

Target

Target Platform is used to run the applications/plugins you build with Eclipse RCP. Although it is possible to run your applications/plugins using your Eclipse IDE installation, this is not recommended.

Create directory target in a folder of your choice.

http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads

Download and unzip in target: eclipse-RCP-SDK-*.zip, eclipse-*-delta-pack.zip

Delta pack is needed for building to other platforms, or for automated build.
If Help or Update feature is needed, either replace RCP-SDK with platform-SDK, or download individual features from http://www.eclipse.org/platform/
eclipse-RCP-SDK-*.zip is needed rather than eclipse-RCP-*.zip else extensions won't work in plug-in editor.

Window > Preferences > Plug-in Development > Target Platform > Browse > target/eclipse > OK > Reload

Plug-in

File > New > Project > Plug-in Project > Next > Project name > Next > Rich Client Application > Yes > Next > Hello RCP > Next > Add branding > Finish

plugin.xml > Overview > Testing > Launch

View

plugin.xml > Extensions > Add > org.eclipse.ui.views > right-click > New > View > id, class

Perspective

plugin.xml > Extensions > org.eclipse.ui.perspectives > perspective > class

 public void createInitialLayout (IPageLayout layout) {
   layout.addView ("view_id", IPageLayout.LEFT, 0.5f, layout.getEditorArea ());
   layout.getViewLayout ("view_id").setCloseable (false);
 }

WorkbenchWindowAdvisor.preWindowOpen:

 configurer.setShowPerspectiveBar (true);
 configurer.setShowCoolBar (true);

Editor

plugin.xml > Extensions > Add > org.eclipse.ui.editors > id, class, icon

To open editor:

 IWorkbenchPage page;
 IEditorInput input;
 page = PlatformUI.getWorkbench ().getActiveWorkbenchWindow ().getActivePage ();
 // else if in ViewPart // page = getSite ().getPage ();
 page.openEditor (input, "editor_id");

EditorPart.init:

 setSite (site);
 setInput (input);

Debug

In case something goes wrong:

Run > Run Configurations > Main > Clear workspace

Run > Run Configurations > Arguments > Program arguments > -consoleLog

Run > Run Configurations > Plug-ins > Validate plug-ins automatically

Run > Run Configurations > Plug-ins > Add Required Plug-ins

Command

plugin.xml > Extensions > org.eclipse.ui.commands > right-click > New > command > defaultHandler > Superclass > org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler

Popup menu

plugin.xml > Extensions > org.eclipse.ui.menus > right-click > New > menuContribution > locationURI = popup:view_id > right-click > New > command > commandId > Browse

ViewPart.createPartControl:

 Viewer viewer;
 MenuManager menuManager = new MenuManager ();
 Menu menu = menuManager.createContextMenu (viewer.getControl ());
 viewer.getControl ().setMenu (menu);
 getSite ().registerContextMenu (menuManager, viewer);

Toolbar

plugin.xml > Extensions > org.eclipse.ui.menus > right-click > New > menuContribution > locationURI = toolbar:org.eclipse.ui.main.toolbar > right-click > New > toolbar > right-click > New > command > commandId > Browse

WorkbenchWindowAdvisor.preWindowOpen:

 configurer.setShowCoolBar (true);

View Toolbar

plugin.xml > Extensions > org.eclipse.ui.menus > right-click > New > menuContribution > locationURI = toolbar:view_id > right-click > New > command > commandId > Browse

Key Binding

plugin.xml > Extensions > org.eclipse.ui.commands > right-click > New > keyBinding

keyConfigurationId = org.eclipse.ui.defaultAcceleratorConfiguration
commandId (there is no Browse button)
keySequence = M1+A (this is Ctrl-A)

Product

Creating a product is required for branding and automatic build.

