Eclipse with Android SDK missing menu items

Question

I have two system that I've installed Eclipse (3.6) and the Android development tools (SDK, ADT). They both have the same versions. However, on one system, under the File -> New menu, there are Android specific items - New Android Project, New Android XML file. But on the other, those specific menu items are not there. Yes, I can get to the items by choosing File -> New -> Project, then in the dialog pick Android Project, but was wondering why I don't have the specific items.

I've tried reinstalling Eclipse and the Android items, but the menu items just don't match.

Anyone more familiar with Eclipse and it's add-ons like Android have any idea? (Both system do have the "Open Android AVD and SDK" item under the window menu, FWIW)

Thanks.

Answer 1

I was able to restore the missing items in File | New... quite easily by performing the following steps:

1. Switch to the Java perspective, either via the perspective switcher toolbar at the top right of the main Eclipse window, or via the Window | Open Perspective menu item.
2. Reset the perspective by either right-clicking on the Java perspective icon in the perspective switcher toolbar, or by clicking Window | Reset Perspective...

As to why they weren't there in the first place, the most likely cause would be that the ADT contributes various things to the Java perspective, and these changes don't take effect until the perspective is reset after installing the ADT. As an Eclipse plug-in developer I learned it the hard way, that changes to perspectives don't get picked up unless you explicitly reset them.