Filtering large user interfaces

The rich extensibility mechanisms in the workbench provide many ways for plug-ins to contribute to the platform UI. However, extensibility can introduce its own set of problems. While allowing for a rich set of features contributed by many different developers, it can also create an overwhelming experience for the new user who is trying to navigate through vast menus and preferences pages. As the Eclipse platform matures, the need for filtering mechanisms that help reduce the UI clutter and guide the user to their desired tasks has become apparent.

The activity and context mechanisms address the problem of too much clutter in the user interface: