Steps 2 Eclipse Plug-in Ebook

Note:
This post is updated to include the new download URL

In this tiny ebook, i tried to put every idea, or method used in developing my plug-in for Eclipse XML Parsing in Java Kit, in a step by step tutor fashion, all in details and full of screen shots to demonstrate actions.

Used configuration:

Eclipse 3.6 Helios (Eclipse for RCP and RAP Developers Bundle)

Java SE 6 Update 24 (JDK 6u24)

Linux system (Fedora 14)

Sources:

All sources are included with the plug-in :
here

Download the ebook
here

Steps 2 Eclipse Plug-in Table of Contents

Introduction: 5

Create a Plug-in Project 6

Create a new project 6

Add Java editor templates 11

Add an extension 11

Add an include 13

Select your templates file (in the project) 14

Add Cheat Sheets to the project 16

Add an extension point 16

Add a category for the cheat sheet 18

Adding a composite cheat sheet 21

Give your cheat sheet group a name 24

Adding tasks 25

Attach a simple cheat sheet file to the task 27

Add an Item to the simple cheat sheet 29

Other functions of the editor 31

Preview the task (simple cheat sheet) 32

Preview the whole cheat sheet (composite cheat sheet) 33

Register the composite cheat sheet 33

How to use custom images in the plug-in 36

The Activator class 39

Adding images (or any other resources) to Eclipse cheat sheets 41

Adding an extension 41

ItemExtensionHandler 46

plugin.xml 47

Add the attribute to a cheat sheet 48

Create a new cheat sheet to hold an image 48

cheatsheet_with_logo.xml 51

Test the plug-in 53

Implementing XPath expressions evaluation 56

First build a DOM and get XPath object 56

Evaluate XPath expression and detect its result 57

To modify or not to modify the DOM 58

Modifying the DOM 58

Modifyint a node's name 59

Modifying a nod's value 59

Preparing an HTML stream 60

Display XPath expressions results in cheat sheet 62

xpath_interactive_example.xml 65

Add a menu to the project 66

Add a command to the project 66

Give an ID to the command 68

Add a menu extension 72

Add a contribution to Eclipse menu 73

Adding a view to the project 77

Call XPathEval in the view 84

Open or hide the view using the command's defaultHandler 87

Adding a state to myCommand 87

Internationalization I18N 92

What to translate 92

Location of Translated files 92

plugin.xml 92

Internationalization aware 93

Internationalizing the view name 95

How to test the plug-in with different languages 98

Externalize Strings wizard. 105

Calling the wizard 105

Add any messages_xx.properties for any other languages 111

plug-in fragment 114

Plug-in fragment project 114

Translating cheatsheets 123

Internationalization of templates 124

Tell Eclipse to use internationalization for resources 125

Packaging and Deploying the plug-in and fragment 127

First, verify components to export 127

Package and export 129

Deploying the plug-in (and its fragment) 132