When I am programming in Eclipse, the auto-complete \ suggestions box usually opens when typing a dot (for example after typing System.
or SomeObject.
, and stays open while typing a similar code to any of the suggested.
This is what I'm talking about:
I often use the auto-complete \ suggestions box to my advantage, and there are couple of changes I would like to make in order to improve my productivity while programming, if possible;
Is there any way to make the suggestions box visible all the time, showing suggestions in real-time (and showing a blank box when there are no available suggestions) ?
Is there any way to add permanent custom suggestions to the suggestions box (e.g. a switch case template or a line of code like public String toString()
) ?
Is there any way to re-order the suggestions box (e.g. class private variables before general functions or System.out.println()
before System.out.print()
) ?
Is there any way to re-design the suggestions box - i.e changing its text color, background color, re-sizing the suggestions box window and removing the yellow java-doc pop-up?
FYI, in Eclipse terminology this feature is called Content Assist.
Is there any way to make the suggestions box visible all the time, showing suggestions in real-time (and showing a blank box when there are no available suggestions) ?
No, that's not possible. You can invoke it any time you want via Ctrl+Space (Command+Space on Mac)
Is there any way to add permanent custom suggestions to the suggestions box (e.g. a switch case template or a line of code like public String toString()) ?
Yes, you can add your own templates via Preferences > Java > Editor > Templates
Is there any way to re-order the suggestions box (e.g. class private variables before general functions or System.out.println() before System.out.print()) ?
Not really. There is some control of the order for "cycling" through proposal types via Preferences > Java > Content Assist > Advanced, but it's not really what you're looking for. The order of proposals is, I think, based on the current context of when Content Assist is invoked.
Is there any way to re-design the suggestions box - i.e changing its text color, background color, re-sizing the suggestions box window and removing the yellow java-doc pop-up?
All of the customization option are available under Preferences > Java > Content Assist; color options are available under Preferences > General > Appearance > Color and Fonts, but I think the colors for that pop-up might come from your operating system color settings.
If you're using (or willing to use) Eclipse Juno (4.2) then there is a new project call Code Recommenders that you might find interesting.