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Right now if you write a class that uses SWT you have to visit the launcher VM arguments and add the line -Djava.library.path=C:\devEclipse_01\eclipse\plugins\org.eclipse.swt.win32_2.0.1 \os\win32\x86. This is covered in the documentation on SWT, but because the DLL directory structure gets renamed between releases and varies across operating systems it is hard to keep the docs up to date and also for people to get the string exactly correct. A nice feature would be to have a checkbox tab on the Java Application launcher that simply says "Use SWT". When you check this it'll update the VM arguments with the required string. As an analogy when you start a VM in debug mode you can don't have to remember the -Xdebug -Xrunjdwp, etc... arguments, the launcher hides all of this from you. As an even nicer enhancement would be that the launcher can pre-select the use SWT box if the build path of the project actually pre-reqs SWT. This way you could do Run As-> Java Application and get the DLL added automatically without having to manually create a new configuration and enable it for SWT before using it. This will simplify the task of running an SWT application from within eclipse, as the DLL often moves between release so documentation that points to its location quickly becomes out of date. As an analogy when you start a VM in debug mode you often have a debug check box which does of the necessary -Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:, etc... arguments without you having to remember them every time.
Good suggestion, but - this requires a special SWT launcher and there are no plans to provide such a launcher for 2.1. - indeed, such a launcher should be provided by a sparate plugin since extending the library path doesn't make sense for normal Java applications. Since writing a launcher became quite easy with the new launching API this seems to be a good third party opportunity. Joe, are you interested in providing such a launcher ?
Sure - I'd love to do my bit for coding for the Eclipse community. However ... rather than have a totally separate launcher I'd like to suggest that the current launcher be extended so I can plug into it. Rather than the user having Run As-> Java Application and Run As->SWT Application it would make more sense for the current launcher to be used by the developer as there is no real difference in their mind - they both get launched through their main(String[]) method which I think is the separation between having separate launchers. For the extension point I think on the arguments tab there could be a two column check box list that is based on reading an extension point. In the list could be a check list so the user could check and uncheck items. The second column in the list would allow an editor to be present. Each item in the list would be able to have a class that implements an interface that lets it be given the program and VM arguments, and also manipulate them. In the checkbox This way anyone can write a plugin to make use of this extension point. As well as the SWT one I want, anyone could make use of this for program arguments. It is often hard to know what program arguments show be, so people could put these in the list with nice editors with combo boxes of the allowable values. Also, lots of other VM arguments like the locale and stuff could be in the list with drop down editors to help get the values and arguments correct. If you want I could try and mock up some ideas for this and how it would look visually and how the extension point would work ?
There isn't any support to extend an existing launcher and given our current schedule I think this will not happen even if we get external support. You can only provide a new launcher. But of course this new launcher could provide all the extensions points and editing feature you described. Also a "generic" application launcher is posssible I would still tend to implement a specific SWT launcer: Here are my reasons - easier to implement and to maintain. - you only have to define the lauch configuration once (the Run->Run As->SWT application step). After doing so the lauch config is in the list of the last executed application and you can start the application by simply selecting it in the drop down box. You can even define your favorite launch configs which will not be removed from the history. A good starting point might be the JUnit launcher which only contributes a new main tab to the launcher. The main tab could have an addition that might look like this: SWT library o use SWT library from workspace o use SWT library from file system [Text Input filed] [Browse button] Then the launcher can be used even if the swt.dll is not part of the workspace. Let me know if this makes sense to you.