File > New > Product Configuration > File name > product_name.product > Initialize the file content:

Use an existing product (plugin_id.product) if applying (if "Add branding" was checked)
Use a launch configuration (plugin_id.application) if applying (if application was launched)

If no existing product: product_name.product > Overview > Specify the product identifier > New > Defining plug-in
product_name.product > Overview > Testing > Synchronize (updates plugin.xml)
product_name.product > Overview > Testing > Launch
product_name.product > Overview > Eclipse Product export wizard

Feature

Creating a feature is required for update.

File > New > Project > Feature Project > Next > Project name > feature_id
feature.xml > Plug-ins > Add > plugin_id

product_name.product > Overview > The product configuration is based on > Features
product_name.product > Configuration > Add > org.eclipse.rcp
product_name.product > Configuration > Add > feature_id

Localization

plugin.xml

plugin.xml > Overview > Exporting > Externalize Strings Wizard

plugin.properties:

 key=Default value

Create for each language xx (ISO 639 language code) a file plugin_xx.properties

plugin_xx.properties:

 key=Translated value

Add this line in MANIFEST.MF:

 Bundle-Localization: plugin

Alternately (tested under Helios 3.6), you can run the Externalize Strings Wizard on plugin.xml (and any source files that need it too), then run PDE Tools: Internationalize on the project. This creates a project fragment (of the same name with ".nl1" suffixed) that contains the to-be-localized files.

Move the various .properties files from that project fragment to the source project (e.g. move "myproject.nl1/plugin_fr.properties" to "myproject/plugin_fr.properties", and likewise for any .properties files in subfolders such as OSGI-INF or src). You should then have essentially nothing left in the project fragment, so you can delete it.

Now install the Resource Bundle Editor (RBE) plug-in (from http://sourceforge.net/projects/eclipse-rbe/) by unzipping its plugins directory into your eclipse/plugins directory (restart Eclipse once this is done). Go to Window: Preferences: General: Editors: File Associations, and assign RBE as the default editor for .properties files.

You will now be able to open the .properties files that need localization and edit them accordingly. By keeping matching .properties files co-located, RBE is able to display the original (English) and target language string values side by side, which makes translation less of a chore. RBE is being integrated into Eclipse's Babel project, so it will eventually no longer be necessary to move the .properties files as described earlier: you'll be able to edit them right in the project fragments. Project fragments are nice if you do not want to ship your project with all the various localizations in it (strings, icons, images, help files, etc.), but would rather ship each localization separately.

If you do not use RBE, be aware that .properties files must use ISO 8859-1 character encoding, which makes some Unicode strings painful to deal with; RBE handles this conversion transparently for you.

RCP

http://download.eclipse.org/technology/babel/babel_language_packs/

Unzip BabelLanguagePack-eclipse-*.zip into target

Window > Preferences > Plug-in Development > Target Platform > Reload

Run > Run Configurations > Plug-ins > Add Required Plug-ins

Strings

Source > Externalize Strings > Use Eclipse's string externalization

Preferences

If no need for preference scopes

http://www.eclipse.org/eclipse/platform-core/documents/user_settings/faq.html

Get preference value:

 Activator.getDefault ().getPluginPreferences ().getString ("preference_id");

Preference page: plugin.xml > Extensions > Add > org.eclipse.ui.preferencePages > right-click > New > page > class > Superclass > FieldEditorPreferencePage

FieldEditorPreferencePage:

 protected IPreferenceStore doGetPreferenceStore () {
   return Activator.getDefault ().getPreferenceStore ();
 }
 protected void createFieldEditors () {
   addField (new StringFieldEditor ("preference_id", "label", getFieldEditorParent ()));
 }

Command org.eclipse.ui.window.preferences

Update

Help

Add command org.eclipse.ui.help.helpContents

plugin.xml > Dependencies > Add > org.eclipse.help.ui, org.eclipse.help.webapp

plugin.xml > Extensions > Add > org.eclipse.help.toc > Available templates > Help Content

product_name.product > Configuration > Add > org.eclipse.help

build.properties > Binary build > check html, icons, toc.xml, etc.

