Extend an existing Eclipse IDE
You can extend a compatible Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) that is installed on your computer by adding the functions that are contained in the package that you are installing.
Some packages that you install might have the option to extend, or add, to the installed IDE additional functions that the installation package provides. During installation, if the Extend an existing Eclipse IDE option is enabled on the Location page, the packages that you are installing can extend an existing Eclipse IDE.
You might extend your existing Eclipse IDE, for example, to gain the functions that are provided in the installation package, but also to preserve the preferences and settings in your current IDE. You might want to use plug-ins that you have installed that already extend the Eclipse IDE.
Your existing Eclipse IDE must be version 3.2 or later to be extended. IBM Installation Manager checks that the Eclipse instance that you specify meets the requirements for the installation package.
When you extend an existing Eclipse IDE, Installation Manager allows the functionality in the installation packages to be used within the existing Eclipse IDE. The files that provide the functionality are installed in the directory of the package group that you select.
The Eclipse instance that you choose to extend must have an initialization (.ini) file. If an .ini file does not exist, you must create an .ini file in the same folder as your Eclipse executable file (.exe). The .ini file must have the same name as the Eclipse executable file. For example, if your Eclipse executable file is product.exe, the .ini file must be named product.ini.
If you start your executable file using certain vmargs arguments, you must add those arguments to the .ini file. After adding the arguments to the .ini file, you do not need to specify the vmargs arguments on the command line when starting the executable file.