Eclipse 3.8 and 4.2 M6 - New and Noteworthy

While there were lineups outside tech stores around the world today for a shiny new piece of fruit, today is also notable for a new stable build towards the Juno release of the Eclipse platform. Here are some of the more noteworthy things available in milestone build M6 (March 16, 2012) which is now available for download. Unless otherwise indicated, all entries listed here are available in both the 3.8 and 4.2 development streams. See the build notes for details about bugs fixed and other changes.

Equinox
OSGi Core Release 5 With this milestone the Equinox OSGi Framework implements the draft OSGi Core Release 5 (R5) specification. The OSGi Core R5 specification is an incremental change from the R4.3 specification. A majority of the changes included in the Core R5 specification are in support of the upcoming OSGi Enterprise Release 5 specification. A public draft of the specification will be available here by March 26, 2012. The final version will be available here shortly after that.
Publisher Support for Negation Requirements The p2 publisher can now publish negation requirements. A negation requirement is a requirement that must not be present. For example, the Rich Ajax Platform (RAP) can declare a negation requirement on the Eclipse Platform, meaning that RAP won't be installable into your IDE.
Negation requirements are specified using the p2.inf file. Details are available on the Wiki
Platform
XULRunner 10 The SWT browser now supports embedding XULRunner 10.0.x (note that XULRunner versions 4.x - 9.x are not supported). Apps wishing to use this must ship a XULRunner 10 runtime and explicitly point at it as described in the FAQ .
Provide context menu trigger MenuDetectEvent now fills in the event detail field to indicate whether the context menu is being triggered by the SWT.MENU_MOUSE or SWT.MENU_KEYBOARD. If the event.detail is SWT.MENU_KEYBOARD, custom controls can appropriately position the context menu based on current focus or selection.
Set/get custom colors in ColorDialog ColorDialog now supports getRGBs() and setRGBs(RGB []) to allow applications to retrieve, save, and restore any custom colors that the user selected in the dialog.

Custom Colors section of a win32 ColorDialog
BIDI segments on text widget The Text widget now supports adding SegmentListener for BIDI support. This allows BIDI ordering to be applied to segments of the text instead of the entire text.
Browser Function Access BrowserFunction can now be installed into specific frames.
SWT Runtime introspection SWT.isLoadable() can be used to determine whether the SWT implementation can be loaded in the current running environment.
Overlay scrollbars Scrollable.getScrollbarsMode() can be used to determine whether the platform shows overlay scrollbars.
RelaunchLastAction has been made API The internal class RelaunchLastAction has been promoted to API and can be found in the org.eclipse.debug.ui.actions package.
Add new expression image constant has been made API The constant IDebugUIConstants.IMG_OBJ_ADD_NEW_EXPRESSION has been added to API to allow consumers who extend or use the Expressions view look-and-feel to use the Add New Expression icon (The add new expression icon).
Toggle breakpoints target manager has been made API The interface org.eclipse.debug.ui.actions.IToggleBreakpointsTargetManager has been made API to allow clients access to known IToggleBreakpointTargets. The new API can be accessed via org.eclipse.debug.ui.DebugUITools#getToggleBreakpointsTargetManager()
BreakpointTypesContribution has been made API The class org.eclipse.debug.ui.actions.BreakpointTypesContribution has been added to API. This class can be reused by clients to add a breakpoint type action in the editor gutter context menu to match the action(s) that appear in the Run > Breakpoint Types menu.
Find action can be customised in Variables View specialisations Consumer now have the ability to completely override the behaviour of the Find... action in the Variables View and any of its sub-classes, e.g. Expressions View, Modules View, etc.

To replace the default Find... actions clients must provide an adapter for the interface org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.viewers.model.provisional.IViewActionProvider.

For more information see the Javadoc for org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.viewers.model.provisional.IViewActionProvider with an example available in the org.eclipse.debug.examples.ui bundle found in the Platform Debug Git repo.

Improved launch configuration name validation Now if you create a launch configuration with the name of an existing configuration, the type of the conflicting configuration is noted in the error message.

