Eclipse's class editor has no formatting or collapsable fields / methods. How can I make the class editor have the same text formatting as the java editor? Or at least make it more readable and user friendly, such as the one in Netbeans.
Opening a class in Netbeans:
Opening a class in ECLIPSE:
I would like to make classes more readable in Eclipse, is there any way to do that? I have tried attaching a source / javadocs before with no luck. I am hoping there is a simpler way
You want to see a source like representation of a .class file. Although not exactly what you are looking for JD-Eclipse can be used for that purpose. Addmitedly the scope is broader, because it is a full blown decompiler, that will actually show you the code, but should work for you.
When installed it will by default open .class files and present the code instead of default view that only presents somewhat raw results of parsing bytecode.
Another option is Bytecode Outline that is not a decompiler, it only deassemples bytecodes in the editor, but can make debugging a bit easier, because it seems to handle line numbers in sync with the debugger, unlike JD-Eclipse, which just outputs line number comments.
Related
I noticed #javadoc view in my eclipse. Could you please tell me what is the use of this and how to use it.
Eclipse actually does provide decent tools for creating your own JavaDoc, which is a good idea, as then others who have to use your code will have the ability to see what it does.
There is a keyboard shortcut for adding a block for a class or method (on Mac it's Command-Shift-J I think, but search Javadoc in the key mappings.
You can define templates for adding things like links, which are pretty important, that make creation of JavaDoc go very quickly
When you document in Eclipse, it is intelligent enough to point to existing docs, so say you make an interface, you document the methods in the interface, then inside each implementer, if you created them after the interface, you will get a block that points you back to the interface
When you have added your own, or other people on your team have, this view let's you see what that will look like, so it's got a dual purpose: for making it easier to read the markup of others' JavaDoc, and for previewing your own.
The view you are showing is the Eclipse # Javadoc view. The Javadoc view shows the Javadoc of the element selected in the Java editor or in a Java view.
To use it, simply open a Java file that contains Javadoc in the Java view (or use the Java perspective). Once you do so the Javadoc view will automatically populate.
I am using Eclipse (Indigo) for Java development. My personal, idiosyncratic style prefers to see Java methods one-at-a-time, instead and not as a region of a longer .java file.
I am looking for a preference, view, or plug-in that shows me a java method, and only that method, when I select the method name from a explorer or browser. For reference, here is a screen-shot of a typical Smalltalk browser (Cincom's VisualWorks). The "Method Code Area" shows on only one methods as opposed scrolling through all methods in the class.
The Java Browsing Perspective comes close to a Smalltalk browser. I customized it a little bit and found it very useful.
Enable 'Show Source of Selected Element Only' and you will see only the selected method.
On today's widescreens, you won't need the whole width for the method source, and projects and methods take some vertical space. So I decided to vary the original Smalltalk layout.
Make sure that Eclipse closes open files automatically, as you want to browse, not to open and close files.
One thing that is missing is the 'Protocol' view. Maybe the developers had something like that in mind while introducing the #category Javadoc tag, but the only thing you can do is to filter by category. I hope that some lucky day someone will develop a protocol view.
I am trying to develop an eclipse plugin that does some documentation check on java code and highlights some lines of code in the editor.
To achieve my goal, I DON'T want to create a new editor in eclipse, I simply want to extend the default java editor to draw a line under (or highlight) the methods that do not satisfy some set of predetermined requirements.
Do I need to create a PresentationReconciler? If yes, how do I make the JDT or workbench use my reconciler.
I have never done plugin development and this is my first attempt.
Several starting points for you:
Annotations are an UI feature of JFace's text editor that allows you to visually mark some places in an open editor.
Markers are a Workbench feature, more high-level. They are generic "objects that may be associated with Workbench resources", and they can display in several places: in text editors (as annotations) or in the Problems view, for example.
Depending on what you want to do, you would plug in your plug-in into extension points related to either of those.
The Eclipse Java editor is located in the org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.javaeditor.JavaEditor package.
The "internal" in the package name means that the Eclipse development team can change how the Java editor works with new revisions.
Try this help page: Juno Help on syntax highlighting
At the end of the page, it describes how to dynamically add a PresentationReconciler, which is used for syntax highlighting. See if that fits the problem that you want to solve.
I assume you already have a plugin project.
In your plugin.xml, open the tab Extensions, click Add..., search for org.eclipse.ui.editors, then you should see a template named Editor, which will produce a simple xml editor to experiment and play with. Also, you will be able to see the needed structure to define a custom editor.
Hope this helps...
I don't know if you still have a need for this, but you are going to want to use Annotations to keep track of what parts of the editor you need to highlight.
For actually doing the graphical effect of highlighting, you could do syntax highlighting via a PresentationReconciler, but I have no experience with that.
