# Chapter 38. The Eclipse Plugin

The Eclipse plugin generates files that are used by the Eclipse IDE, thus making it possible to import the project into Eclipse (File - Import... - Existing Projects into Workspace). Both external dependencies (including associated source and javadoc files) and project dependencies are considered.

Since version 1.0-milestone-4 of Gradle, the WTP-generating code was refactored into a separate plugin called `eclipse-wtp`. So if you are interested in WTP integration then only apply the `eclipse-wtp` plugin. Otherwise applying the `eclipse` plugin is enough. This change was requested by Eclipse users who take advantage of the `war` or `ear` plugins, but who don't use Eclipse WTP. Internally, the `eclipse-wtp` plugin also applies the `eclipse` plugin so you don't need to apply both of those plugins.

What exactly the Eclipse plugin generates depends on which other plugins are used:

Table 38.1. Eclipse plugin behavior

Plugin | Description
None | Generates minimal `.project` file.
Java | Adds Java configuration to `.project`. Generates `.classpath` and JDT settings file.
Groovy | Adds Groovy configuration to `.project` file.
Scala | Adds Scala support to `.project` and `.classpath` files.
War | Adds web application support to `.project` file. Generates WTP settings files only if `eclipse-wtp` plugin was applied.
Ear | Adds ear application support to `.project` file. Generates WTP settings files only if `eclipse-wtp` plugin was applied.

The Eclipse plugin is open to customization and provides a standardized set of hooks for adding and removing content from the generated files.

## 38.1. Usage

To use the Eclipse plugin, include this in your build script:

Example 38.1. Using the Eclipse plugin

`build.gradle`

    apply plugin: 'eclipse'

The Eclipse plugin adds a number of tasks to your projects. The main tasks that you will use are the `eclipse` and `cleanEclipse` tasks.

## 38.2. Tasks

The Eclipse plugin adds the tasks shown below to a project.

Table 38.2. Eclipse plugin - tasks

Task name | Depends on | Type | Description
`eclipse` | `eclipseProject`, `eclipseClasspath`, `eclipseJdt`, `eclipseWtpComponent`, `cleanEclipseWtpFacet` | `Task` | Generates all Eclipse configuration files
`cleanEclipse` | `cleanEclipseProject`, `cleanEclipseClasspath`, `cleanEclipseJdt`, `cleanEclipseWtpComponent`, `cleanEclipseWtpFacet` | `Delete` | Removes all Eclipse configuration files
`cleanEclipseProject` | `-` | `Delete` | Removes the `.project` file.
`cleanEclipseClasspath` | `-` | `Delete` | Removes the `.classpath` file.
`cleanEclipseJdt` | `-` | `Delete` | Removes the `.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs` file.
`cleanEclipseWtpComponent` | `-` | `Delete` | Removes the `.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component` file.
`cleanEclipseWtpFacet` | `-` | `Delete` | Removes the `.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component` file.
`eclipseProject` | `-` | `GenerateEclipseProject` | Generates the `.project` file.
`eclipseClasspath` | `-` | `GenerateEclipseClasspath` | Generates the `.classpath` file.
`eclipseJdt` | `-` | `GenerateEclipseJdt` | Generates the `.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs` file.
`eclipseWtpComponent` | `-` | `GenerateEclipseWtpComponent` | Generates the `.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component` file only if `eclipse-wtp` plugin was applied.
`eclipseWtpFacet` | `-` | `GenerateEclipseWtpFacet` | Generates the `.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml` file only if `eclipse-wtp` plugin was applied.

## 38.3. Configuration

Table 38.3. Configuration of the Eclipse plugin

Model | Reference name | Description
`EclipseModel` | `eclipse` | Top level element that enables configuration of the Eclipse plugin in a DSL-friendly fashion
`EclipseProject` | `eclipse.project` | Allows configuring project information
`EclipseClasspath` | `eclipse.classpath` | Allows configuring classpath information
`EclipseJdt` | `eclipse.jdt` | Allows configuring jdt information (source/target java compatibility)
`EclipseWtpComponent` | `eclipse.wtp.component` | Allows configuring wtp component information only if `eclipse-wtp` plugin was applied.
`EclipseWtpFacet` | `eclipse.wtp.facet` | Allows configuring wtp facet information only if `eclipse-wtp` plugin was applied.

