Index: formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/CommentLine.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/eclipse/org.eclipse.jdt.core/formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/CommentLine.java,v
retrieving revision 1.1
diff -u -r1.1 CommentLine.java
--- formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/CommentLine.java	23 Mar 2005 21:10:05 -0000	1.1
+++ formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/CommentLine.java	3 Apr 2005 06:27:02 -0000
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
 		final String start= getStartingPrefix();
 		final String content= getContentPrefix();
 
-		if (fParent.isSingleLine() && fParent.getSize() == 1)
+		if (!shouldBreakAfterStartingPrefix() || (fParent.isSingleLine() && fParent.getSize() == 1))
 			buffer.append(start);
 		else {
 
@@ -175,6 +175,14 @@
 		fParent.logEdit(buffer.toString(), 0, range.getOffset());
 	}
 
+    /**
+     * Should this line break after the starting prefix?
+     * 
+     * @return <code>true</code> if this line should break after starting prefix,
+     *  <code>false</code> otherwise
+     */
+    protected abstract boolean shouldBreakAfterStartingPrefix();
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns the line prefix of content lines.
 	 * 
Index: formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/JavaDocLine.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/eclipse/org.eclipse.jdt.core/formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/JavaDocLine.java,v
retrieving revision 1.1
diff -u -r1.1 JavaDocLine.java
--- formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/JavaDocLine.java	23 Mar 2005 21:10:05 -0000	1.1
+++ formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/JavaDocLine.java	3 Apr 2005 06:27:02 -0000
@@ -49,4 +49,11 @@
 	protected String getStartingPrefix() {
 		return JAVADOC_START_PREFIX;
 	}
+
+    /* 
+     * @see org.eclipse.jdt.internal.corext.text.comment.CommentLine#isDelimitedAfterStartingPrefix()
+     */
+    protected boolean shouldBreakAfterStartingPrefix() {
+        return true;
+    }
 }
Index: formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/MultiCommentLine.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/eclipse/org.eclipse.jdt.core/formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/MultiCommentLine.java,v
retrieving revision 1.1
diff -u -r1.1 MultiCommentLine.java
--- formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/MultiCommentLine.java	23 Mar 2005 21:10:05 -0000	1.1
+++ formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/MultiCommentLine.java	3 Apr 2005 06:27:02 -0000
@@ -137,7 +137,15 @@
 		return fReferenceIndentation;
 	}
 
-	/*
+    /* 
+     * @see org.eclipse.jdt.internal.corext.text.comment.CommentLine#shouldBreakAfterStartingPrefix()
+     */
+    protected boolean shouldBreakAfterStartingPrefix() {
+        // multiline comments should break only when it's OK to create new blank lines
+        return !getParent().isClearLines();
+    }
+
+    /*
 	 * @see org.eclipse.jdt.internal.corext.text.comment.CommentLine#getStartLinePrefix()
 	 */
 	protected String getStartingPrefix() {
Index: formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/SingleCommentLine.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/eclipse/org.eclipse.jdt.core/formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/SingleCommentLine.java,v
retrieving revision 1.1
diff -u -r1.1 SingleCommentLine.java
--- formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/SingleCommentLine.java	23 Mar 2005 21:10:05 -0000	1.1
+++ formatter/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/formatter/comment/SingleCommentLine.java	3 Apr 2005 06:27:02 -0000
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@
 		return SINGLE_COMMENT_PREFIX;
 	}
 
+    /* 
+     * @see org.eclipse.jdt.internal.corext.text.comment.CommentLine#shouldBreakAfterStartingPrefix()
+     */
+    protected boolean shouldBreakAfterStartingPrefix() {
+        return false;
+    }
+    
 	/*
 	 * @see org.eclipse.jdt.internal.corext.text.comment.CommentLine#scanLine(int)
 	 */