How do I open an editor on a file outside the workspace?

Since 3.3 you can use the new EFS support to open an text editor on a file outside the workspace:

   String name =   new  FileDialog(aShell, SWT.OPEN).open();
    if  (name  ==   null )
       return ;
   IFileStore fileStore =   EFS.getLocalFileSystem().getStore( new  Path(filterPath));
   fileStore =   fileStore.getChild(names[i]);
    if  ( ! fileStore.fetchInfo().isDirectory()  &&  fileStore.fetchInfo().exists())  ... {
     IWorkbenchPage page=  window.getActivePage();
     try ...{
       IDE.openEditorOnFileStore(page, fileStore);
     } catch (PartInitException e) ...{
       /**//* some code */
     }

Alternatively, you can create a linked resource in an existing project, which points to a file elsewhere in the file system. This example snippet creates a project called “External Files,” and then prompts the user to select any file in the file system. The code then creates a linked resource in the project to that external file, allowing the platform to open the file in read/write mode in one of the standard editors:

 
 

  
  

   
   
   
      IWorkspace ws 
   
   =
   
    ResourcesPlugin.getWorkspace();
   IProject project 
   
   =
   
    ws.getRoot().getProject(
   
   "
   
   External Files
   
   "
   
   );
   
   
   if
   
    (
   
   !
   
   project.exists())
      project.create(
   
   null
   
   );
   
   
   if
   
    (
   
   !
   
   project.isOpen())
      project.open(
   
   null
   
   );
   Shell shell 
   
   =
   
    window.getShell();
   String name 
   
   =
   
    
   
   new
   
    FileDialog(shell, SWT.OPEN).open();
   
   
   if
   
    (name 
   
   ==
   
    
   
   null
   
   )
      
   
   return
   
   ;
   IPath location 
   
   =
   
    
   
   new
   
    Path(name);
   IFile file 
   
   =
   
    project.getFile(location.lastSegment());
   file.createLink(location, IResource.NONE, 
   
   null
   
   );
   IWorkbenchPage page 
   
   =
   
    window.getActivePage();
   
   
   if
   
    (page 
   
   !=
   
    
   
   null
   
   )
      page.openEditor(file);