[news.eclipse.newcomer] Re: Plugin Fragment & External Jars

[George Karabotsos <g_karab@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Walter Harley wrote:
> "George Karabotsos" <g_karab@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message 
> news:epemvr$20g$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Well I am active in the software verification research area and that was 
> > the first place (easy as well) to hook up an extended static checker 
> > (ESC/Java2) to do static verification on the different java files.  I am 
> > still experimenting since I am still fairly new to Eclipse but its a 
> > start.  Thanks for pointing out the builder part, I 'll have a look, it 
> > sounds like it maybe a better fit for our purposes.
>
> Actually it might not be a bad fit for that.  The other thing that 
> CompilationParticipants can do is create Java problem markers (again, the 
> use case is annotation processing).
I am glad to hear!  Yes Java problem markers is in my lists of tasks to 
do.  Is there any tutorial or guide for doing so?
At the moment I have the ESC tool packaged as jar files and exported as 
a plugin - I have access to them through my fragment.  I now need to see 
how I can pass the information about the location of the theorem prover 
(it is an external tool).

> All in all, though, there are a zillion people using builders, and only a 
> very small number using CompilationParticipant, so you're probably safer and 
> subject to better support if you use a Builder.
OK thanks for pointing out this fact - I am wondering, however, whether 
its possible to create Java problem markers with builders?

> > On another related topic - I am not sure why but I can't seem to be able 
> > to update my fragment.  The first time I install it, it works fine - I 
> > then had to delete it.  All attempts to install it afterward do not seem 
> > to work.  When I export it I see it being updated on the plugins directory 
> > but when I check the list of plugins from the about screen I do not see it 
> > listed.  Anyhow, there are lots and lots to learn :)
>
> Make sure to run Eclipse with the -clean command line option if you are 
> exporting plug-ins under development.  Eclipse has a tendency to cache 
> things and ignore subsequent changes. 
Thanks you Walter!  This solved my problems!  Again on a related note, 
when you develop a plugin how you have setup your environment?  Right 
now I am just exporting my plugin in the .../eclipse/plugins directory 
and I restart the tool.  It is satisfactory, but I am wondering what 
other people are doing.

Thanks again for your help,

George