ActionBarAdvisor.makeActions:

 IAction helpAction = ActionFactory.HELP_CONTENTS.create (window);
 register (helpAction);

Build

Automatic (headless) build

File > New > Project > General > Project

Copy build.properties and customTargets.xml from: eclipse/plugins/org.eclipse.pde.build_*/templates/headless-build

build.properties (edit with properties file editor):

 product=/plugin_id/product_name.product
 archivePrefix
 configs=win32,win32,x86 & linux,gtk,x86 (*,*,* does not work)
 buildDirectory=${builder}/build
 base=path_to_target

customTargets.xml:

 <target name="preSetup">
   <copy todir="${buildDirectory}/plugins/plugin_id">
     <fileset dir="${builder}/path_to_plugin" />
   </copy>
   <copy todir="${buildDirectory}/features/feature_id">
     <fileset dir="${builder}/path_to_feature" />
   </copy>
 </target>

product_name.product > Program Launcher > Launcher Name

java -jar eclipse/plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_*.jar -application org.eclipse.ant.core.antRunner -buildfile eclipse/plugins/org.eclipse.pde.build_*/scripts/productBuild/productBuild.xml

Customization

Create file plugin_customization.ini in plug-in

plugin_customization.ini:

 org.eclipse.ui/DOCK_PERSPECTIVE_BAR=topRight
 org.eclipse.ui/SHOW_TRADITIONAL_STYLE_TABS=false

Status Line

WorkbenchWindowAdvisor.preWindowOpen:

 getWindowConfigurer ().setShowStatusLine (true);

ViewPart:

 getViewSite ().getActionBars ().getStatusLineManager ().setMessage ("message");

Extension Point

Plug-in with extension point (plugin_id):

plugin.xml > Extension Points > Add > ID=point_id, Name

point_id.exsd > Definition > New Element > Name=element_name

element_name > New Attribute > Name=class_name, Type=java, Implements=package_name.InterfaceName > Implements

point_id.exsd > Definition > extension > New Choice > right-click > New > element_name

plugin.xml > Runtime > Exported Packages > Add > package_name

Activator.start (for example):

 IConfigurationElement[] elements = Platform.getExtensionRegistry ().getConfigurationElementsFor ("plugin_id.point_id");
 for (IConfigurationElement e : elements) {
   Object o = e.createExecutableExtension ("class_name");
   if (o instanceof InterfaceName) {
   }
 }

Plug-in with extension:

MANIFEST.MF > Dependencies > Required Plug-ins > plugin with extension point

MANIFEST.MF > Extensions > Add > plugin_id.point_id > right-click > New > element_name > class_name

Add plug-in with extension to run configuration.

Progress

 Job job = new Job ("Job name") {
   public IStatus run (IProgressMonitor monitor) {
     final int duration = 10;
     monitor.beginTask ("Task message", duration);
     try {
       for (int i = 0; i < duration; i++) {
         if (monitor.isCanceled ())
           return Status.CANCEL_STATUS;
         monitor.subTask ("Subtask message");
         // ...
         monitor.worked (1);
       }
     }
     finally {
       monitor.done ();
     }
     return Status.OK_STATUS;
   }
 }
 job.schedule ();

WorkbenchWindowAdvisor.preWindowOpen:

 IWorkbenchWindowConfigurer configurer = getWindowConfigurer ();
 configurer.setShowProgressIndicator (true);

Breadcrumbs

Notice: This Wiki is now read only and edits are no longer possible. Please see: https://gitlab.eclipse.org/eclipsefdn/helpdesk/-/wikis/Wiki-shutdown-plan for the plan.

Rich Client Platform/How-to

Contents

IDE

Target

Plug-in

View

Perspective

Editor

Debug

Command

Menu

Popup menu

Toolbar

View Toolbar

Key Binding

Product

Feature

Localization

plugin.xml

RCP

Strings

Preferences

Update

Help

Build

Customization

Status Line

Extension Point

Progress