Error creating Acceleo plugin: failed to create task or type apitooling.apigeneration

Question

I am trying to create an Acceleo plugin from existing projects and always get back this error message:

'Export Plug-ins' has encountered a problem.
/media/Data/users/lads/Trabalho/Eclipse/Workspace.Acceleo/.metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.pde.core/temp/org.eclipse.pde.container.feature/assemble.org.eclipse.pde.container.feature.linux.gtk.x86.xml:88: The following error occurred while executing this line:
/media/Data/users/lads/Trabalho/Eclipse/Workspace.Acceleo/.metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.pde.core/temp/org.eclipse.pde.container.feature/assemble.org.eclipse.pde.container.feature.linux.gtk.x86.xml:103: The following error occurred while executing this line:
/media/Data/users/lads/Trabalho/Eclipse/Workspace.Acceleo/.metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.pde.core/temp/org.eclipse.pde.container.feature/assemble.org.eclipse.pde.container.feature.linux.gtk.x86.xml:26: The following error occurred while executing this line:
/media/Data/users/lads/Trabalho/Eclipse/Workspace.Acceleo/org.eclipse.acceleo.module.sample/build.xml:315: The following error occurred while executing this line:
/media/Data/users/lads/Trabalho/Eclipse/Workspace.Acceleo/org.eclipse.acceleo.module.sample/build.xml:422: Problem: failed to create task or type apitooling.apigeneration
Cause: The name is undefined.
Action: Check the spelling.
Action: Check that any custom tasks/types have been declared.
Action: Check that any <presetdef>/<macrodef> declarations have taken place.

This build.xml file seems to be created on the fly, when Acceleo is trying to generate the plugin. When it fails the file is deleted, so I can't check what may be wrong.

I have this same error with any Acceleo project, even newly created projects. I'm using Acceleo 3.3.0 on Eclipse Indigo. Thanks.

Update I: I get this exact same error if I try to create the plugin through an Acceleo UI project.

Update II: This issue is back with Acceleo 3.5.1, but this time installing available updates is not solving it.

Answer 1

I hope you weren't holding your breath waiting for an answer. I just ran into this, from xtext, rather than Acceleo. If you watch the directory where the build.xml is created (and quickly deleted), you may be able to capture a copy, as I did. But the problem is in the log you have:

Problem: failed to create task or type apitooling.apigeneration

Googling for this, you'll come to the conclusion that you need to install some part or parts of the Eclipse PDE (Plug-in Development Environment). Because your eclipse deployment could be in any of a near-infinite set of states, that's about all I can say! In my case, I just installed the whole PDE, from the Kepler update site (http://download.eclipse.org/releases/kepler/). You might snoop around in your installed plugins to see if you already have some installed components (org.eclipse.pde.*), in which case I think you will want to try to download a version that's at or slightly above that version. In my case, I had some 3.8.1 installed, and I installed the entire 3.9.1 PDE. As always, if you have a lot invested in your current Eclipse package, consider backing it up first.

I'm new in this, and only have limited experience to advise from!