Perspective Extensions

Identifier: org.eclipse.ui.perspectiveExtensions

Description: This extension point is used to extend perspectives registered by other plug-ins. A perspective defines the initial contents of the window action bars (menu and toolbar) and the initial set of views and their layout within a workbench page.  Other plug-ins may contribute actions and views to the perspective. These actions and views appear when the perspective is selected.  Optional additions by other plug-ins are appended to the initial definition.

Configuration Markup:

   <!ELEMENT perspectiveExtension (actionSet | viewShortcut | perspectiveShortcut | newWizardShortcut | view)*>
   <!ATTLIST perspectiveExtension
      targetID   CDATA #REQUIRED
   >

  • targetID - the unique identifier of the perspective (as specified in the registry) into which the contribution is made.
  •    <!ELEMENT actionSet EMPTY>
       <!ATTLIST actionSet
          id         CDATA #REQUIRED
       >    <!ELEMENT viewShortcut EMPTY>
       <!ATTLIST viewShortcut
          id         CDATA #REQUIRED
       >    <!ELEMENT newWizardShortcut EMPTY>
       <!ATTLIST newWizardShortcut
          id         CDATA #REQUIRED
       >    <!ELEMENT perspectiveShortcut EMPTY>
       <!ATTLIST perspectiveShortcut
          id         CDATA #REQUIRED
       >    <!ELEMENT view EMPTY>
       <!ATTLIST view
          id                CDATA #REQUIRED
          relative          CDATA #REQUIRED
          relationship      CDATA #REQUIRED
          ratio             CDATA #OPTIONAL
          visible           CDATA #OPTIONAL
       > Examples:

    The following is an example of a perspective extension (note the subelements and the way attributes are used):

        <extension point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectiveExtensions">
            <perspectiveExtension
                targetID="org.eclipse.ui.resourcePerspective">
                <actionSet id="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.JavaActionSet"/>
                <viewShortcut id="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.PackageExplorer"/>
                <newWizardShortcut id="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.wizards.NewProjectCreationWizard"/>
                <perspectiveShortcut id="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.JavaPerspective"/>
                <view id="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.PackageExplorer"
                    relative="org.eclipse.ui.views.ResourceNavigator"
                    relationship="stack"/>
                <view id="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.TypeHierarchy"
                    relative="org.eclipse.ui.views.ResourceNavigator"
                    relationship="left"
                    ratio="0.50"/>
            </perspectiveExtension>
        </extension>

    In the example above, an action set, view shortcut, new wizard shortcut, and perspective shortcut are contributed to the initial contents of the Resource Perspective.  In addition, the Package Explorer view is stacked on the Resource Navigator view and the Type Hierarchy view is added beside the Resource Navigator view.

    API Information: The items defined within the perspective extension are contributed to the initial contents of the target perspective.  Following this, the user may remove any contribution or add others to a perspective from within the workbench user interface.

    Copyright IBM Corporation and others 2000, 2002.