Re: [platform-core-dev] Can I use Eclipse Platform Core functionality ou

[Bob Foster <bob@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Allowing users to install arbitrary plugins on your server is asking for 
trouble. There are no restrictions on what plugins can do. For a server 
addon you would want some sort of sandbox to run extensions in; Eclipse 
has no such feature.

Bob Foster

Kai Shen wrote:
> Hi,
>  
> We're working on a server side project. In this project, we'd like to 
> provide user an extension framework so that user can use Eclipse's 
> extension mechanism in server side. Our goal is to allow user to develop 
> their plug-ins in Eclipse environment and use those plug-ins directly in 
> server side without any modification.
>  
> I understand Eclipse use /org.eclipse.osgi/ and 
> /org.eclipse.core.runtime/ to manage the bundles, classloaders and 
> extension registry, etc. So, ideally, we can use /org.eclipse.osgi/ and 
> /org.eclipse.core.runtime/ in our java application.
>  
> However, I found the following in the Eclipse on-line help:
> /The Eclipse Platform makes heavy use of Java class loaders for loading 
> plug-ins. Even the Eclipse Runtime itself and the OSGi framework need to 
> be loaded by special class loaders. Client programs, such as a Java main 
> program or a servlet, cannot directly reference any part of Eclipse 
> directly. Instead, a client must use the EclipseStarter class in 
> org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor to start the platform, invoking 
> functionality defined in plug-ins, and shutting down the platform when 
> done. /
> /Clients that do not need to access any particular function, but just 
> need to start the platform, can use Main.run() in startup.jar. However, 
> clients that need to invoke specific function should use EclipseStarter. 
> See the javadoc inside this class for details./
>  
> It looks like we can NOT use /org.eclipse.osgi/ and 
> /org.eclipse.core.runtime/ directly. We need to start the platform by 
> calling EclipseStarter. The EclipseStarter will use another classloader 
> to load the Eclipse Platform.
>  
> So, I think our solution could be as follow: 
> 1. In the java application, use EclipseStarter to start Eclipse Platform.
> 2. Configure the Eclipse Platform so that workbench and other UI related 
> plug-ins won't be loaded. (Actually, only /org.eclipse.osgi/ and 
> /org.eclipse.core.runtime/ are needed).
> 3. If the Java application needs to use the Eclipse core functionality 
> (e.g. Platform.getBundle(symbolicName), platform.getExtensionRegistry(), 
> etc.), we need to use the classloader's functions to find the class 
> instance and then call the function in the class instance.
>  
> Is this solution feasible? Did anyone do it before? I think the 
> extension framework is a very nice feature of Eclipse. If we can use it 
> in server applications, it will make Eclipse core even greater! Since 
> I'm new to Eclipse Platform Core, this idea might be unrealistic. But 
> anyway, I just want to start the discussion, because I think the goal is 
> great, it will make Eclipse Platform more popular and benefit other 
> developers. Your thoughts and comments are highly welcome!
>  
> Thanks,
> Kai
>  
>  
>
>
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