Launch configuration dialog showing name conflict error
JDT
Selectively ignore errors/warnings from source folders You can now configure JDT to ignore optional errors/warnings from certain source folders. Project properties > Java Build Path > Compiler > Source.

Java Build path page with 'Ignore optional compile problems' highlighted

With this option set to Yes, JDT will suppress errors/warnings configured in the Preferences > Java > Compiler > Errors/Warnings page. This can be desirable for source folders that contain auto-generated classes or tests.

CamelCase in Quick Outline The Quick Outline (Ctrl+O) and Quick Hierarchy (Ctrl+T) in the Java Editor now also support camelCase matching on the element name, quite similar to the Open Type dialog and Content Assist.

Quick Outline of StyledText with pattern 'gCa'

The * and ? wildcards still work, of course.
Improved messages for null analysis problems The wording of several error messages and compiler options in Preferences > Java > Compiler > Errors/Warnings > Null analysis has been improved:
  • Violation of null specification
    This option produces the 'Null type mismatch: required '@NonNull String' but the provided value is specified as @Nullable' warning

    Here, 'in' is not a legal return value because of the @Nullable annotation in its declaration.

  • Conflict between null annotations and null inference
    This option produces the 'Null type mismatch: required @NonNull String but the provided value is inferred as @Nullable' warning

    Here, 'local' is not a legal return value, because flow analysis for the un-annotated variable 'local' infers that it can be null on some path.

  • Unchecked conversion from non-annotated type to @NonNull type
    This option produces the 'Null type safety: The expression of type String needs unchecked conversion to conform to @NonNull String' warning

    Here, the return value from 'getLegacyValue()' may or may not be compatible to '@NonNull String'. Similar to converting a legacy raw type to a generic type, also here essential type information is missing since 'getLegacyValue()' has no @NonNull or @Nullable annotation.
Detection of missing default nullness annotation You can now configure JDT to detect a missing default nullness annotation when using the annotation-based null analysis. When Preferences > Java > Compiler > Errors/Warnings > Null analysis > Missing '@NonNullByDefault' annotation on package is enabled, JDT will issue an error/warning in the following cases:
  • When a package does not contain an '@NonNullByDefault' annotation in the package-info.java:

    Missing @NonNullByDefault annotation on package warning

  • When a type inside a default package does not contain a default nullness annotation.

    Missing @NonNullByDefault annotation on type warning

Note that the option Use non-null as workspace wide (or project-wide) default has been withdrawn. Instead, you can enable the Missing '@NonNullByDefault' annotation on package option and make sure you specify the default nullness annotation on all types/packages.
Null analysis treats org.eclipse.core.runtime.Assert like Java assert Since org.eclipse.core.runtime.Assert is often used just like the Java assert keyword, JDT's null analysis considers the boolean expression passed into the former as always true after the Assert reference, since if the condition did turn out to be false, the control flow will never go further than the org.eclipse.core.runtime.Assert reference.

Code snippet showing the boolean expression passed into org.eclipse.core.runtime.Assert.isLegal(..) is considered true after the call
Null analysis for fields withdrawn "No man loves the bearer of bad tidings", said Sophocles. While we're proud to announce all the recent enhancements in JDT's null analysis, we have decided to withdraw the support added for null analysis of fields in Juno M5 so that a more general and configurable solution could be considered in future without being constrained by the present implementation. Stay tuned!
Resource leak detection improved and enabled by default Resource leak detection as introduced in JDT Juno M3 is now less aggressive if a resource is shared between methods, possibly via a field, where any party accessing the resource could possibly issue the desired call to close(). This, along with some fine tuning of the analysis, results in a greatly reduced number of false positives. Thus, the detection of a definite resource leak is now much more reliable and reporting is set to warning by default. This can be configured in the Java > Compiler > Errors/Warnings preference page.

Errors/Warnings page with 'Resource leaks' highlighted
Incomplete switch over enum JDT now raises a new warning whenever a switch on an enum value lacks a default case, and the option Preferences > Java > Compiler > Errors/Warnings > Incomplete 'switch' cases over enum is enabled.

