Embedding the expression language Xbase in your own language has become very simple. For most cases it is enough to specify how your language concepts relate to the JVM typesystem. The framework then derives all other services such as scoping or even the code generator from this mapping automatically.

Selection can now be enlarged/shrinked with regard to the semantics by using CTRL-SHIFT-[LEFT|RIGHT]. Upper case letters are matched to camel case names in content assist. The outline view shows better defaults.

Rename refactoring has been revised and allows you to reliably rename elements and references across language and resource boundaries. Saving and inline editing can be configured in the preferences.

The performance of the builder has had special attention. It not only runs less often now, but it also adapts better to files with different sizes. The resource loading can be parallelized to further minimize build times.

A couple of additions to the syntax allow you to simplify Xbase expressions even further:

• We have introduced a second implicit variable named it. As opposed to the existing this, you can declare and override it, e.g. as a function parameter.
• If the last argument of a function call is a closure it can now be specified after the feature call. This way you can provide extension libraries that look like new statements. In combination with it and procedures you can for example create object trees using a very elegant syntax.

A new experimental extension to the testing framework allows JUnit4-Tests to be parameterized with DSL files. Expectations can be configured right within the DSL files using comments.

The following additions to the syntax allow you to simplify Xtend expressions even further:

• We have introduced a second implicit variable named it. As opposed to the existing this, you can declare and override it, e.g. as a function parameter. Use it to omit a single parameter in closures or as the default variable in create extensions.
• Xtend now supports procedures. If a closure does not return a value you don't have to specify it.
• If the last argument of a function call is a closure it can now be specified after the feature call. This way you can provide extension libraries that look like new statements. In combination with it and procedures you can for example create object trees using a very elegant syntax.

Members of Xtend classes can now be defined as 'private', 'protected' or 'public'. The default visibility stays 'public' for classes and methods and 'private' for fields. The visibility of a derived dispatcher method is inferred from its dispatch methods.

The name of an field can be omitted, if the field is injected as an extension. Its features stay accessible via the extension call syntax.

The type inference for generic types and arrays has been improved, such that you can skip explicit type declarations in even more cases.

Import statements in Xtend files can now be organized as in JDT: Unused imports are marked and can be automatically pruned using the "Organize Imports" action. Wildcard imports have been deprecated.

Editing Xtend has become more comfortable: You can now enlarge/shrink the selection based on the semantics using CTRL-SHIFT-[LEFT|RIGHT]. Content assist matches upper case letters to camel case prefixes. Xtend files are colored semantically to better highlight extension calls, deprecation etc. We have added more validation rules to help the user writing correct Xtend code.

An go to Xtend source hyperlink has been added for generated java types, which directly opens the source xtend file. By default, the hyperlink appears when you hold down the Ctrl key while hovering over a generated java type.

The code generator translates comments from Xtend artifacts to JavaDoc in the generated Java code.

Rename refactoring has been revised to integrate seamlessly with JDT. Declarations and references are correctly updated in Java as well as in Xtend code, no matter where the refactoring has been triggered.