Is it possible to disable or remove the built-in Java compiler from an Eclipse installation?
I would like to use the XML editing and validation features of Eclipse in an environment that forbids installation of compilers. Can the compiler be disabled/removed without breaking the XML editing and validation functions? How?
Comments in this related question suggest that it can't be done, but I don't need the Java development features of Eclipse (and don't expect them to work without the compiler).
Yes, it is certainly possible to create an Eclipse install without the Java compiler (or JDT to be specific). The real question is whether the XML tools have an indirect dependency on JDT that will pull that back in.
Here is what I would try...
Download Eclipse Platform zip. You can get it from this URL:
http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/
Look under the Latest Releases heading. You will want to download something stable. The latest release now is 3.6.1...
http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/R-3.6.1-201009090800/index.php
Now find a heading called "Platform Runtime Binary" and download the zip that's right for your platform. Verify that file name is "eclipse-platform-[version]-[platform].zip". If it isn't you've downloaded the wrong thing.
Unzip it as you usually would an Eclipse distro. You now have a runnable Eclipse install, minus any and all interesting IDE functionality. In particular, there is no JDT.
Now it's time to install XML tools. Go to Help->Install New Software->Add and use this URL for the repository: http://download.eclipse.org/releases/helios/
Uncheck "contact all update sites during install to find required software".
Type in XML into the filter field. The feature you want is called "Eclipse XML Editors and Tools". Select it and hit finish.
Assuming it installs correctly, you will want to confirm that it didn't silently pull in JDT. Look at your Eclipse install in the plugins directory. See if you have org.eclipse.jdt.core plugin present. That's where the Java compiler lives.
Good luck and if you run into problems, a good place to ask follow-up questions is on the following forum. There a few people hanging out there that are pretty dedicated to the notion of some day creating an "XML IDE" eclipse distribution, so they should be glad to help you out.