# Targets

###### Identifier:

org.eclipse.pde.core.targets

###### Since:

3.2

###### Description:

An extension point to define and register target definitions. PDE gives the user the ability to choose and switch between targets. PDE also provides the ability to edit and extend the target. The main content of a target resides in a .target file. Among other things, the target definition file contains a description of plug-in/feature contents, the target environment, execution environment and launching arguments.
Target definition files should be edited using the target definition editor provided by PDE. The file format is not API and subject to change between releases.

###### Configuration Markup:

<!ELEMENT extension (target+)>

<!ATTLIST extension

point CDATA #REQUIRED

id CDATA #IMPLIED

name CDATA #IMPLIED>

<!ELEMENT target (description?)>

<!ATTLIST target

id IDREF #REQUIRED

name CDATA #REQUIRED

definition CDATA #REQUIRED>

- id - a unique identifier for the target
- name - a human readable name of the target
- definition - the relative path of the target definition file in the contributing plug-in.

<!ELEMENT description (#PCDATA)>

a human-readable description of this target

###### Examples:

The following is an example of the `targets` extension:

      <extension point = "org.eclipse.pde.core.targets">
         <target
           id="org.eclipse.pde.core.rcpTarget"
           name="Eclipse RCP"
           definition="targets/rcp.target"/>
      </extension>

In the example above, the name and id of the target are declared in the plugin.xml, but its content is stored in a `targets/rcp.target` located in the contributing plug-in.
The .target file must be created via File > New > Other... > Plug-in Development > Target Definition and should be edited using the PDE target definition editor. The file format is not API and subject to change between releases.

###### API Information:

No Java code is required for this extension point.

###### Supplied Implementation:

The `org.eclipse.pde.core` plug-in provides two extensions.

Copyright (c) 2006 IBM Corporation and others.
This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0 which accompanies this distribution, and is available at https://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v20.html/ SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0.