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Best Way to Install Eclipse Web Tools Platform

I corrupted my install of Eclipse on Saturday morning while trying to get the Spring IDE installed. Lucky for me, I follow one of the Eclipse Best Practices of keeping my workspace in a directory that is NOT under my Eclipse install. The only plugin I was using was the Eclipse Web Tools Platform (WTP going forward).

Call me crazy but I find the install instructions for WTP to be VERY LACKING. I just get lost in the details they provide. First, I get to the instructions by clicking on FAQ from the WTP page. Then I click on #7, “How to install WTP.” From here I get frustrated trying to choose between the “auto” install and the “manual” install. The instructions for both seem a bit off, and out-dated.

I guess I’m issuing an official CALL FOR HELP. What’s the best route for installing WTP? Can I use the 3.2 M5 release?

This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Donald Smith 21 Feb 2006

    Hi Erik, try posting on the Eclipse newsgroups – these kinds of questions usually get answered very quickly.

  2. Erik Weibust 21 Feb 2006

    Ok Donald, I’ve posted a “call for help” on the eclipse.webtools newsgroup. We’ll see how quick I get an answer. 😉

    Erik

  3. Matt Conway 21 Feb 2006

    What I do is install WTP into its own extension location, as well as installing its dependecies in their own extension location.

    I’ve documented using extension locations here:

    http://simplygenius.com/geekblog/2005/04/08/1112982083849.html

    So, for wtp, I unzip the wtp zip into ~/eclipse-config/wtp and create the .eclipseextension file:

    ~/eclipse-config/wtp
    ~/eclipse-config/wtp/.eclipseextension
    ~/eclipse-config/wtp/eclipse
    ~/eclipse-config/wtp/eclipse/features
    ~/eclipse-config/wtp/eclipse/plugins

    Likewise for wtp’s dependenncies, emf, gef and jem:

    ~/eclipse-config/emf-gef-jem
    ~/eclipse-config/emf-gef-jem/.eclipseextension
    ~/eclipse-config/emf-gef-jem/eclipse
    ~/eclipse-config/emf-gef-jem/eclipse/features
    ~/eclipse-config/emf-gef-jem/eclipse/plugins

    And when I run eclipse, I just add these locations to my setup (Help->Software Updates -> Manage Config)

    This way upgrading is just a matter of replacing the extension location with a new set of files, and running eclipse -clean to refresh plugin cache.

  4. Rob Sanheim 21 Feb 2006

    Extension points are the way to go. Throw all your plugins in their own direction and do the .eclipseextension thing as described above.

  5. Erik Weibust 21 Feb 2006

    Thanks for the detailed instructions, Matt.

    So if I go to the WTP download page what do I need to download? Up at the top of the page they have some prereqs. Do I pull those down? There is an EMF driver, GEF driver, and a EMF Model Runtime? And what the heck is a eclipse driver? Sorry, that was off subject.

    Then under WebTools Platform; Runtime there is a wtp1.0.zip and wtp1.0sdk.zip. Do I need both of those? After the WTP zips there are WST zips. Do I need those?

    This is my problem with WTP!!!!!! None of this is documented!!!!

    Erik

  6. analogue 21 Feb 2006

    Been there done that 🙂 It is possible using only update sites.

    Import this list of update sites:

    Help->
    Software Updates->
    Find and Install…->
    Search For New Features to Install->
    Import Sites…->

    Hmm…won’t let me post xml..you’ll just have to create update sites for the following URLs:

    Eclipse 3.1: http://update.eclipse.org/updates/3.1
    Eclipse 3.0: http://update.eclipse.org/updates/3.0
    EMF: http://download.eclipse.org/tools/emf/updates/
    WTP: http://download.eclipse.org/webtools/updates

    After creating update sites, select them and click on Finish

    Eclipse will go off and search for updates..go get coffee…

    Deselect Show Only Latest Version of a Feature

    Select *ONLY* WTP -> Web Tools Project

    Click on Select Required button

    Next..rest is self explanatory.

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