How to create an installable program from an Eclipse RCP application?

If you want to create installable versions also for other platforms than your developer’s platform, first install the RCP Delta Pack. In these instructions, if you use Eclipse 3.4.2, use this download drops URI:
http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/R-3.4.2-200902111700/index.php

Use the “Export … -> Plugin Development -> Eclipse Product” export wizard. You choose a “.product” file here that defines the product.

The .product file must properly define what plugins will make it into the application. This can be done either feature-based or plugin-based.

If the .product file is feature based, it refers to a feature.xml file which names the plugins. Edit this to your needs. All plugins named there must be available on the developer machine, or the product export process will fail.

Be sure to include all plugins that include JAR files in unpacked form, as Java is not able to find classes in JAR-packed JAR files. It generates “class not found” errors then.