ADT requires orgeclipsewstssecore 000 but it could not be found

Encountering the error message “ADT requires ‘org.eclipse.wst.sse.core 0.0.0’ but it could not be found” can be a significant roadblock for Android developers utilizing Eclipse. This specific issue often arises when the Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin within Eclipse fails to locate a crucial dependency: the Web Standard Tools (WST) Source Structured Editors Core. While it might seem counterintuitive for Android development to rely on web-related components, Eclipse’s modular architecture means various plugins often share core functionalities. This article delves into the root causes of this common Eclipse error and provides comprehensive, actionable steps to resolve it, ensuring your development environment is back on track without unnecessary delays or frustration. We’ll explore why this dependency is vital and how to systematically troubleshoot and fix your setup.

Understanding the ‘org.eclipse.wst.sse.core’ Dependency

The org.eclipse.wst.sse.core bundle is a foundational component of the Web Standard Tools (WST) project within the Eclipse ecosystem. WST provides a set of tools for developing web applications, including editors for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML. The ‘sse’ in its name stands for “Source Structured Editors,” indicating its role in providing core functionalities for parsing, editing, and validating structured text files. While primarily associated with web development, many other Eclipse plugins, including older versions of the Android Development Tools (ADT), leverage these core capabilities for various tasks, such as handling project configuration files (like XML manifests) or internal editor functionalities.

In Eclipse’s highly modular environment, plugins are designed to depend on each other, creating a complex web of interconnected bundles. When you see an error like “ADT requires ‘org.eclipse.wst.sse.core 0.0.0’ but it could not be found,” it means that the ADT plugin, during its initialization or operation, is looking for a specific version of this WST SSE Core bundle and cannot locate it in your Eclipse installation. This plugin dependency failure can halt the entire development environment, preventing you from creating new projects, compiling code, or even launching the IDE correctly. It’s a classic example of how a missing piece in a larger software puzzle can bring the whole system down.

According to the Eclipse documentation, proper bundle resolution is critical for the stable operation of the IDE. A missing bundle often points to an incomplete installation, corrupted files, or issues with the update mechanism. Understanding that org.eclipse.wst.sse.core is essentially a utility providing structured text editing capabilities helps demystify why ADT, despite being for Android, might require it. It underpins many common IDE functions that process structured data, not just web content. For a deeper dive into Eclipse’s plugin architecture, you can refer to the Eclipse Plug-in Development Guide.

Common Causes of the “ADT requires ‘org.eclipse.wst.sse.core 0.0.0’ but it could not be found” Error

This particular error message, indicating a missing bundles issue, typically stems from several common scenarios that disrupt the integrity of your Eclipse installation or its plugin ecosystem. One frequent cause is an incomplete or interrupted installation of Eclipse or the ADT plugin itself. If files aren’t fully downloaded or are corrupted during the installation process, essential dependencies like org.eclipse.wst.sse.core might be absent or damaged, leading to the “could not be found” error. This is especially prevalent in environments with unstable internet connections or strict firewalls that might block certain downloads.

Another significant factor contributing to this problem is an outdated or mismatched SDK setup or plugin versions. Eclipse’s update mechanism, while robust, can sometimes lead to inconsistencies if dependencies are not updated in tandem. For example, if you update ADT but the corresponding WST components are not updated or are removed due to conflicting repositories, you’ll encounter this error. Furthermore, manually installing plugins from untrusted or incompatible sources can introduce conflicts, where different plugins require different versions of the same core bundle, creating a dependency hell that Eclipse struggles to resolve.

Finally, issues with the Eclipse cache or workspace metadata can also trigger this error. Eclipse maintains various caches to speed up loading times, but these can occasionally become corrupted, leading to incorrect resolution of bundles. Similarly, a corrupted workspace, often indicated by other bizarre behavior, might prevent Eclipse from correctly initializing its plugins. In such cases, the error message serves as a symptom of a deeper underlying issue within your development environment issues. Addressing these root causes systematically is key to a stable and functional Android development setup.

Step-by-Step Solutions to Resolve the Error

Resolving the “ADT requires ‘org.eclipse.wst.sse.core 0.0.0’ but it could not be found” error often involves a systematic approach to ensure all required components are correctly installed and configured. The most effective way to address this common dependency issue is to perform a clean reinstallation or an aggressive update of the necessary Eclipse components. This ensures that all bundles, including the critical org.eclipse.wst.sse.core, are downloaded and installed without corruption or version conflicts, allowing your Android Development Tools to function as intended. Always back up your workspace before attempting major changes.

