Chapter 18. Features, Branding, and Updates

One or more Eclipse plug-ins can be grouped together into an Eclipse feature so that a user can easily load, manage, and brand those plug-ins as a single unit. This chapter includes an overview of the Eclipse feature framework and shows how to create a simple feature using the built-in feature-creation wizard.

It will also discuss using features to commercialize or brand a plug-in-based product and will conclude with a description of how to package and deliver features via an update-enabled Web site.

So far, several plug-ins have been created, which have contributed different features to the Favorites view. Each plug-in has been loosely coupled to other plug-ins, and collectively have not exhibited any unifying structure or identity. A feature provides this structure and a home for branding elements such as the About pages and images (see Figure 18-1).

Figure 18-1. Feature file relationships and branding elements.

Once packaged as a feature, you will then be able to load and unload your plug-ins as a single unit using the Eclipse Update Manager.