[ajug-members] Eclipse 'snippets' plugin = ?

[James Mitchell]

On Aug 3, 2006, at 12:18 PM, Howard Kapustein wrote:

> 1. Can I pick and choose 'templates' for a hierarchial list (some  
> panel
> in the IDE with groupings)? See Exadel and MyEclipse.
>

Still not sure what you mean here.  Can you provide a link to a site  
with a screenshot?

> 2. Can the IDE prompt for template substitutions before injecting the
> text, e.g.
>
> private static final Log log = ${factory}.get(String $
> {name}, int ${id});
>
> And the user's displayed a dialog prompting for values for 'factory',
> 'name' and 'id'? See Exadel and MyEclipse.
>

Oh, Eclipse does it better.  There is no need for dialogs.  The code  
is injected and every replacement that you are supposed to provide  
has a smart (see below) pre-filled-in value with a small box around  
them so you can see immediately which values can be replaced.  At  
this point, you are not in normal free-text edit mode, you fill in  
values or tab to a different box.  As you type, the replacement  
values are written, then you can tab to the next one.  You can tab  
backwards and forwards from box to box.

When you are in one of those "boxes", hitting enter doesn't key a new  
line, but it completes the line and takes you out of that special  
mode.  This means that if you type sysout<ctrl+space>, it writes  
System.out.println([cursor here]);  <- see where the cursor is?  Then  
type something and hit enter.  You are taken to the end of the line  
and puts you back in free editing mode.  Hitting escape also changes  
you back to regular editing mode without moving the cursor.

Also, if you need some value more than once in the template, and it  
should be the same for each one, such as a variable name like in a  
for loop iteration, it is handled for you. As you type, each box  
shows the same value.

If you decide you don't need the template, ctrl + z (undo) or ctrl +  
d (line deletion).

> 2a. Can I mark these as optional vs. required and omit any optional  
> ones
> not valued?
>

Not sure why a template/snippet would need optional values.  I mean,  
if the default value is good enough, just tab right through.

> 2b. Can I provide a small descriptive help for the prompt dialog  
> guiding
> the user what to enter for a value?
>

Yes, that's the 'description' in the create dialog (from Window- 
 >Preferences, Java->Editor->Templates)

> 2c. Can I provide a default value for the fields, so the user can  
> accept
> them or change them and not be forced to work with an initially blank
> prompt they MUST enter something?
>

There are defaults.  In fact Eclipse provides smart defaults.  So if  
your snippet needs a Collection, it will look above in *your* code  
for any declared Collections by scope, closest to farthest, and will  
use that variable, which you can change or leave it.


> 3. Can I abort the process before completion and no code is changed?
>
> 	- Howard


See above for ctrl+z or ctrl+d.

When you create the template, you can specify whether it is  
automatically added or not.  This is when there is nothing else that  
matches what you've typed when you press ctrl+space.  Also, like all  
Eclipse preferences, you can import or export your custom templates.   
So you can provide them to your team or keep them around for when you  
upgrade Eclipse.  Same for snippets.

(Did someone say smart refactoring?)

One slightly unknown feature in Eclipse is the 'Extract constant'  
feature.  There isn't a default key binding for it (at least not on  
the Mac), but that's easy to fix.  I set mine to ctrl+alt+. (period)   
This cool feature let's you highlight any java code that can be  
assigned to a variable and creates a private static final for you, by  
type and is even smart about it.  So:

...
... (down in some method)
...
  String smart = "smart defaults";
...
...


// ======= becomes ========= //

class Whatever{

	private static final String SMART_DEFAULTS = "smart defaults";

...
...
  String smart = SMART_DEFAULTS;
...
...


By the way, there are templates available for different editors (Ant,  
CSS, DTD, XML, JSP).  All the standard java editor templates also  
work in Javadoc comments.  Eclipse even provides a few for you.   
Check it out.



--
James Mitchell
678.910.8017