Warning on switch over enum with missing default case

Note that in cases like the above, the warning also helps to understand another error against the last statement:
"The local variable printString may not have been initialized" is reported because clients could possibly call the method print(Color) with an enum value that is not known at the time of compiling this method.
Show Monitors on by default The default setting for displaying monitor information in the Debug view is now set to on. This change only affects new workspaces and does not change existing settings.

Showing monitor information can be turned on or off using the Java > Show Monitors view action within the Debug view.

Toggle breakpoint modifier keys There is now support for modifier keys while toggling breakpoints in the Java editor:

  • Holding the Ctrl key while double-clicking (toggling) a breakpoint will cause the Properties dialog for that breakpoint to be displayed (on the Mac, use Command)

  • Holding the Alt key while double-clicking (toggling) a breakpoint will enable / disable that breakpoint
If there is no existing breakpoint, a normal breakpoint toggle takes place even if a modifier key is held down.
Improved bracket matching support in Java editor The Java editor now supports highlighting of enclosing brackets.

Enclosing brackets

This can be configured on the Java > Editor preference page.

Preferences for bracket highlighting

Also, the Navigate > Go To > Matching Bracket action (Ctrl+Shift+P) now works everywhere in a file. If a bracket is not selected before invoking the action, the action navigates to the nearest enclosing end bracket. On invoking the action a second time, it navigates to the corresponding start bracket. On the third invocation, the original selection is restored.

Furthermore, the start bracket is now highlighted when the caret is before (not after) the end bracket.

Matching bracket example
Default implementations for correction proposals JDT now provides the following default implementations for correction proposals that can be used to contribute quick fixes and quick assists.
  • org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.java.correction.ChangeCorrectionProposal
  • org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.java.correction.CUCorrectionProposal
  • org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.java.correction.ASTRewriteCorrectionProposal
This makes it easier to implement quick fixes/assists that operate on .java files and use an ASTRewrite.
Highlighting on Errors/Warnings preference pages On Errors/Warnings preference pages, it is sometimes hard to see which item is selected, especially when you opened the dialog via the "Configure Problem Severity" button.

Configure Problem Severity button in Java Editor problem hover

Now, an arrow highlights the selected item, and another arrow highlights the item under the mouse.

Highlighting in preference pages

The highlighting also works on the PDE and API Tools preference pages.
PDE
Target definition configure phase When working with a target definition containing a software site location (such as a p2 repository) it is now possible to change whether the p2 configuration phase should be run when resolving the target. By default the configuration phase is not included. Changing the setting will change all locations in the target definition.

Configure phase option
Add required in feature based product The product editor now has an Add Required button when editing a feature based product. Pressing the button will add all the features that are required by the features already in the product configuration.

Add required button
Extension editor enhancements Several improvements have been made to the extensions tab of the Plug-in Editor.

Extensions editor enhancements

  • Filter related: Available by right clicking and pressing Filter Related, only extensions that are related (same id, label, class, etc) will be displayed in the tree
  • Filter enhancements: The standard filter textbox now supports multiple filters separated by "/", matches are bolded, and the filter applies to extension attributes
  • Label improvements: More items will display icons and labels, class names are displayed without package name
  • Accelerated scrolling: Pressing Ctrl while scrolling does fast scrolling
  • Better expansion: The expand state of selected items can be toggled with a new action
  • Search workspace: Search the workspace for extensions related to items in the editor
Workspace deletion is cancelable Eclipse and OSGi launch configurations have the option to delete the workspace and configuration folders before launching. This can be a long running operation with large workspaces. The operation is now cancelable which will stop the launch.
API Tools tracing API Tools has added all debug tracing settings to the Tracing preference page where they can be enabled and disabled as needed without restarting.

API Tools tracing
EE descriptions updated The API Tools execution environment descriptions have been updated with more accurate package information and have been renamed for easier installation. To turn on warnings for invalid references to classes or methods that are not available in the configured execution environment, use the Plug-in Development > API Errors/Warnings preference page.

The execution environment descriptions can be installed from the Eclipse update site (http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/updates/3.8-I-builds) under the API Tools Execution Environment Descriptions category.

Updated EE descriptions

The above features are just the ones that are new since the previous milestone build. Summaries for earlier Juno milestone builds: