How to build a 32 bit Eclipse plugin application from a 64 bit Eclipse

Question

I have a 64 bit Eclipse Indigo installed, and Im trying to export my application as a executable using Product Export Wizard, everything works .. Except the executable it produces is a 64 bit executable, and I need it to run on a 32 bit machine. Is there a way to work around this?

Is it even possible to build a 32 bit plugin application from a 64 bit Eclipse?

Thanks.

Answer 1

The solution I used for a similar problem (build an application based on Eclipse 3 framework from Eclipse 4) was to define a target. Here's how to do it :

1. Have both Eclipse 32 and Eclipse 64 installed
2. Launch your eclipse 64
3. Go to Window/Preferences/Plug-in Development/Target Platform
4. Click "Add" then "Nothing"
5. Click "Add" then "Installation" and choose your Eclipse 32 directory
6. Once your target created, select it (still in Window/Preferences/Plug-in Development/Target Platform)

Now, in your .product, the "Eclipse Product Export Wizard" will build an Eclipse 32 bits executable.

See this related answer

Answer 2

In order to export your application to multiple platforms, 32&64 bit, you need first to define a target platform, then to install the so called " delta pack " in it.

The delta pack contains all the platform specific resources from the SDK and is used for cross-platform exports of RCP applications.

Here is a tutorial on how to install the deltapack (just take care to match you target platform version with deltapack version). Another important thing: your workspace eclipse installation and the target platform installation MUST NOT be the same. I mean they can and most of the times are the same eclipse variant/version, but for correctly export a multi-platform project, you must not use the running platform as target.

One you installed the deltapack and reloaded the target platform, the export product wizard will present an additional checkbox "build for multiple platforms". If you check it, clicking next will bring you to a new step in which you can select any architecture/os the eclipse supports.

More on target platforms and deltapakc is covered in the always good but a little outdated tutorial by L.Vogel.