[ANN] StringEditorPlugin: v1.1

Hi Alain,

This version (1.1) works a bit more reliable on my system (#3136/Win2K).
The first release would often leave rendering artifacts.

Some quick comments for now:
1) I think the multi-expression editor would be much more useful when
implemented as a single textarea, instead of the current multi-field
solution. This would also enable Copy/Cut/Paste for multi-expression
string literals. (For example to paste a SQL query in some external
analyzer tool)

You could try to walk the PSI forwards and backwards and only include
elements of the pattern: "literal" + "literal" + "literal" + ...
Then, present all the collected lines in one single editor, potentially
having multiple lines of content.

2) I understand that including nonliteral expressions presents a
challenge. One idea is to invert the syntax:

String foo = "prefix" + i + "suffix";

would become (inside the editor area):

prefix " + i + " suffix

I agree that looks a bit strange, but with some highlighting syntax for
the nonliteral (" + i + ") part, I believe this will be a much more
natural editing mode, especially when editing multiple lines (see #1).

An extension of this idea is to customize the string editor and prevent
modification or deletion of the non-literal interleaved expression parts.

3) Editing multiline strings triggers reformat/indentation:

String query =
"select r.ot_id, r.oti_name, r.oti_open_path\n" +
"from tidx_recursive r\n" +
"where r.rpvc < ?";

Invoking the string editor, and closing it (Esc) without making a change
will cause the statement to be reformatted as a result:

String query =
"select r.ot_id, r.oti_name, r.oti_open_path\n" +
"from tidx_recursive r\n" +
"where r.rpvc < ?";

4) Positioning of the editor window could be smarter. If the default
position (beneath and to the right of expression) would cause the editor
window to be (partially) off-screen, try a location above the expression
etc.

5) Unrelated, but a nice formatting intention would be to reformat this:

String s = "line 1\nline 2\nline 3\n";

to:

String s = "line 1\n" +
"line 2\n" +
"line 3\n";

A bit like the inverse of "Join Concatenated String Literals".

Regards,

-tt

Alain Ravet wrote:

version 1.1

• new: multi-segment string are supported (see illustration below)

• fix: auto-resize problem on non MacOS X

known issue: there still are some auto-resize problems with some rare
combinations of "\n\t\n"

(source available at
http://www.intellij.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/StringEditorPlugin)


multi-segment support:
----------------------

Taras

4) Positioning of the editor window could be smarter.

planned.

This version (1.1) works a bit more reliable on my system
(#3136/Win2K). The first release would often leave rendering artifacts.

Only a bit? What problems are you still experiencing (except for the
mentioned "\n\t\n" ones)?

1) I think the multi-expression editor would be much more useful when
implemented as a single textarea,
2) I understand that including nonliteral expressions presents a
challenge. One idea is to invert the syntax:

That's another design direction, that I don't want to follow: the
current implementation (separate fields, for separate literal expressions),
- is good enough (for me, at least)
- is simple, and clean (to code, and to use),
- allows for quick navigation, and smart caret positioning.
- doesn't let the user enter any invalid text

There are constraints/limitations I guess, but none that bothers me.
I wrote it to make my life easier in cases exactly like :

http://www.intellij.org/twiki/pub/Main/StringEditorPlugin/StringEditorPluginV1-1.png


If it hurts you too much, the code is available, and readable.
See:
http://www.intellij.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/StringEditorPlugin

5) Unrelated, but a nice formatting intention would be to reformat this:
String s = "line 1\nline 2\nline 3\n";
to:
String s = "line 1\n" +
"line 2\n" +
"line 3\n";

You're lazy
Press .
:)


Alain

Any chance of a version for Idea 4.5.x?

Alain Ravet wrote:

version 1.1

• new: multi-segment string are supported (see illustration below)

• fix: auto-resize problem on non MacOS X

known issue: there still are some auto-resize problems with some rare
combinations of "\n\t\n"

(source available at
http://www.intellij.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/StringEditorPlugin)


multi-segment support:
----------------------

Glen

Any chance of a version for Idea 4.5.x?

I just changed the "since-build" value to 2234, for a quick test on my
Mac, but IDEA v4.5 doesn't seem to cohabitate very well with the current
EAP installation. Could you test the attached jar on you machine?

Alain

Hello Alain,

Do you planed implement String search? I mean for searching in String constants
and string values.
For example, if i fix some bug in application, but i not know this application
- it just support with bug fixing, i can navigate and exam code by source
only with strings search: i look on visual problem, find some 'string' and
try to find this string in project usage. I may find it by "Find in Path"
but it will not work with splited strings: "my" + " title".

So, will be nice to have ability to find splited strings and StringBuffer
usages.

Thanks!
--
Alexey Efimov, Java Developer
Tops BI
http://www.topsbi.ru

Alexey


If you mean "String constants expansion", yes, it's planned:

static String s = "test" ;
...
String a = "un" + s + "deux"; =>]]> by default, the StringEditor looks like

stringExpansion (planned)
1xclick on 's'
=>

2xclick on 's'

=> all the vars are expanded


If it's not what you meant, could you provide another example?

