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Newbie Questions about Content Assist [message #67590]

Wed, 25 June 2003 17:25

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: chipper.mn.rr.com

I'm very new to Eclipse and I'm trying to compare it to other Java IDE tools
I've been using. I've heard nothing but praise about how great Eclipse is.

Is there any way to have the editor "know" about changes to other classes
without having to save the other class first? Content Assist seems to only
know about the saved state of the code, not the editor's current state of
the code. (except the file currenlty being edited)

And along the same lines... is there any way to see errors in the editor
caused by changes to a class without having to save it first?

These seems like something obvious (JBuilder and IDEA support the behaviour)
so either I'm missing some option or there's a fundemental difference in how
I am to use Eclipse. Help!?

Thanks

- Chipper

Re: Newbie Questions about Content Assist [message #67674 is a reply to message #67590]

Wed, 25 June 2003 18:57

Eclipse User

Chipper:

You may want to make sure that you are not delete or removing the .class files
be created by incremental complier. This can happen, if you use Ant and build
your project into the same build folder. This the main reason I've seen this. If
I make a rather large change, I've noticed that do need to do save. You want to
make sure that you have build automaticly on resource modification.

HTH,

Jeff
Chipper wrote:

> I'm very new to Eclipse and I'm trying to compare it to other Java IDE tools
> I've been using. I've heard nothing but praise about how great Eclipse is.
>
> Is there any way to have the editor "know" about changes to other classes
> without having to save the other class first? Content Assist seems to only
> know about the saved state of the code, not the editor's current state of
> the code. (except the file currenlty being edited)
>
> And along the same lines... is there any way to see errors in the editor
> caused by changes to a class without having to save it first?
>
> These seems like something obvious (JBuilder and IDEA support the behaviour)
> so either I'm missing some option or there's a fundemental difference in how
> I am to use Eclipse. Help!?
>
> Thanks
>
> - Chipper

Re: Newbie Questions about Content Assist [message #67840 is a reply to message #67674]

Thu, 26 June 2003 00:12

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: chipper.mn.rr.com

Jeff,
Thanks for your reply. Actually... I think I can state it more clearly...

Content Assist doesn't seem to be updated with the signatures of methods in
other files until the content of those files has been saved from the
"buffer" to disk. Is that the only way it works?

Furthermore... the syntax checking and problems list doesn't update until
the files are saved as well.

I'm used to IDEs like JBuilder and IDEA where the current contents of
editor's buffer are used for the "Content Assist" regardless of whether the
file has been saved.

Perhaps my whole concept of working with eclipse needs to change.. and I'll
have to save constantly. But... it would sure be nice if I didn't have to
save my class to see the changes to it in other classes.

- Chipper

"Jeff Duska" <Jeff.Duska@noaa.gov> wrote in message
news:3EFA28BE.D3FDF30D@noaa.gov...
> Chipper:
>
> You may want to make sure that you are not delete or removing the .class
files
> be created by incremental complier. This can happen, if you use Ant and
build
> your project into the same build folder. This the main reason I've seen
this. If
> I make a rather large change, I've noticed that do need to do save. You
want to
> make sure that you have build automaticly on resource modification.
>
> HTH,
>
> Jeff
> Chipper wrote:
>
> > I'm very new to Eclipse and I'm trying to compare it to other Java IDE
tools
> > I've been using. I've heard nothing but praise about how great Eclipse
is.
> >
> > Is there any way to have the editor "know" about changes to other
classes
> > without having to save the other class first? Content Assist seems to
only
> > know about the saved state of the code, not the editor's current state
of
> > the code. (except the file currenlty being edited)
> >
> > And along the same lines... is there any way to see errors in the editor
> > caused by changes to a class without having to save it first?
> >
> > These seems like something obvious (JBuilder and IDEA support the
behaviour)
> > so either I'm missing some option or there's a fundemental difference in
how
> > I am to use Eclipse. Help!?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > - Chipper
>

Re: Newbie Questions about Content Assist [message #67923 is a reply to message #67590]

Thu, 26 June 2003 04:23

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: daniel.megert.gmx.net

Chipper wrote:

>I'm very new to Eclipse and I'm trying to compare it to other Java IDE tools
>I've been using. I've heard nothing but praise about how great Eclipse is.
>
>Is there any way to have the editor "know" about changes to other classes
>without having to save the other class first? Content Assist seems to only
>know about the saved state of the code, not the editor's current state of
>the code. (except the file currenlty being edited)
>
Correct. File a feature request if this is important to you.

>And along the same lines... is there any way to see errors in the editor
>caused by changes to a class without having to save it first?
>
Yes this should work out of the box, i.e. if you type you should get red
squiggles and a red mark in the overview ruler (on the right side) and
if there's a quick fix for the problem you'll get a quick fix icon in
the vertical ruler (left side).

HTH
Dani

Re: Newbie Questions about Content Assist [message #68002 is a reply to message #67590]

Thu, 26 June 2003 05:59

Eclipse User

"Chipper" <chipper@mn.rr.com> wrote in message
news:bdd40k$v6d$1@rogue.oti.com...
> Is there any way to have the editor "know" about changes to other classes
> without having to save the other class first? Content Assist seems to
only
> know about the saved state of the code, not the editor's current state of
> the code. (except the file currenlty being edited)

FYI, we (JDT/Core) are working on the infrastructure for this. It should be
in next integration build. I'm not sure when the UI will convert to this new
infrastructure though.

Jerome

Re: Newbie Questions about Content Assist [message #68258 is a reply to message #67840]

Thu, 26 June 2003 13:34

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: mccull1.does.not.like.spam.us.ibm.com

I understand your point, but with Eclipse's super-fantastic incremental
compiler I've never really seen this as a problem. Why would you want to
work for any extended period of time without saving? In those other IDE's
the compile overhead is much higher than in Eclipse, so it makes more sense
for them to support this. In any event, Jerome's message seems to indicate
you will get your feature anyway :)

-Andrew

"Chipper" <chipper@mn.rr.com> wrote in message
news:bddrra$fmg$1@rogue.oti.com...
> Jeff,
> Thanks for your reply. Actually... I think I can state it more clearly...
>
> Content Assist doesn't seem to be updated with the signatures of methods
in
> other files until the content of those files has been saved from the
> "buffer" to disk. Is that the only way it works?
<SNIP>

Re: Newbie Questions about Content Assist [message #68270 is a reply to message #68258]

Thu, 26 June 2003 13:56

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: jshields.artemisalliance.com

Well... at this point I don't think I've got a complete handle on the
super-fantastic incremental compiler, but I'll get there. :)

I agree with your point about saving, but at with good local version
control... I'd rather it just save all the time (or at least not make _me_
have to do it constantly). I'd like it to always "know" about the changes
I've made and reflect it in Code Assist and Errors accordingly.

Does Eclipse have an "auto save" feature when I switch to a different
file/tab? (that would basically have the same effect that I want)

I've VERY excited about Jerome's message. That would be great. Again... I
may not have the right "habits" developed for Eclipse yet <g> and I'm going
to continue to experiment with it.

- Chipper

"Andrew McCullough" <mccull1@does.not.like.spam.us.ibm.com> wrote in message
news:bdfaro$rrk$1@rogue.oti.com...
>
> I understand your point, but with Eclipse's super-fantastic incremental
> compiler I've never really seen this as a problem. Why would you want to
> work for any extended period of time without saving? In those other IDE's
> the compile overhead is much higher than in Eclipse, so it makes more
sense
> for them to support this. In any event, Jerome's message seems to
indicate
> you will get your feature anyway :)
>
> -Andrew
>
> "Chipper" <chipper@mn.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:bddrra$fmg$1@rogue.oti.com...
> > Jeff,
> > Thanks for your reply. Actually... I think I can state it more
clearly...
> >
> > Content Assist doesn't seem to be updated with the signatures of methods
> in
> > other files until the content of those files has been saved from the
> > "buffer" to disk. Is that the only way it works?
> <SNIP>
>
>

Re: Newbie Questions about Content Assist [message #68292 is a reply to message #68002]

Thu, 26 June 2003 14:00

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: jshields.artemisalliance.com

That sound great! Thanks for the info Jerome. I appreciate your efforts.
Eclipse appears to be quite a tool/platform.

I'm a forgetful programmer and I frequently bounce between several files
making changes... I've never been in the habit if saving each file before I
move to the next. So... with my short term memory problem not having Code
Assist becomes an inconvenience to me.

Thanks again.

- Chipper

"Jerome Lanneluc" <jerome_lanneluc@fr.ibm.com> wrote in message
news:bdeg5n$qu$1@rogue.oti.com...
>
> "Chipper" <chipper@mn.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:bdd40k$v6d$1@rogue.oti.com...
> > Is there any way to have the editor "know" about changes to other
classes
> > without having to save the other class first? Content Assist seems to
> only
> > know about the saved state of the code, not the editor's current state
of
> > the code. (except the file currenlty being edited)
>
> FYI, we (JDT/Core) are working on the infrastructure for this. It should
be
> in next integration build. I'm not sure when the UI will convert to this
new
> infrastructure though.
>
> Jerome
>
>

Re: Newbie Questions about Content Assist [message #68356 is a reply to message #68270]

Thu, 26 June 2003 15:34

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: mccull1.does.not.like.spam.us.ibm.com

I don't believe there is an auto-save feature. You could always request one
at http://bugs.eclipse.org. Personally, I am just in the habit of hitting
Ctrl-S a lot to save :) You can also use Ctrl+Shift+S to save any open
files (not just the current file) that have not yet been saved.

The incremental compiler is pretty simple in theory: Everytime you save a
class, Eclipse compiles just that one class and any classes that might have
been effected by that type of change (IOW, a change to a private method will
not cause other related classes to be recompiled, but a change to a public
method might). This means that the project is constantly in a "built"
state.

-Andrew

"John Shields" <jshields@artemisalliance.com> wrote in message
news:bdfc4q$t8j$1@rogue.oti.com...
> Well... at this point I don't think I've got a complete handle on the
> super-fantastic incremental compiler, but I'll get there. :)
>
> I agree with your point about saving, but at with good local version
> control... I'd rather it just save all the time (or at least not make _me_
> have to do it constantly). I'd like it to always "know" about the changes
> I've made and reflect it in Code Assist and Errors accordingly.
>
> Does Eclipse have an "auto save" feature when I switch to a different
> file/tab? (that would basically have the same effect that I want)
>
> I've VERY excited about Jerome's message. That would be great. Again...
I
> may not have the right "habits" developed for Eclipse yet <g> and I'm
going
> to continue to experiment with it.
>
> - Chipper
>
<SNIP>

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