Equinox/p2/Reusing Platform Metadata

Under update for 3.5

This page outlines the current shape of the metadata for the "org.eclipse.platform.ide" product. This product is a subset of the Eclipse SDK. The SDK adds JDT, PDE, CVS and Help, but everything that requires special configuration exists in the base platform. This makes the platform ideal for general reuse.

The current RC1 metadata for org.eclipse.platform.ide looks something like this:

IU Name	Provided Contents/Actions
org.eclipse.platform.ide	addRepository : add default repositories mdkir : create the dropins folder
org.eclipse.platform.feature.group The features and bundles that make up the platform org.eclipse.p2.user.ui.feature.group The features and bundles that make up p2 org.eclipse.rcp.configuration.feature.group Eclipse branded launchers with appropriate requirements on the launcher fragments as well as CUs for setting -startup and --launcher.library. toolingorg.eclipse.configuration Set osgi.instance.area.default=@user.home/workspace (os != macosx) toolingorg.eclipse.configuration.macosx Set osgi.instance.area.default=@user.home/Documents/workspace (os == macosx) toolingorg.eclipse.platform.ide.configuration toolingorg.eclipse.platform.ide.config.[ws.os.arch] Properties for config.ini osgi.bundles.defaultStartLevel osgi.splashPath eclipse.application eclipse.product eclipse.buildId toolingorg.eclipse.platform.ide.ini.[ws.os.arch] Entries for the launcher .ini file program: -showplash org.eclipse.platform --launcher.XXMaxPermSize 256m vm: -Xmx40m -Xmx256m tooling[ws.os.arch][bundle-id] Start level information for individual bundles

Using org.eclipse.platform.ide As-Is

In general, the org.eclipse.platform.ide is not attractive for reuse in other products as it includes product specific branding and settings. However, in the special case of products (like EPP) that look the same as eclipse but change the default eclipse.product, then we could reuse org.eclipse.platform.ide directly. The epp.product file would specify a program argument -product which would override the entry in the config.ini file. As well, because org.eclipse.platform.ide includes launcher, we should set the product build to not include launchers.

This would be done using a p2.inf file which should be placed beside the product file. The p2.inf file should also tell pde.build not to generate defaults CUs for start levels, because we will already get start levels from the platform.ide.

builder/build.properties : includeLaunchers=false
epp.product
   Program Arguments: -product epp.package.cpp
   Include features : CDT, etc...
p2.inf 
   #tell pde.build not to generate start levels
   org.eclipse.pde.build.append.startlevels=false

   #add requirement on org.eclipse.platform.ide
   requires.1.namespace=org.eclipse.equinox.p2.iu
   requires.1.name=org.eclipse.platform.ide
   requires.1.range=[3.5.0.I20090513-2000,3.5.0.I20090513-2000]
   requires.1.greedy=true

Proposed Modifications

We propose that the IU toolingorg.eclipse.platform.ide.configuration be made more generally reusable. Currently, it contains the following product specific settings:

• config.ini settings: osgi.splashPath, eclipse.application,eclipse.product
• All program and vm arguments are arguably product specific, but -showsplash org.eclipse.platform is especially so.

We propose that these product specific setting be moved into the org.eclipse.platform.ide IU, leaving the configuration IU as more generally reusable.

Links

• Touchpoint Instructions
• Bug 276125 - Structure configuration metadata for reuse