1 The Launching Framework in Eclipse Cheng-Chia Chen

2 Outlines source: – Framework/launch.htmlhttp:// Framework/launch.html Eclipse's launching capabilities –depend entirely on the current set of installed plug-ins. –API available to build launching plug-ins and –developing an example launcher using this API. Prerequisites: –basic understanding of Eclipse plug-in architecture –understanding the structure of plugin.xml –knowledge of java and java environment

3 What is launching ? launching is defined as running or debugging a program from within Eclipse. a launcher is a set of Java classes that live in an Eclipse plug-in that performs launching. The base Eclipse workbench has no launcher. –It is only through plug-ins that Eclipse gains the ability to launch. The Eclipse SDK does ship with a set of useful launchers for launching –local Java applications & Java applets, –connecting to remote Java applications, –JUnit test suites and –starting an Eclipse workbench, if none of these satisfy your needs, you may need to write your own launcher.

4 The framework two main classes: LaunchConfiguration –the cookies LaunchConfigurationType –the cookie cutters Example: run a HelloWorld.java program –configurations: main class name: ‘HelloWorld’ JRE to use: program and VM arguments classpath,… –type: local Java Application' means only this type knows how to make sense of this config and how to launch it.

5 The Java applet example an example actually part of eclipse SDK –non-UI parts living in org.eclipse.jdt.launching plug-in, and –UI parts contained in org.eclipse.jdt.debug.ui plug-in. Declaring and implementing a launch configuration type Declaring and implementing a launch configuration type icon Declaring and implementing a tab group Declaring and implementing launch shortcuts Declaring and implementing launch groups Declaring and implementing a launch configuration comparator Putting it all together

6 Declaring a launch configuration type <launchConfigurationType name="Java Applet" delegate="org.eclipse.jdt.internal.launching.JavaAppletLaunchConfi gurationDelegate" modes="run, debug" id="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.javaApplet"> Notes: 1.The delegate class must implement the interface:org.eclipse.debug.core.model.ILaunchConfigurationDelega te. it is the brains of the launcher, and implements the launch() method which launches a specified config. 2.modes can be run or debug or both. can affect how the the configs appear in UI. if in both mode, launch() should handle both.

7 Declaring a launch configuration type Notes: 3. optional boolean attributes: private –ture => can be launched by programs only. –false[default] => can appear in UI. category –discussed later