Top reason for plug-ins

What would be anyone's top reason for wanting to develop plug-ins ?
And any other secondary reasons ?
(For some reason, I thought this book would be about combining TDD and Patterns.)

regards

First: You've always wondered why there isn't a tool for doing foo even though it would be so simple... (usually it isn't quite that simple after all

)
Second: Having plugins for top IDEs is a great boost for commercial products.
Third: Using the Eclipse framework as a base for a GUI application obviously spares the developer from inventing this new cool thing called "wheel".

Thanks

.
So what's the process of "contributing to Eclipse".

I got as far as thinking that one could develop some tool in-house
that 1) either get's away from paying darned license fees

2) is customised to a particular problem of the way we work
in-house
regards

Why develop a plug-in??
To make the next best thing since sliced bread?
To put the download on your website and watch as you get millions of hits a day?
To make it a shareware and make millions on it?
Actually, I'm thinking of taking an app I'm currently doing as a desktop in swing and converting it to an eclipse plug-in. It'll be a while though as the app is still in its infancy. I'm doing the app to improve my programming skills, my OO design skills, and to work with some of the design patterns in a more concrete way, as opposed to just reading about them. Also, I think that there is a need for what I'm doing and, all ego aside, it'd be cool to create something like that that others would actually use.
Another good point in doing a plug-in is to get to work with an establish framework that is based on sound design principles and good OO design. Just that alone should give the progammer a decent lesson.
So, I guess my main reason is to learn something from the experience and secondly to get a little ego trip out of it.

I write a plug-in because I need that tool to help me be more effective at my job. Also because it's fun.
Re: TDD and patterns. While that's not all the book is about (we had to put something in there about Eclipse :-), both techniques are demonstrated throughout the book. What were you expecting that was different?
Kent

Originally posted by Kent Beck:
What were you expecting that was different?

Only some extra help in doing two very difficult topics that come under Design, together.
As described in this thread Eclipse,Refactoring,Patterns
Not asking much really!

regards

Originally posted by Kent Beck:
both techniques are demonstrated throughout the book.

That's

and will put the book on my list. Though , at present , I can't imagine what plug-in I might be inspired to write.
regards

Originally posted by HS Thomas:
Though , at present , I can't imagine what plug-in I might be inspired to write.

How about a topic poller for keeping up with your favorite forums at the ranch while working

Good idea, Lasse.
Though probably have to leave Meaningless Drivel out. It will beep or

every other second. No topic is uninteresting in MD. :roll:
Could do with a plug-in for slang for MD / Eclipse.

regards

Personally I think your aim should be to make plug-ins for repetitive type work. For instance. We write a lot of test programs for a IBM MQ "services". Now lets face it MQ simply means. Make a connection, open a queue, send or receive the message, close & break the connection. Basically its the same for all the program's. At the moment we simply make copies of existing java classes, yes I know very very un-OO, make the required changes and Bob's your uncle. If we had the time & were smarter we would make MQ plug-ins that would do all the repetitive work for us.
As for the money & fame part I think that thaty should be one's LAST reason for building plug-ins.
[ November 12, 2003: Message edited by: Johannes de Jong ]

J de J :I think your aim should be to make plug-ins for repetitive type work

I suppose one could make a plug-in and then 'sell' it to the team first.
Usually quite a bit of effort is required to prepare a team for ground breaking work. Does anyone have first-hand experience of the problems or surprises involved ? Those involved in contributing to Eclipse or otherwise!
regards