Alain

Hello Alain,

I mean about search engine. Not a editor enchancement. So, for example, somethere
in project i have:
String s =
"my " +
"string";
In "blank box" case of searching this string, i search for "my string" string.
Becouse, i can see this string in UI by visual look and i don't know how
this string presented in source code.

As i guess, you use PSI for detect strings literals. So, you can use the
same 'string detection' in implementation search that about i talk.

Then i try find "my string" string literal, by using your detect engine,
i found:
"my " + "string" and "my string". Now i can found only "my string".

Thanks!
--
Alexey Efimov, Java Developer
Tops BI
http://www.topsbi.ru

Alexey Efimov wrote:


> I mean about search engine...
> Then i try find "my string" string literal, by using your detect
engine, i found:
> "my " + "string" and "my string". Now i can found only "my string".

My little plugin is just an editor, an input facilitator,
and your request rather looks like a request for StructuralSearch
improvement, don't you think?

Alain

Hello Alain,

AR> My little plugin is just an editor, an input facilitator,
AR> and your request rather looks like a request for StructuralSearch
AR> improvement, don't you think?

Hmm, i think that this request for separate plugin :))

Thank you in any case :)
--
Alexey Efimov, Java Developer
Tops BI
http://www.topsbi.ru

Alain Ravet wrote:

Glen

>> Any chance of a version for Idea 4.5.x?

I just changed the "since-build" value to 2234, for a quick test on my
Mac, but IDEA v4.5 doesn't seem to cohabitate very well with the current
EAP installation. Could you test the attached jar on you machine?

Alain

Just tried it but it seems not to load. I checked idea.log but couldn't
see any error messages.

Actually probing a bit further I noticed you packed it wrong so I
repacked but then got this error:

2005-01-13 17:43:48,593 ERROR -
lication.impl.LaterInvocatorEx -
java.lang.NoSuchFieldError: STRING_LITERAL
at
com.ravet.ideaplugins.stringEditor.util.U$Psi_.isStringLiteralToken(U.java:48)
at
com.ravet.ideaplugins.stringEditor.StringEditorAction.isAvailable(StringEditorAction.java:26)
at com.intellij.codeInsight.f.a.m.d(m.java:116)
at com.intellij.codeInsight.f.a.m.c(m.java:51)
at com.intellij.codeInsight.f.a.e$3.run(e$3.java:2)
at com.intellij.openapi.o.b.d$b_.run(d$b_.java:2)
at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(InvocationEvent.java:178)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:454)
at com.intellij.ide.t.b(t.java:46)
at com.intellij.ide.t.a(t.java:13)
at com.intellij.ide.t.dispatchEvent(t.java:57)
at
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:201)
at
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:151)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:145)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:137)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:100)

-- Glen


Glen Stampoultzis wrote:

Alain Ravet wrote:

>> Glen
>>
>>> Any chance of a version for Idea 4.5.x?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I just changed the "since-build" value to 2234, for a quick test on my
>> Mac, but IDEA v4.5 doesn't seem to cohabitate very well with the
>> current EAP installation. Could you test the attached jar on you machine?
>>
>> Alain
>>
>>

Just tried it but it seems not to load. I checked idea.log but couldn't
see any error messages.

Glen,

This one should work fine. Could you test it (use it), before I send it to the repository?
TIA

Alain

Alain Ravet wrote:

>This one ...
>

The attachment doesn't show up in the newsgroup.
You can find it here:

http://www.intellij.net/forums/thread.jsp?forum=18&thread=121329&tstart=0&trange=100#3439042

Alain

Alain Ravet wrote:

The attachment doesn't show up in the newsgroup.
You can find it here:

http://www.intellij.net/forums/thread.jsp?forum=18&thread=121329&tstart=0&trange=100#3439042

>
>

Could a 4.5 user test this version?

If it works fine, as I think it should, I'll publish it in the
repository, next to the Irida version.
TIA

Alain

Hello Alain,

Alain Ravet wrote:

>> The attachment doesn't show up in the newsgroup.
>> You can find it here:
>> http://www.intellij.net/forums/thread.jsp?forum=18&thread=121329&tsta
>> rt=0&trange=100#3439042
>>

Could a 4.5 user test this version?

If it works fine, as I think it should, I'll publish it in the
repository, next to the Irida version.

Works find for me on version 2250.

Another feature request though: could you make the popup, and the contained
text fields resizable?

Regards,

-tt

Working for me. Thanks very much. I really like it. (Sorry to be a bit slow in getting back to you).

Alain Ravet wrote:

The attachment doesn't show up in the newsgroup.
You can find it here:

http://www.intellij.net/forums/thread.jsp?forum=18&thread=121329&tstart=0&trange=100#3439042

>
>

The version for 4.5 has just been uploaded to the plugin repository. Its
version number is 1.1b (1.1 = Irida version).

Alain