I was a Netbeans user for almost one year. Now, I´m changing my IDE to Eclipse and I´m learning Shortcuts Keys. In Netbeans I used to type "re", then hit Tab key to complete return keyword. How is this done in Eclipse?
While I don't think there is a predefined option for this, your best bet will be to create a custom Java Editor Template. In your Eclipse Preferences, under Java > Editor > Templates, you can create a new template with the following specifications:
Name: re
Context: Java statements
Automatically Insert: Checked
Pattern: return ${retVal:var('${return_type}')};
What this will do is you can type re and then bring up Content Assist using Ctrl+Space. The very first proposal will be this template and it will be selected already. If you hit Enter and it'll insert a line like the following:
return retVal;
At this point, there will be an outline around retVal and you can hit Ctrl+Space again and it'll give you variables you can return that are in scope and match your method's return type or simply type what you want to return.
Related
Often when I'm writing code I forget to surround a section of code with a method. For example, when printing an array, I realize that I forgot to pass the array into Arrays.toString().
String[] foo(){
return new String[3];
}
main() {
System.out.println(foo());
}
Is there a way in Eclipse that I can select foo() and then use auto complete or something to surround it with Arrays.toString()? So I want to end up with this:
main() {
System.out.println(Arrays.toString(foo()));
}
I know I could use templates, but I would have to make a template for each method I want to use. I'm looking for something like Eclipse's auto complete feature, which knows about every class and method in the build path.
Yes, you could use templates for that:
First, experiment with existing templates:
Go to the source editor and select "foo()".
Open the view General > Templates.
Select some template, for example, Java > toArray and see how it works.
Then, add your own template:
Windows > Preferences > Java > Editor > Templates > New.
I think the right context should be "Java".
Another way of accesing templates is through the content assist: In the source code, in a new line, start typing the first letters of your template, then press [CTRL][SPACE]. A selector will appear with the matching templates. You may find it useful to check the checkbox "Automatically inserted" in the template definition window.
And yet another way to access them is to select a line of code and then Context Menu > Surround With.
A quick way:
Double click or use select enclosing element and its cousins to select the expression you wish to wrap. ctrl-x to temporarily cut it. Type a few characters and ctrl-space to insert your method name and parentheses. Finally, ctrl-v to paste what you just cut.
with templates - under Java Statements: ${method}(${word_selection})${cursor}
You can make a template like the one described by #LittleSanti. If you use a fake template variable for the method name (like ${method} or ${name}) instead of a constant like foo, Eclipse will highlight it and let you paste or type or complete over it. Then when you hit return or tab, it will jump the cursor to the end (the position indicated by ${cursor}
Unfortunately I don't think Eclipse provides a "real" template variable for selecting methods in scope. It would be nice if it would let did completion for you on methods.
I'm currently trying to develop an Eclipse Plugin to support code replacement, like what the default content assist in Eclipse do. What I want to implement is something like "insert argument names automatically on method completion with visualized box around the argument" and I can "use the Tab key to navigate between the inserted names" and "while navigating, list of optional variables for current argument can be displayed and be chosen".
In short, it comes to two questions:
How to add the visualized box around the already existed variable or even Java keywords that need replacement? And at the meanwhile I can use Tab key to switch between these boxes.
How to display a list of candidates to select from when I trigger on the box?
By now I only figure out the extension point : org.eclipse.jdt.ui.javaCompletionProposalComputer may be useful, but I have no idea where to start at? Thanks in advance.
Oh, finally I've solved it myself...
For the 'box', it should be the LinkedModeModel, this class should work with LinkedPositionGroup and LinkedPosition to add mutiple boxes. And we should use LinkedModeUI to set it up.
For the content assistant, there's no need to use the extension point. There is a ProposalPosition class which extends LinkedPosition for you to add your proposals for the 'box' in its constructor. And we can simply use the CompletionProposal to construct a ICompletionProposal array as the argument of ProposalPosition's constructor.
I'd like to know what's the syntax or the language used to format the code templates in netbeans ide. I mean, in the default templates I can see things like;
while (${EXP default="exp"})
{
${selection line}${cursor}
}
And:
// <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="${comment}">
${selection}${cursor}// </editor-fold>
And I experimented and did this:
int ${IDX newVarName default="loop"};
for (${IDX} = 0; ${IDX} < ${SIZE int default="size"}; ${IDX}++)
{
${cursor}
}
And it works but I don't really know where the "${IDX}" or the "${SIZE int default="size"}" or the "${selection}${cursor}" comes from and what other statements can I use to format my templates.
Is this some scripting or programming language?
Where can I find this information?
I think Netbeans uses the template engine Freemarker for this. So all variables (= ${...}) are filled in by Netbeans at the time you use the template.
Unfortunately I don't have a full list of all default variables / methods you can use, but here are two of them listed:
${cursor}:
defines a position where the caret will be located after the editing
of the code template values finishes.
${selection}:
defines a position for pasting the content of the editor selection.
This is used by so-called 'selection templates' that appear as hints
whenever the user selects some text in the editor.
See here: http://wiki.netbeans.org/Java_EditorUsersGuide#How_to_use_Code_Templates
${IDX} looks like a custom variable you use.
See also:
- Code Assistance in the NetBeans IDE Java Editor: A Reference Guide (Code Template)
- Code Templates in NetBeans IDE for PHP
How_to_use_Code_Templates pretty much covers everything there is.
Looking at CodeTemplateParameter.java shows there is another hint called "completionInvoke" which requests showing of the code completion popup for the currently focused text component, but that is all.
One particular problem I was having was using ${word_selection} in an Eclipse PDT template.
I was recently trying to use some code templates with Eclipse PDT 2.1 to speed up some common tasks. We use a lot of getters/setters, so I wrote the following template.
function get${word_selection}() {
return $$this->getData('${word_selection}');
}
function set${word_selection}($$${word_selection}) {
$$this->setData('${word_selection}', $$${word_selection});
}
I named the template "getset" and the only way I know to use the Code Assist is to type: "getset" then hit my code assist keys (I have it set to Esc, but I think the default was Ctrl+Space). The problem is, this doesn't actually let me select a word to be used by the ${word_selection}.
how do I type in my template name, hit the key combo, and have a word selected all at the same time?
I also want to know what kinds of templates people have set up and any other tips for using templates to speed of programming.
Look at this link : http://2tbsp.com/node/104
It describes two things : pdt code templates and code snippets.
how do I type in my template name, hit the key combo, and have a word selected all at the same time?
I think this cannot be achieved with code templates, but with code snippets. Personnally I do not use them at all, but I might start :-)
Is there an option in Eclipse PDT to show every call of chosen function.
I now if you select some kind of function and hit F3 key you will see a definition of selected function.
Open the Search Menu, Choose 'Search...', and navigate to the PHP tab, then
Enter the method name in the search string text box;
Select Method in the Search for group;
Select References in the Limit to group.
Find method usages http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/83/eclipsepdtfindmethodusa.png
We have a plugin for that... nWire for PHP. It's a comprehensive PHP code analyzer which represents all your code associations, invocations included in one quick and easy to use view. It can also represent the associations graphically.