Can you define your own template variables in Eclipse

Question

In Eclipse there are templates that help you by automatically inserting some code or comments. You can edit these templates yourself via Preferences > Java > Editor > Templates. There are so-called "template variables" that you can use to make these templates a little smarter.

For instance, there is the ${see_to_overridden} variable that inserts "@see my.package.name.SpuerclassName#methodName(int, my.other.package.SomeType, ...)" into a javadoc comment. It would be really great if I could define my own variables, so that I could obtain Superclassname, SomeType etc. without having the "@see" thing prepended to it so that I could for instance link to the appropriate method. There appear to exist no template variables for this, so I was wondering if there was any way to create your own template variables.

Solution

According to this Blog post (alternative link) by the eclipse team, you can.

Extend org.eclipse.ui.editors.templates, add a org.eclipse.jface.text.templates.TemplateVariableResolver and fill in the values required by the system. They should be self explanatory if you ever defined your own template.

Then implement the resolver, replacing your variable with a appropriate string.

The Blog post holds more details and screenshots.

Comments

[PEZ]

This is such a good question. I've often wanted to do this but never figured out if it's even possible. For the first time I just started to wish there was a way to subscribe to a question and get an e-mail message when answers arrive.

[Jon]

Hey there, just found this post via Google, and unfortunately the blog post link you gave is broken. I don't suppose you know where to find a similar blog post? PlanetEclipse.org does not appear to have a search function (or any other way to navigate by date o search term), and my Google-Fu has failed me..

[Urs Reupke]

No, sorry. Can't find it any longer.

[chepseskaf]

The corresponding extension point is well documented org.eclipse.ui.editors.templates