Installing the development platform

Now that you perfectly know what to do, we will install and configure the development tools. This is quite simple but you might be trapped into some problems if you don't ready the next lines carefully. I will now assume that you have none of the development tools.

OpenOffice.org

First of all, you will need to have a working OpenOffice.org 2.0 and it's Software Development Kit (SDK). The last version are available on the OpenOffice.org download pages for the most current platforms.

If you have installed OpenOffice.org using a different distribution, please check that you have the development package. This tutorial assumes that you used the "Official" OpenOffice.org distribution from the project's website.

Eclipse and the plugin

To get Eclipse, just get to their download pages and download the last Eclipse SDK. You will have Eclipse and it's SDK. Of course, you might want to download only the binary runtime, but you will have to follow more links. Once you have Eclipse, unzip it on your computer and that's it: eclipse has a Java plugin to help you program in Java.

Now we will install the OpenOffice.org development plugin for Eclipse using the Eclipse software update system. Select the menu: HelpSoftware updatesFind and install, you should get the window of the illustration 2. Check the second option on this window and click on the Next button.

Intall and update window
Illustration 2: Install and update window

On the following page, you will see a list of update sites. These are URLs pointing to directories containing plugins informations and archives. Now click on the Add remote site button to get a small window asking for a name that will be displayed in the list and an URL. The URL of OpenOffice.org plugin update site is:

http://cedric.bosdonnat.free.fr/ooeclipseintegration

Then validate the new update site parameters and be sure that the OpenOffice.org site is checked before clicking on the Finish button. You should now see a window like the one of the illustration 3. Select the OpenOffice.org plugin as shown on the screen-shot and click next and follow the indications. You will be asked to accept the plugin licence and validate the installation the archive are not signed.

OpenOffice.org update site contents
Illustration 3: OpenOffice.org update site contents

Congratulations, you have installed the OpenOffice.org plugin successfully, there is now to configure it. The following steps will guide you through this task. Go to the Eclipse options via the Window Preferences... menu. In the list on the left, select the OpenOffice.org plugin SDK configuration item to get a window like the one shown by the illustration 4.

SDK configuration window
Illustration 4: SDK configuration window

In this window you will have to configure the path to your OpenOffice.org and to it's SDK. So let us begin with the SDK path: click on the Add button next to the SDKs list. You will have a window like the illustration 5, browse to your OpenOffice.org 2.0 SDK and validate. Then you will have to do the same for the OpenOffice.org path using the other Add button.

New SDK path window
Illustration 5: New SDK path window

Now your OpenOffice.org plugin is ready to work: you can begin to create your new component. If there was any problem during the plugin installation, do not hesitate to report it to the <