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UX/IDE
This page is concerned with capturing user experience plans for Eclipse-based IDE in Mars.
Contents
Download
Installation
Windows
Via Installer
Download the installer, eclipse-installer.exe
Double-click to launch.
Automatically unpacks, configures itself, and updates as necessary.
If a JRE cannot be found, provide help so that the user can download an install an appropriate JVM. Give preference to Java 8.
Starts in "simple" mode.
Simple Mode
- Select a package definition
- Specify location (with reasonable defaults)
- Configure default preferences (see bug 421702)
- Ask user if an icon should be added to the desktop
- Ask user to register an Eclipse Foundation account (optional)
- Click "Finish"
After installation, installer quits and all temporary files are removed (only the exe
remains).
Advanced Mode
- Select a package definition
- Select a workspace configuration
- Allow customization of every setting
- Configure default preferences
- Ask user if an icon should be added to the desktop
- Ask user to register an Eclipse Foundation account (optional)
Launching
The installer adds a standard launch entry/icon to the start menu and (optionally, based on the user's selection during installation) the desktop (see bug 459589).
Notes:
- Remember user state; e.g. if the user switches to advanced mode, open in that mode on subsequent launches
- The preferences configuration should be a single page (or a small number of pages with groups of preferences)
- The first time through, the changes made by the user to the defaults is retained
- On subsequent launches, the user should be given the option (on by default) to override their defaults with changed values (only if there are changes)
- Remember if the user has already registered for an account; don't ask again
Questions:
- Is there value in asking a user to "login" if they already have an account?
- Not sure if there is value in logging in during installation
Bundle Pools
By default, all installations use bundle pools. This can only be turned off in advanced mode.
The bundle pool currently manifests as a USER_HOME/.p2
directory. The average user attaches no meaning to "p2"; should the bundle pool be placed under USER_HOME/.eclipse
by default? (see bug 461049.
Via Packages
The standard packages download is available as an option.
The old limitation of the build-in decompression software in Windows failing on the long file names in our package downloads is still an issue.
Use a robust decompression software package to decompress the package download into the directory of choice.
Double-click on the eclipse.exe to launch.
Mac
Linux
Via Fedora Software Repository
Use standard Linux software repositories to install official release versions of Eclipse (see bug 442591).
On Fedora:
yum install eclipse-jdt eclipse-cdt eclipse-egit
and
yum update eclipse-jdt ...
Via Packages
Download installation/configuration tool from the eclipse.org website. There is no native executable so the download must be unpacked and executed.
- Consider adding the installer to the Fedora repository.
Welcome
Adding Features
Add features via the Eclipse Marketplace and Simultaneous Release Catalogue (see bug 459905).