Follow these steps to troubleshoot and fix the problem:

**Perform an Eclipse Update:**Open Eclipse and go to Help > Check for Updates. Ensure all available updates are installed. Sometimes, a pending update for a core Eclipse component or WST can resolve the issue. After updating, restart Eclipse and check if the error persists. You might need to update the Android SDK components separately via the SDK Manager if you’re using an older ADT setup.
**Verify WST SSE Core Installation:**Navigate to Help > Install New Software.... In the “Work with:” field, select the main Eclipse update site (e.g., “Eclipse Project Updates” or the specific release repository you are using, like “Oxygen” or “Photon”). Expand the “Web, XML, Java EE and OSGi Enterprise Development” category and look for “Eclipse Web Tools Platform (WTP) Source Editing SDK” or similar WST components. Ensure these are installed. If not, select them and proceed with the installation.
**Clean Eclipse Cache and Restart:**Close Eclipse. Go to your Eclipse installation directory and delete the configuration/org.eclipse.osgi folder. This forces Eclipse to rebuild its plugin cache upon restart. Additionally, you can try starting Eclipse from the command line with eclipse -clean. This option tells Eclipse to clean up its dependency resolution cache, which can fix missing bundles issues.
**Reinstall Android Development Tools (if applicable):**If you’re using an older ADT setup within a generic Eclipse IDE, consider reinstalling ADT. Go to Help > About Eclipse IDE > Installation Details, find the ADT plugin, uninstall it, and then reinstall it from the ADT update site. However, it’s highly recommended to transition to Android Studio, as ADT is deprecated. If you are still using ADT, ensure your Eclipse version is compatible with the last released ADT version.
**Consider a Fresh Eclipse Installation:**If all else fails, the most reliable solution is often a clean installation of Eclipse. Download a fresh copy of the Eclipse IDE for Java Developers or Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers from the [Question & Answer :
I’m installing the Android SDK on a fresh installation of Fedora 14 (Linux). I installed eclipse, and ran the tools/android sdk tool to install all the Eclipse components for the SDK. I was able to get DDMS to install when selecting it by itself.

And for the last component - the Android developer tools, I’m getting the ugly error message pasted below.

Now I’m Stuck in Eclipse dependency hell.

I’ve searched through the available packages in Fedora and I can’t find the one that has the files necessary to satisfy this Eclipse dependency. Can anybody please translate what it is that Eclipse is asking for and what Fedora package it lives in?

The ugly error:
```
Cannot complete the install because one or more required items could not be found. Software being installed: Android Development Tools 0.9.9.v201009221407-60953 (com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.feature.group 0.9.9.v201009221407-60953) Missing requirement: Android Development Tools 0.9.9.v201009221407-60953 (com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.feature.group 0.9.9.v201009221407-60953) requires 'org.eclipse.wst.sse.core 0.0.0' but it could not be found 
```
I’ve just encountered exactly the same problem in Eclipse 3.6 (Helios). After plenty of Googling I came across this link:

http://code.google.com/intl/es/eclipse/docs/faq.html#wstinstallerror

> During installation, there’s an error about requiring org.eclipse.wst.sse.ui. How do I fix that? > > The Google Plugin for Eclipse depends on other specific Eclipse components, such as WST. Your installation of Eclipse may not yet include all of them, but they can be easily installed by following these instructions. Eclipse 3.6 (Helios) > > > 1. Select Help > Install New Software… > 2. Click the link for Available Software Sites. > 3. Ensure there is an update site named Helios. If this is not present, click Add… and enter http://download.eclipse.org/releases/helios for the Location. > 4. Now go through the installation steps; Eclipse should download and install the plugin’s dependencies.

(There are examples in that page for 3.5 (Galileo), 3.4 (Ganymede) & 3.3 (Europa) for anyone with different versions)

The exact same steps work for 3.7 (Indigo) as well.

Just use http://download.eclipse.org/releases/indigo for the location.

Juno: http://download.eclipse.org/releases/juno

Kepler: http://download.eclipse.org/releases/kepler

Note: Step four is not necessary. Only steps one to three are necessary.](https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/)