Package-level Javadoc
Author: IBM

Application programming interfaces for interaction with and extension of the Eclipse Platform User Interface.

## Package Specification

This package provides application programming interfaces for interaction with and extension of the Eclipse Platform User Interface.

The PlatformUI class provides access to a single workbench. A workbench is the root object for the UI and has one or more workbench windows. Each workbench window has a collection of workbench pages, only one of which is active and visible to the end user. Each workbench page has a collection of workbench parts. A page's parts are arranged (tiled or stacked) for presentation on the screen. Within a page and its parts the user can interact with and modify a model (typically resources in a workspace). There are two kinds of workbench parts: views and editors. An editor is typically used to edit or browse a document or input object. A view is typically used to navigate a hierarchy of information (like the workspace), open an editor, or display properties for the active editor.

The platform creates a workbench when the workbench plug-in is activated. Since this happens at most once during the life of the running platform, there is only one workbench instance. Due to its singular nature, it is commonly referred to as the workbench.

Within a workbench the user will interact with many different resource types. Because different tools are required for each, the workbench defines a number of extension points which allow for the integration of new tools. There are extension points for views, editors, action sets, import wizards, export wizards, etc.