developerWorks: Put Eclipse Features to Work For You

"Building a plug-in is the fun part: you get to write code and create the tool you want. That plug-in can then be used in an Eclipse runtime environment by simply copying the plug-in into an existing\plugins directory for Eclipse or an Eclipse-based product. When Eclipse is next launched, the plug-in will be found, and if it passes platform startup processing, it will be available in the runtime configuration.

"But who knows or cares that your plug-in joined the party? Will users understand what your tool has to offer? Will they be able to use Eclipse to disable, service, or otherwise manage your contribution? Absolutely not. A plug-in on its own is just a plug-in, not a tool contribution fully integrated with the Eclipse Platform..."

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