We used a technique we borrowed from http://editbox.sourceforge.net/, replacing the background image of the editor Shell. Its open source, so check it out. (Our code might also help -- its at https://github.com/IDE4edu/EclipseEditorOverlay )
I'm working on some reflection stuff using Java across XML files. The process would be made much faster and less prone to error if I could get content assist to behave like a tree in a small window off to the side, but more than by my current cursor location.
My question is can this really be done without reinventing the wheel too much? Essentially I want to display a list of classes, choose a class, then drill down a TreeView similar to the outline view Eclipse has for a current open file and at some point I click a button below and it generates the desired XML formatted text I would have typed manually, this is generated based on whatever in the tree I have highlighted.
I've designed and begun work on the front and back end, but the piece that keeps eluding me is harnessing Eclipse's content assist to gather a list of practically anything I could possibly call in a given project.
Can this be done? I've been combing Eclipse's documentation for a few days and fighting with the source download dying halfway repeatedly.
I am not 100% if that's it but I had an eclipse plugin with spider in it's name in mind, which does what you described.
Maybe it is this one: http://eclipse-plugins.2y.net/eclipse/plugin_details.jsp?id=202
Furthermore when writing Eclipse plugins, it is useful to press ctrl+shift+f1 (eclipse plugin spy) once having worked in the pde this should be possible.
It shows you info about all possible extensionpoints refering to your current view.
In NetBeans the GUI Builder generates code that is off limits to you from the editor.
I know you can switch to Design Mode and specify custom code and then enter edit in indirectly that way, but it's a pain to not be able to edit text that's 2 lines from your cursor.
Can I allow editing within those regions... I promise I'll be careful :)
Thanks.
Note: I don't want to lose code generation
If you open it in an external editor, there are two possibilities:
there is no guarantee that the changes you make will work (and not break anything) in the Netbeans UI Editor
The next time you edit the file in Netbeans it will be regenerated.
Either way, probably not what you want. The best thing to do would probably be to make the whole design up in the gui editor and when you are happy with it, delete the comments and continue on.
[sarcasm]
With the drag and drop gui editor, what could you possibly want to change by hand anyway?
[/sarcasm] ;)
If you open the .java files in Notepad or WordPad, you'll find pairs of comments that say
// GEN-BEGIN: <name of section>
...
// GEN-END: <name of section>
Delete those comments, and two things will happen.
You'll be able to edit anywhere in the file in NetBeans.
NetBeans will not be able to regenerate the file from the GUI editor.
So it can be done, but don't do it unless you really mean it.
EDIT: "Note: I don't want to lose code generation." Ok, let's see here.
You want to change what is generated.
You don't want to lose code generation.
You don't want to use the facilities NetBeans provides for adding custom code.
It sounds like you're wishing yourself trouble. :D
I had a same problem. I extended JPanel with my own panel class and I was not able to pack it with the rest of UI. First I searched the web and I found your question. I was not able to find elegant solution to this problem.
Therefore, I decided to create another java class and copy NetBeans created code into it. It worked like a charm.
I agree, it would be nice if we can modify existing code like in .NET.
I copy the initcomponents() method, create my own method newInitComponents() paste the generated code, and override what needs to be overridden before i distribute the code. That way when a change is made in the editor, you can still copy paste the code into your new method. You keep the functionality without costing you the ability to override where necessary. Just call newInitComponents() in your constructor rather than the original. This is not the most efficient way of doing things, but it does what you want.
You can also try moving the .form file in
(project name)\src\(name of JFrame/JPanel).form
NetBeans will now see it as a .java file.
If you did not edit anything necessary for the GUI editor, you can move the .form file back into the src folder.
Can you subclass the class and redefine the method where this code is? Of course then you'll have to maintain the method over time as you make changes to the GUI.
You can maybe also look into AspectJ. It will modify the byte-code at build time and make the changes you define. Not sure if this gives you enough control over what code to change.
If you use APT you can rewrite source code at compile time. This way you can overwrite the code that's there at the moment. You could keep the new code in the same Java file along with comments to explain what is going on. This tutorial makes it pretty easy to get started. Copy that code, get it working, then tweak it to your liking. To find out where in the code the annotated method is call getPosition() on the Declaration.
Go to design page and select any one of the fields. Right click on any selected field and choose Customizer Code , In Customizer Code change all default code to custom creation . Now you can edit your design code as you like...
Very simple... the crappy UTF-8 did not let me compile one JasperReport (everything done by GUI). So, I needed to change Project to iso-8859-1. Result? The project is messed up and some of the things to correct are in the blocked parts of the code. So, I really NEED to edit those automatically generated parts. When they are regenerated, they will be fine because the project is now iso-8859-1.
Step # 1 Close the project in NetBeans
Step # 2 Delete the .form file from the source directory of your project
Reopen the project and it will be editable now!