The configuration in Eclipse

Is default, Eclipse uses a single configuration for a given installation. The
Configuration information is saved in the Platform.xml file found in the
\configuration\org.eclipse.update dirctory. them primary content in the
Configuration is a list install sites. An install site was a location on the file
system where an Eclipse directory tree. With feature and plugins directories, can is found.
The configuration identifies what install sites is accessible, lists the features that
exist in each site, and determines what features was available and active when Eclipse is started.
The platform:/base/site is a reference to the Eclipse directory structure from which the Eclipse.exe

was started.

the extracted configuration directory :

D:\eclipse\eclipse-rcp-indigo-sr1-win32\eclipse\configuration>dir
Volume in drive D-is TOOLS
Volume Serial number is 7899-0da2

Directory of D:\eclipse\eclipse-rcp-indigo-SR1-win32\eclipse\configuration

2012-10-17 13:45 <DIR>.
2012-10-17 13:45 <DIR>.
2011-11-02 14:44 <DIR>. Settings
2012-10-12 15:35 873 Config.ini
2012-10-12 16:52 <DIR> Org.eclipse.core.runtime
2011-11-02 14:43 <DIR> Org.eclipse.equinox.app
2011-11-02 11:41 <DIR> Org.eclipse.equinox.simpleconfigurator
2011-11-02 11:41 <DIR> Org.eclipse.equinox.source
2012-10-12 16:52 <DIR> Org.eclipse.osgi
2011-11-02 14:44 <DIR> Org.eclipse.ui.intro.universal
2012-10-17 13:45 <DIR> org.eclipse.update
1 File (s) 873 bytes
Dir (s) 5,241,536,512 bytes free

The default configuration is used when Eclipse was launched and applies To
Any workspace this might be accessed. The-configurationstartup parameter can
be used to identify an alternnative configuration.

A configuration is a list of install sites and the features found with each of the these install sites.
An install site was a location that contains features and plug-ins so can be included in the
Configuration. The Update Manager processes the content of the features and plugins directiries of

the install site; If the content is valid, it can be included in configuration.

part of the Platform.xml file :

<?xml version= "1.0" encoding= "UTF-8"?>
<config date= "1350027346671" transient= "false" version= "3.0" >
<site enabled= "true" policy= "User-exclude" updateable= "true" Url= "platform:/base/" >
<feature Id= "Org.eclipse.wst.xml_ui.feature" plugin-identifier= "Org.eclipse.wst.xml.ui" url= "Features/org.eclipse.wst.xml _ui.feature_3.3.1.v201108102009-7h7efz3dxumtlai6nherdho2p1kadil1uz-s3pl/"version=" 3.3.1. V201108102009-7H7EFZ3DXUMTLAI6NHERDHO2P1KADIL1UZ-S3PL ">
</feature>
<feature id=" Org.eclipse.equinox.p2.core.feature "Url=" features/org.eclipse.equinox.p2.core.feature_1.0.1.r37x_ v20110906-8290fz3fuqiclqkvkeatdn_14c7g/"version=" 1.0.1.r37x_v20110906-8290fz3fuqiclqkvkeatdn_14c7g ">
</feature>

</site>
</config>

To be blunt, the purpose of the configuration is to specify which plugins will be loaded when Eclipse starts, which branding to use, which parameters to use, and so on.

Specific startup parameters can be found in:

Http://help.eclipse.org/indigo/index.jsp?topic=%2Forg.eclipse.platform.doc.isv%2Freference%2Fmisc%2Fruntime-options.html

Http://help.eclipse.org/indigo/index.jsp?topic=%2Forg.eclipse.platform.doc.user%2Ftasks%2Frunning_eclipse.htm

From the Java Developer ' s Guide to ECLIPSE