[platform-ui-dev] Re: Eclipse as a platform for custom applications

["Seymour Kellerman/Cambridge/IBM" <seymour_kellerman@xxxxxxxxxx>]

In response to the query about using Eclipse as a UI framework, I'm doing just that, adapting the Eclipse Workbench as my UI Desktop. You can rebrand the Workbench, changing icons, help about, splash screen, background color and the like.  If you're willing to open the  workbench jar you can modify or remove the status line, shortcut bar, coolbar, and menus. It's also easy to change the application launcher.  One of the benefits of this approach, besides the fact that you are getting an industrial-strength UI platform that looks great, is that you can develop business objects, both UI components and faceless backend engines, as plugins.  

A coarse recipe for getting started is:

1. Modify the Eclipse assembly 
Make a copy of Eclipse and change the root directory from \Eclipse to  \YourUIRoot.
Launch with \YourUIRoot\eclipse.exe -vm \j2sdk1.4\jre\bin\javaw.exe.
Go to \YourUIRoot\plugins and eliminate all but the plugins required to run the Workbench. (You will have to edit the plugin.xml files, and feature.xml files.)  You'll be left with:
org.apache.xerces_4.0.3
org.eclipse.core.boot_2.0.0
org.eclipse.core.resources.win32_2.0.0
org.eclipse.core.resources_2.0.0
org.eclipse.core.runtime_2.0.0
org.eclipse.help_2.0.0
org.eclipse.platform.win32_2.0.0
org.eclipse.platform_2.0.0
org.eclipse.swt.win32_2.0.0
org.eclipse.swt_2.0.0
org.eclipse.ui.win32_2.0.0
org.eclipse.ui_2.0.0        //includes workbench.jar
You can probably eliminate more, help, for example, and the minimal set of plugins shortens your startup time.

2. Open workbench.jar 
Modify the org.eclipse.ui.internal package starting with WorkbenchActionBuilder, perhaps moving on to 

LayoutTreeNode.java
PartPane.java
Perspective.java
WorkbenchColors.java
WorkbenchPage.java
WorkbenchWindow.java
messages.properties