Should consider to deliver M2E - PDE integration in the PDE by default

[opcoach]

Maven is now a partner of PDE and the PDE can include maven artefacts... This is cool, but to do that we need to know that the plugin M2E - PDE integration exists...

However, you can put maven artifacts in the target file without installing the plugin, there is no error BUT they won't be loaded!

This is confusing and time consuming...

We could either : propose to install the plugin as far as maven artefacts are added in the target file, or directly include in the PDE delivery this plugin...

On the other hand m2e should be globally delivered in Eclipse...

[HannesWell]

We could either : propose to install the plugin as far as maven artefacts are added in the target file,

Since every plugin can contribute own target-locations to the targetLocations extension point it's not really possible to know all plugins that one could install to process a specific type. This would require some kind of global/central registry like the Eclipse market place. But this would require that the plugin that is capable to process a certain type is registered there.

or directly include in the PDE delivery this plugin...

That's not possible unless we move basically the entire non-ui part of M2E in PDE, which would be a major change in the project boundaries. It would also mean that one cannot install PDE without Maven anymore and I don't think that's something everyone wants, especially since the Maven-runtime is not small.

On the other hand m2e should be globally delivered in Eclipse...

When going through all packages in https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/, I see that all packages that include m2e and pde also include m2e.pde.

However, you can put maven artifacts in the target file without installing the plugin, there is no error BUT they won't be loaded!

I think the only feasible solution to help users in this situation is to fail the resolution in this case with a meaningful message that says the location type is unknown and that, if it isn't a typo, installing the right feature could help (without knowing which one it is exactly).