Vision for Import Management (was Re: Que stion about usage of import stmts

While we're on the subject of the Import Management Tool... I find this to

be one of the most helpful tools in NetBeans... especially when I'm

implementing an existing interface and allowing NetBeans to synchronize it.

The synchronize tool generally includes the FQN for each and every class. I

hate this and so I run the Import Management tool to clean things up.

However, I have a few suggestions to improve the import management tool.

1.) Allow the user to configure a global default for imports: FQN, Create

Import, etc. I generally never use the FQN. Instead I use individual

import statements. It would be nice to have a "quick import" which didn't

make me go through the wizard. I could just right-click a class and choose

"quick import" which would run the wizard, but use the preconfigured

defaults. In other words, I wouldn't need to click any buttons, etc.

2.) Allow the user to define an order pattern to organize imports. In other

words, you could say I want all the java.* packages first, then the javax.*

packages then the org.* packages, then the com.* packages and I want a space

between each of these sections. Furthermore, it would be extra nice to be

able to organize by sub-package and alphabetize therein like so...

import java.util.ArrayList;

import java.util.Properties;

import javax.naming.InitialContext;

import javax.naming.NamingException;

import javax.naming.event.EventContext;

import javax.swing.Icon;

import javax.swing.event.AncestorEvent;

import org.apache.tools.ant.FileScanner;

import org.apache.tools.ant.XmlLogger;

import org.apache.tools.ant.util.FileNameMapper;

import com.sun.naming.internal.FactoryEnumeration;

import com.sun.naming.internal.VersionHelper;

3.) The ability to switch back and forth between package imports and full

imports. I can see highlighting a group of individual import statements and

choosing "package import." Likewise, doing the same with a package import

and breaking it out to individual class imports based upon what classes are

used in the class file. This would be very cool.

I realize you can do some of these things right now by re-running the Import

Management tool and going through the wizard and choosing this or that, but

I think it would be a lot more intuitive to provide these right-click menus

and pre-configured defaults.

Phelps,Nathan at 2007-7-2 23:45:28 >

Svata Dedic said:

>IMHO the defaults are there. See properties in Tools - Options - Editing

>- Java Sources - Import management.

I've seen this particular settings, but I'm looking for the ability to say

"Always create an import. Never do the FQN"

> There's a "quick import" feature. Just step on a class identifier in the

> source text and press Alt-Shift-I.

While I do like this feature, it is a "one at time feature." I basically

just want to skip the whole Import Management wizard and have it use its

defaults for the whole file.

Phelps,Nathan at 2007-7-2 23:45:28 >

Yes, the quick import feature exists, but to know his existence, we have to

learn all the keyboard shortcut to find them.

What is missing in NetBeans is a TRUE contextual menu, giving me a list of

features appliable on the selection or word where the cursor is positionned.

For example,

If I right-click on a class, NetBeans must propose to add the import of that

class (only if import is not yet existing in the source).

If I right-click more than one line, it must propose to (un)indent them, or

to (un)comment them, for example.

..

The toolbar is already a help for us to discover features that was unknown

before, but it's not sufficient.

The contextual menu must be enhanced and propose feature concerning the

selection done, or the word pointed by the cursor.

Therefore it was necessary to have a good on-the-fly parser. And it seems

that with Nb3.4 it's now possible, and that it will be drammaticly enhanced

with Nb4.0.

"Svata Dedic" <svatopluk.dedic@sun.com> a écrit dans le message de news:

netbeans.nbusers/3D4168C7.2020308@sun.com...

> Nathan Phelps wrote:

> > 1.) Allow the user to configure a global default for imports: FQN,

Create

> > Import, etc. I generally never use the FQN. Instead I use individual

>

> IMHO the defaults are there. See properties in Tools - Options - Editing

> - Java Sources - Import management.

>

> > import statements. It would be nice to have a "quick import" which

didn't

> > make me go through the wizard. I could just right-click a class and

choose

> > "quick import" which would run the wizard, but use the preconfigured

>

> There's a "quick import" feature. Just step on a class identifier in the

> source text and press Alt-Shift-I.

>

> > 2.) Allow the user to define an order pattern to organize imports. In

other

> > words, you could say I want all the java.* packages first, then the

javax.*

> > packages then the org.* packages, then the com.* packages and I want a

space

> > between each of these sections. Furthermore, it would be extra nice to

be

> > able to organize by sub-package and alphabetize therein like so...

>

> Please try to describe the grouping/ordering rules and file a RFE for

> that. The code generator could use such rules, too when imports are

> added programmatically for the user.

>

> > 3.) The ability to switch back and forth between package imports and

full

> > imports. I can see highlighting a group of individual import statements

and

> > choosing "package import." Likewise, doing the same with a package

import

> > and breaking it out to individual class imports based upon what classes

are

> > used in the class file. This would be very cool.

>

> Very nice idea. Again please file a RFE for that.

>

> -Svata

>

> --

> Svatopluk Dedic<mailto:svatopluk.dedic@sun.com>

> NetBeans, Java/Repository <http://java.netbeans.org>

>

Brabant,Vincent at 2007-7-2 23:45:28 >