WindowBuilder fails to install for basic Java IDE via dropins

[dhmartin]

I know the use of dropins folder is not very popular nowadays, but i tend to use it because it provides a fast systemwide install using scripts. I have used this procedure for eclipse Java IDE with WindowBuilder, but it's failing since eclipse 2023-06 with WindowBuilder 12. Actually, it does behave as usual with eclipse JEE 2023-06!

I'm using both W10 and Linux Ubuntu 22.04, properly updated. Neither the OS nor the JDK version (adoptium) seem to make any difference.

The procedure:

• Unzip/untar eclipse.
• Create dir dropins/WindowBuilder and unzip WindowBuilder-Updates-1.12.0.zip
• Remove p2 root files in dropins/WindowBuilder
• Start eclipse (removed .eclipse and .p2 for testing purposes)
• Check for WB icon / Check with New XXX wizards for WindowBuilder
• Maybe restart eclipse and retry: makes no difference

As I said:

• Java IDE 2023-03 + WB 11: OK
• Java IDE 2023-06 + WB 12: fail
• JEE IDE 2023-06 + WB 12: OK

Last week I also tried with Java IDE 2023-09 M2, with no luck.

I have copied config listings before and after populating the dropins folder in both cases. I may keep using eclipse JEE, but I hope this may help.

David
eclipse202306jee.conf-000.txt
eclipse202306jee.conf-dropins.txt
eclipse202306.conf-000.txt
eclipse202306.conf-dropins.txt

[ptziegler]

I've just tried to start both WB 11 and 12 via dropins and with the Eclipse 2023-09 M1, but neither works. So I find it weird that it did with the 2023-03.
I also have the suspicion that this is a general issue in Equinox/P2 because when I look at the log, I can see following error being thrown several times (and the same with 1.12.0, of course):

Error: file:/home/patrick/eclipse/dropins/WindowBuilder-Updates-1.11.0/ is not a valid extension location because it already contains a standard p2 repository file.

If you remove everything but the features and plugins folder, the dropin mechanism seems to work again. So I think that problem is not exclusive to WindowBuilder.

Can you try and run ./eclipse -clean -consoleLog via the command line to see if you get the same error?

[dhmartin]

That's right. I have always got that "contains p2 file" error if I don't remove the extra files from the root of the WB updates ZIP. In all cases I ALWAYS removed them; the problem is NOT about that. It might be handy to have a separate distributed file without them, but myself I really don't care much about it.

OK, let's try: M1 or M2?… I suppose you tried "eclipse Java IDE", not "eclipse JEE IDE"
No luck: no WB icon, no new WB wizard. ¿Did you really succeed?

See both setup log and config files:
eclipse202309M2.conf-dropins.txt
eclipse202309M2.setuplog.txt

Remember that I told you that the same procedure does work if using "eclipse JEE IDE 2023-06". Actually, to make me sure, I have just tried the exact same steps for "eclipse JEE IDE 2023-09 M2" and it works: both icon and WB wizard are visible there straight out of the box!

[ptziegler]

Did you really succeed?

Well, this one was with the 4.28, not the 4.29 M1. But I think I see what the problem is. Can you check something for me? Is org.apache.commons.collections installed in the JEE IDE? What about the normal IDE?

What happens when you download org.apache.commons.collections from Eclipse Orbit and also add it to the dropins folder?

[dhmartin]

It seems not…:

dmartin@ebano:~/tmp/borrar$ grep "org.apache.commons.collections" eclipse202306.conf-dropins.txt dmartin@ebano:~/tmp/borrar$ grep "org.apache.commons.collections" eclipse202306jee.conf-dropins.txt org.apache.commons.collections (3.2.2.v20220405-1659) "Apache Commons Collections" [Resolved] Id: org.apache.commons.collections, Version: 3.2.2.v20220405-1659, Location: reference:file:plugins/org.apache.commons.collections_3.2.2.v20220405-1659.jar

And you're right 🙂: I repeated the same procedure with "Java IDE 2023-09 M2", I unjared org.apache.commons.collections_3.2.2.v20220405-1659.jar in a separate dropin's folder and voila! I got both the WB toolbar icon and the wizard; and I had no problems to create a new Java project, add an application window class and switch to see the design tab.

So, now… Should I patch my installation scripts or wait a bit for a fix in WB13?

[ptziegler]

So, now… Should I patch my installation scripts or wait a bit for a fix in WB13?

As a temporary solution, I would go with manually adding the missing bundles. The fix itself shouldn't be too difficult. I just have to double-check if there are other dependencies that need to be added to the update site.

[dhmartin]

Thanks a lot! It's been a nuisance these months, dealing with eclipse old, new, Java and JEE version swapping. Not to say all the testing time invested... 🤓

[ptziegler]

It seems like only commons-collections was missing. The fix should be available with the next nightly build or the upcoming M3.