Bug 426311

Summary: [key binding][templates] Tab Key to Insert Code Templates
Product: [Eclipse Project] JDT Reporter: Roosevelt P <rooseveltrp>
Component: UIAssignee: JDT-UI-Inbox <jdt-ui-inbox>
Status: ASSIGNED --- QA Contact:
Severity: enhancement    
Priority: P3 CC: daniel_megert
Version: 4.4   
Target Milestone: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: All   
Whiteboard:

Description Roosevelt P CLA 2014-01-21 19:56:26 EST
Hi,

This is both an enhancement request and also a bug report. This may have been requested by others but since it is not part of the Eclipse yet, I fear it may have been shot down before.

Anyhow, any major IDEs nowadays support code templates with tab key. Very simple, you enter "ae" and press "Tab" and the editor expands to "Assert.assertEquals("", "");"

But in Eclipse you have to activate Code Assist, do the same until you reach the Code templates list, choose your short-cut and then Eclipse enters the template. This way you defeat the whole purpose of code templates. Reduce Keystrokes to its bare minimum is the goal :)!

And the other thing is... if I assign the "Tab" key to Content Assist trigger, now on the editor, when I press the Tab key, the tab key no longer works!

Tab keys for code templates/completions are the standards nowadays, I feel eclipse must add/fix/improve this feature for the developers.