<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<article link="eclipse-api-usage-rules.html">
	<title>How to Use the Eclipse API</title>
	
	<category>Plug-ins</category>
	
	<update>
		<date>May 18, 2001</date>
	</update>
	
	<author>
		<name><![CDATA[Jim des Rivi&egrave;res]]></name>
		<company>IBM</company>
	</author>
	<description>
		The Eclipse Platform offers a comprehensive API (Application
		Programmer Interface) to developers writing plug-ins. This
		article discusses the general ground rules for using the Eclipse
		Platform API, including how to tell API from non-API, and how to
		stay in the API "sweet spot" to avoid the risk of being broken
		as the platform and its APIs evolve. These general ground rules
		are also recommended practice for plug-ins that must declare API
		elements of their own.
	</description>
</article>