### Features

A feature is a way of grouping and describing different functionality that makes up a product. Grouping plug-ins into features allows the product to be installed and updated using the Eclipse update server and related support.

Features do not contain any code. They merely describe a set of plug-ins that provide the function for the feature and information about how to update it. Features are packaged in a feature archive file and described using a feature manifest file, feature.xml. The following is the first part of the manifest for the platform feature:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <feature
          id="org.eclipse.platform"
          label="%featureName"
          version="3.3.0"
          provider-name="%providerName"
          image="eclipse_update_120.jpg">

       <description>
          %description
       </description>

       <license url="%licenseURL">
          %license
       </license>

       <url>
          <update label="%updateSiteName" url="http://update.eclipse.org/updates/3.3"/>
          <discovery label="%updateSiteName" url="http://update.eclipse.org/updates/3.3/">
       </url>

       <plugin
             id="org.apache.ant"
             download-size="0"
             install-size="0"
             version="1.6.1"/>

       <plugin
             id="com.jcraft.jsch"
             download-size="0"
             install-size="0"
             version="0.1.31"
             unpack="false"/>
    	...
    </feature>