Development Environment - eclipse-capella/capella GitHub Wiki

You can code in any Eclipse Platform. If you have a Capella installed, you can even code in Capella, even it's not the recommended IDE.

In a standard Eclipse Plugin Development platform

You can download an Eclipse Platform, for instance an Eclipse IDE for Commiters

You will also need Java installed on your platform. For Capella 6.1/7.0 we use open-jdk 17

Set Capella as a Target Platform:

Windows > Preferences > Plugin Development > Target Platform and set the capella folder of a Capella installation:

  • On the right pane, Click on Add > Nothing / Next > Add / Directory > choose capella/eclipse folder and click Finish . Choose the newly created target then click on Apply and Close to close Preferences

You can now run Capella in Debug: Run > Run Configurations > Double Click on Eclipse Application to create a new Running Platform Then in Program to Run, choose org.polarsys.capella.rcp.product

Note: except if you use an Eclipse Modeling Platform, you will not be able enrich existing diagrams of Capella. You will not be able to create extensions to enrich concepts of Capella. You can download Capella Studio and edit diagrams or viewpoints for that steps and returns to Eclipse for general Java purposes.

Capella Studio

If you are unfamiliar with Eclipse development, best way is to use Capella Studio. It will ensure you to have all necessary extensions to develop.

Oomph Setup

Another way to setup a capella development environment is by using the eclipse installer. See the Oomph Setup page for more info.

  • Wait and Accept when asked for restart

Within Capella

You can still develop in Capella if you are in an hurry.

In the top right, click on Open Perspective > Show all > Debug, and enable activities as asked by Capella. It will enable Debug, development plugins, etc.

Note: you will not be able to create extensions to enrich concepts of Capella, or enrich existing diagrams.

Dependencies with other addons

It is of course possible to create extensions that depends on other addons.

On Windows > Preferences > Plugin-Development > Target Platform, you will define the targeted environment for the addon. You can add the installation folder of a Capella installation and locations towards some of the companion addons. Here the RequirementVP addon filepath installation (or update site url).

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Afterwards, choose the target application and apply.

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In a MANIFEST.MF plugin of your addon, you will be able to refer to plugins from RequirementVP in the Dependencies tab.

Remote debug a Capella instance

It is possible to do a remote debug on an installed Capella, meaning that you can debug directly the Capella product with opposition to launching a runtime in debug mode from the development environment.

In order to do so, in the Capella install directory, modify the capella.ini to add the following lines after the -vmargs line:

-Xdebug
-Xnoagent
-Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,address=<<PORT NUMBER>>,server=y,suspend=y

<<PORT NUMBER>> shall be set to any port number (usually 8001) not already used on your system.

Launch Capella and note that it does nothing as it is waiting for a remote debug session to be launched (suspend=y).

Launch an Eclipse instance with the Capella source code available.

Start a remote debug session. In the Run menu, Debug Configurations..., create a new Remote Java Application

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Set the debug configuration parameters. Port value shall match the <<PORT NUMBER>> value.

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Start the debug session with the Debugbutton. Your previously launched Capella shall now start.