Should I commit files that are changed by Eclipse?

Question

I inherited a Java project in the form of an Eclipse project. After changing the Tomcat configuration (from v6 to v7), Subclipse prompted me to commit the following files:

Answer 1

As a general rule, you should avoid committing files that contain user preferences, and project details that that Eclipse and/or your plugins can regenerate.

But in some cases things are a bit murky. For instance, the .classpath file can be the primary source of the Eclipse build path; e.g. if you have JAR files in your project tree rather than using Maven. (With Maven, the m2eclipse plugin generates the .classpath file from the dependency information in the POM file, and hence the file should not be checked in.)

Also, some of the facet stuff is borderline. For instance, in projects with JSPs and Javascripts, I have found it essential to change the facet properties to disable broken validators. And there's a good case for treating those changes as part of the project rather than as personal preferences.

Separation of group / project preferences from personal preferences is one area where (IMO) Eclipse is seriously deficient.