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Syntax highlighting appears to be a function of each editor instead of something that applies to all editors (i.e. each editor appears to have its own syntax highlighting implementation). There should be one syntax hightlighting implementation for all editors and the implementation should provide a flexible way to add highlighting for new file types. There are plugins like EclipseColorer that perform syntax highlighting on over 100 file types but using this editor means I lose all the smarts built into the JDT editor, XML editors, etc.... The jEdit (www.jedit.org) open source editor has syntax hightlighting that uses configuration files to add highlight for new file types and tweak highlight for existing file types.
This could be taken a step further to also include "content assistance" the is plugable and extensible. I think the number of plugin editors available is and indication that core editor should be more extensible. jEdit and IntelliJ both have content assistence and syntax hightlighting for multiple file types without requiring the duplication of basic editing.
Routing to Platform/Text...
You are correct in the sense that the current approach is to - provide API so that clients can write their own editors - provide concrete editors (e.g. Java) We did not (yet?) intend to provide a generic editor.
For me this is a must, if it can be achieved. Currently Eclipse does not seem to include a text-based XML editor, with support for syntax highlighting. By being able to take a generic text-based editor that supports pluggable highlighting rules, this would certainly help address this to a certain extent and allow support for other languages, such as php, perl, etc. The windows editor 'TextPad' support syntax highlighting via pluggable syntaxes, as can be found here: http://www.textpad.com/add-ons/syna2g.html
Excellent suggestion, voted!
I forgot to mention... This would also be a great step into accomplishing themes for syntax highlighting.
(In reply to comment #4) > For me this is a must, if it can be achieved. Currently Eclipse does not seem > to include a text-based XML editor, with support for syntax highlighting. > ... The WTP project includes an XML Editor (http://eclipse.org/webtools), its first Release in 2005.
Is this possible to refresh this issue? As far as I know, orion project have a pluggable syntax highlighting. Maybe will be possible to port it's model to e4? Same for content assist.
