Automatically export/deployment for Eclipse plugins

Question

We are working on an Eclipse plugin project. All of our deliverables are 25 plug-in files (yes, you can also say that they are 25 jar files or 25 OSGi bundles).

Every time we export those files by File → Export → Plug-in Development → Deployable plug-ins and fragments. It costs about 30 minutes to export all those files. The export way sounds like out-of-date but not so inconvenient.

And I have some doubts about the exporting/deployment:

1. If we use a build tool (such as ANT or Maven) to build these jar files automatically, will the build tool reduce the whole exporting time ?
2. The PDE can generate a ant build file by Plug-in Tools → Create Ant Build File, so can we use those generated files directly, even without start up the elipse IDE? Since they seem to be eclipse-related.
3. Its better if you have suggestions on what I'm saying.

Tks in advance.

Answer 1

Maybe tycho is what you need. Tycho is a maven plugin for building osgi bundles(and eclipse plugins)

Answer 2

While eclipse plugins can be shared and delivered, they are not meant to be used as deliverables. Instead you should create an eclipse feature, which combines the plugins into one single installable unit.