## 38.4. Customizing the generated files

The Eclipse plugin allows you to customize the generated metadata files. The plugin provides a DSL for configuring model objects that model the Eclipse view of the project. These model objects are then merged with the existing Eclipse XML metadata to ultimately generate new metadata. The model objects provide lower level hooks for working with domain objects representing the file content before and after merging with the model configuration. They also provide a very low level hook for working directly with the raw XML for adjustment before it is persisted, for fine tuning and configuration that the Eclipse plugin does not model.

### 38.4.1. Merging

Sections of existing Eclipse files that are also the target of generated content will be amended or overwritten, depending on the particular section. The remaining sections will be left as-is.

#### 38.4.1.1. Disabling merging with a complete rewrite

To completely rewrite existing Eclipse files, execute a clean task together with its corresponding generation task, like “`gradle cleanEclipse eclipse`” (in that order). If you want to make this the default behavior, add “`tasks.eclipse.dependsOn(cleanEclipse)`” to your build script. This makes it unnecessary to execute the clean task explicitly.

This strategy can also be used for individual files that the plugin would generate. For instance, this can be done for the “`.classpath`” file with “`gradle cleanEclipseClasspath eclipseClasspath`”.

### 38.4.2. Hooking into the generation lifecycle

The Eclipse plugin provides objects modeling the sections of the Eclipse files that are generated by Gradle. The generation lifecycle is as follows:

1. The file is read; or a default version provided by Gradle is used if it does not exist
2. The `beforeMerged` hook is executed with a domain object representing the existing file
3. The existing content is merged with the configuration inferred from the Gradle build or defined explicitly in the eclipse DSL
4. The `whenMerged` hook is executed with a domain object representing contents of the file to be persisted
5. The `withXml` hook is executed with a raw representation of the XML that will be persisted
6. The final XML is persisted

The following table lists the domain object used for each of the Eclipse model types:

Table 38.4. Advanced configuration hooks

Model | `beforeMerged { arg -> }` argument type | `whenMerged { arg -> }` argument type | `withXml { arg -> }` argument type
`EclipseProject` | `Project` | `Project` | `XmlProvider`
`EclipseClasspath` | `Classpath` | `Classpath` | `XmlProvider`
`EclipseJdt` | `Jdt` | `Jdt` |
`EclipseWtpComponent` | `WtpComponent` | `WtpComponent` | `XmlProvider`
`EclipseWtpFacet` | `WtpFacet` | `WtpFacet` | `XmlProvider`

#### 38.4.2.1. Partial overwrite of existing content

A complete overwrite causes all existing content to be discarded, thereby losing any changes made directly in the IDE. Alternatively, the `beforeMerged` hook makes it possible to overwrite just certain parts of the existing content. The following example removes all existing dependencies from the `Classpath` domain object:

Example 38.2. Partial Overwrite for Classpath

`build.gradle`

    eclipse.classpath.file {
        beforeMerged { classpath ->
            classpath.entries.removeAll { entry -> entry.kind == 'lib' || entry.kind == 'var' }
        }
    }

The resulting `.classpath` file will only contain Gradle-generated dependency entries, but not any other dependency entries that may have been present in the original file. (In the case of dependency entries, this is also the default behavior.) Other sections of the `.classpath` file will be either left as-is or merged. The same could be done for the natures in the `.project` file:

Example 38.3. Partial Overwrite for Project

`build.gradle`

    eclipse.project.file.beforeMerged { project ->
        project.natures.clear()
    }

#### 38.4.2.2. Modifying the fully populated domain objects

The `whenMerged` hook allows to manipulate the fully populated domain objects. Often this is the preferred way to customize Eclipse files. Here is how you would export all the dependencies of an Eclipse project:

Example 38.4. Export Dependencies

`build.gradle`

    eclipse.classpath.file {
        whenMerged { classpath ->
            classpath.entries.findAll { entry -> entry.kind == 'lib' }*.exported = false
        }
    }

#### 38.4.2.3. Modifying the XML representation

The `withXml`hook allows to manipulate the in-memory XML representation just before the file gets written to disk. Although Groovy's XML support makes up for a lot, this approach is less convenient than manipulating the domain objects. In return, you get total control over the generated file, including sections not modeled by the domain objects.

Example 38.5. Customizing the XML

`build.gradle`

    apply plugin: 'eclipse-wtp'

    eclipse.wtp.facet.file.withXml { provider ->
        provider.asNode().fixed.find { it.@facet == 'jst.java' }.@facet = 'jst2.java'
    }