The document outlines best practices for developing plug-ins for the Eclipse platform, including separating code into modular plug-ins, externalizing strings, lazy loading, using singletons judiciously, carefully using startup code, preferring the target platform over the workspace, sharing target definitions, keeping build properties synced, setting proper Java compliance and version ranges, using correct version numbering, carefully defining APIs, and using API tools.

1. PDE Good Practices Ankur Sharma Eclipse PDE co-lead @ankur_sharma http://blog.ankursharma.org

3. Do not create monolithic plug-ins

4. Separate the platform/locale code into fragments

5. Separate Core, UI, Doc, etc

7. ‘Usage of non-externalized strings’ preference

13. Every plug-in loads with a dependency baggage

14. Judiciously make plug-ins reusable

16. singleton plug-ins can not be dynamically installed

20. org.eclipse.ui.startup extension

22. Adding them to workspace makes it difficult to track and manage.

23. #6 Share target definitions

25. Use build preferences to keep it in sync with classpath

26. This helps avoid “ …but it was working in my workspace! ” situations.

29. Set the appropriate Java Compiler preferences

31. Also helps in catching API breakages

33. Version numbers are not meant for marketing

34. Stick to major.minor.micro-qualifier

35. Bump up the correct number in version on releases.

37. Public, internal and x-friends

38. Don’t re-export everything

39. An Eclipse API is forever

41. #10 Versions are not for marketing

42. #11 Define API carefully

43. thank you