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Feature/Plugin Updates [message #141747] Thu, 09 October 2003 13:59 Go to next message
Eclipse UserFriend
Originally posted by: travisj.us.ibm.com

I have written a plugin for WSAD that adds a book to the help system. I
have made this into a feature that utilizes the Install/Update Perspective
of WSAD. My dilema is this, I want to publish periodic updates to the
contents of the plugin. I do this by updating the various files in the
plugin jar. I leave the version number the same on the plugin jar and
only update the version number on the feature jar (this is what tells WSAD
an update is available for the feature). The problem I have is that when
installing the update, the plugin.xml file cannot be in the plugin jar.
This is fine if everyone has already installed the feature for the first
time and will ONLY update. However, if somebody new comes along and wants
to install the feature for the first time, it will not function because
the plugin.xml file is missing. Any thoughts on how I could satisfy both
new and existing users? My only thought is the publish to separate
locations for update and install. Maybe someone knows of a better way?
Thanks.
Re: Feature/Plugin Updates [message #141882 is a reply to message #141747] Thu, 09 October 2003 16:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Peter Manahan is currently offline Peter ManahanFriend
Messages: 131
Registered: July 2009
Senior Member
All you have to do have a plugin and a feature that references it. When
you make changes to the plugin update its version. When you update the
plugin version you also need to update the feature version. I am not
sure what you mean by removing the plugin.xml from the plugin.jar. If
you have 1 plugin and 1 feature then you should just have 2 jar files.
One contains the contents of the plugin the other the contents of the
feature.

You may want to consider separating the data from plugin if you can.
That way you can update the data in place multiple times without also
updating the plugin itself. The feature would still have to get an
update version each time as well.

Peter

Travis wrote:
> I have written a plugin for WSAD that adds a book to the help system. I
> have made this into a feature that utilizes the Install/Update Perspective
> of WSAD. My dilema is this, I want to publish periodic updates to the
> contents of the plugin. I do this by updating the various files in the
> plugin jar. I leave the version number the same on the plugin jar and
> only update the version number on the feature jar (this is what tells WSAD
> an update is available for the feature). The problem I have is that when
> installing the update, the plugin.xml file cannot be in the plugin jar.
> This is fine if everyone has already installed the feature for the first
> time and will ONLY update. However, if somebody new comes along and wants
> to install the feature for the first time, it will not function because
> the plugin.xml file is missing. Any thoughts on how I could satisfy both
> new and existing users? My only thought is the publish to separate
> locations for update and install. Maybe someone knows of a better way?
> Thanks.
>
Re: Feature/Plugin Updates [message #141937 is a reply to message #141882] Thu, 09 October 2003 21:07 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Eclipse UserFriend
Originally posted by: travisj.us.ibm.com

Updating the version on the plugin creates a new folder in the
eclipse\plugins directory. This is problematic because the WSAD Help
system continues to reference the old one unless you manually delete it.
This is why I only update the version number on the feature and leave the
plugin version alone. WSAD has no problem overwriting any files in the
plugin folder OTHER THAN the plugin.xml file. Herein lies my dilema.

Peter Manahan wrote:

> All you have to do have a plugin and a feature that references it. When
> you make changes to the plugin update its version. When you update the
> plugin version you also need to update the feature version. I am not
> sure what you mean by removing the plugin.xml from the plugin.jar. If
> you have 1 plugin and 1 feature then you should just have 2 jar files.
> One contains the contents of the plugin the other the contents of the
> feature.

> You may want to consider separating the data from plugin if you can.
> That way you can update the data in place multiple times without also
> updating the plugin itself. The feature would still have to get an
> update version each time as well.

> Peter

> Travis wrote:
> > I have written a plugin for WSAD that adds a book to the help system. I
> > have made this into a feature that utilizes the Install/Update Perspective
> > of WSAD. My dilema is this, I want to publish periodic updates to the
> > contents of the plugin. I do this by updating the various files in the
> > plugin jar. I leave the version number the same on the plugin jar and
> > only update the version number on the feature jar (this is what tells WSAD
> > an update is available for the feature). The problem I have is that when
> > installing the update, the plugin.xml file cannot be in the plugin jar.
> > This is fine if everyone has already installed the feature for the first
> > time and will ONLY update. However, if somebody new comes along and wants
> > to install the feature for the first time, it will not function because
> > the plugin.xml file is missing. Any thoughts on how I could satisfy both
> > new and existing users? My only thought is the publish to separate
> > locations for update and install. Maybe someone knows of a better way?
> > Thanks.
> >
Re: Feature/Plugin Updates [message #141978 is a reply to message #141937] Fri, 10 October 2003 01:05 Go to previous message
Peter Manahan is currently offline Peter ManahanFriend
Messages: 131
Registered: July 2009
Senior Member
That sounds odd. Update the plugin and feature versions should force the
new plugin to be loaded instead of the old one. If it didn't work this
way then when WSAD updated its doc plugins the old version would show up
and that doesn't happen only the new versions show up. Are you sure that
the new version of the feature lists the new version of the plugin? One
case where I could see behaviour you describe would be if you updated
the feature version but didn't update the plugin statement in the
feature to use the new version of the plugin.

Peter

Travis wrote:
> Updating the version on the plugin creates a new folder in the
> eclipse\plugins directory. This is problematic because the WSAD Help
> system continues to reference the old one unless you manually delete it.
> This is why I only update the version number on the feature and leave the
> plugin version alone. WSAD has no problem overwriting any files in the
> plugin folder OTHER THAN the plugin.xml file. Herein lies my dilema.
>
> Peter Manahan wrote:
>
>
>>All you have to do have a plugin and a feature that references it. When
>>you make changes to the plugin update its version. When you update the
>>plugin version you also need to update the feature version. I am not
>>sure what you mean by removing the plugin.xml from the plugin.jar. If
>>you have 1 plugin and 1 feature then you should just have 2 jar files.
>>One contains the contents of the plugin the other the contents of the
>>feature.
>
>
>>You may want to consider separating the data from plugin if you can.
>>That way you can update the data in place multiple times without also
>>updating the plugin itself. The feature would still have to get an
>>update version each time as well.
>
>
>>Peter
>
>
>>Travis wrote:
>>
>>>I have written a plugin for WSAD that adds a book to the help system. I
>>>have made this into a feature that utilizes the Install/Update Perspective
>>>of WSAD. My dilema is this, I want to publish periodic updates to the
>>>contents of the plugin. I do this by updating the various files in the
>>>plugin jar. I leave the version number the same on the plugin jar and
>>>only update the version number on the feature jar (this is what tells WSAD
>>>an update is available for the feature). The problem I have is that when
>>>installing the update, the plugin.xml file cannot be in the plugin jar.
>>>This is fine if everyone has already installed the feature for the first
>>>time and will ONLY update. However, if somebody new comes along and wants
>>>to install the feature for the first time, it will not function because
>>>the plugin.xml file is missing. Any thoughts on how I could satisfy both
>>>new and existing users? My only thought is the publish to separate
>>>locations for update and install. Maybe someone knows of a better way?
>>>Thanks.
>>>
>>
>
>
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