Options Window: Editor Settings
See Also
The Source Editor properties that are available in the Advanced Options view
enable you to finely control the look and behavior of the Source Editor.
There are both general properties and properties for specific types of
editors (such as the Java editor and the XML editor).
- The most common settings for the Source Editor are available in
the Basic Options view of the Options window. The Basic Options view
appears whenever you choose Tools > Options.
To display advanced general Source Editor properties, choose Tools > Options, and click Advanced Options.
Expand the Editing node and select the Editor Settings node.
You can also modify Source Editor settings in the Basic Options view of the Options window.
- Show Toolbar.
If selected, a toolbar is displayed in the Source Editor. This toolbar contains
buttons for commands that are useful for the type of file that is currently
displayed.
- Text Antialiasing. If selected, text in the Source Editor is antialiased.
For performance reasons, antialiasing is turned off by default.
To display properties for an individual editor in Advanced Options of the Options window,
expand Editing > Editor Settings in the left pane and select the type of editor for which you want to set properties.
- The properties below are an alphabetical listing of all the properties
for the core editor types. Some of the properties apply to only a subset of
editor types.
Properties
- Abbreviations.
Specifies abbreviations for terms that you want the
editor to expand automatically. Click the ellipsis (...) button
to edit abbreviations.
- Auto Popup Completion Window.
If selected, enables the editor to display a code completion box with
options for how to complete an expression.
This property applies only to editor types that support code completion,
such as Java, HTML, and JSP. See
Using Code Completion for
details.
- Code Folding Enabled.
When selected, enables you to collapse the display of certain types of code blocks in the Source Editor.
When modifying the Java Editor settings, you can click the ellipsis (...) button to specify which types of code blocks (such as classes, methods, and
comments) should be collapsed by default.
This property applies only to editor types that support code folding,
such as the Java editor.
- Delay of Completion Window Auto Popup.
If the Auto Popup Completion Window property is selected, sets the
number of milliseconds between the time when typing stops and the
code completion box is displayed.
- Display Go To Class Info Window.
If selected, displays an information window whenever the Go To Class dialog
is displayed. This window provides information necessary to successfully
use the Go To Class feature.
This property is available only for the Java Editor.
- Font Size.
Sets the font to the specified size for all tokens that aren't given distinct
values in the Fonts and Colors property.
- Fonts and Colors.
Sets background and foreground colors and fonts for various syntax tokens
and other elements displayed in the Source Editor, such as bookmarked lines,
comments, guarded blocks, and so on. Click the ellipsis (...) button to edit the
properties.
For details, see Setting Fonts and Colors.
- Indentation Engine.
Specifies an indentation engline for the editor type. An indentation engine is
a set of rules for how the IDE handles text formatting, including settings
for tabs, spaces, and new lines.
For details on adjusting code formatting rules in an indentation engine,
see Indentation Properties.
- Line Numbers.
If selected, adds line numbers in the left margin. You can also toggle line numbers
by choosing Margin > Show
Line Numbers from the pop-up menu in the Source Editor.
- Macros.
Edits, adds, and removes Source Editor macros. Click the ellipsis (...)
button to modify existing macros.
It is generally easier to add a new macro by recording it than
by manually adding one in the Macros property editor. See
Recording a Macro for details.
- Shadow Table Cell.
Specifies the background color for a value cell in the Properties Editor
when the key is missing from that value's locale. If you type a value into
a shaded table cell, the missing key is automatically generated.
- Tab Size.
Sets the number of spaces inserted per tab character (\t) when a file is imported
into the IDE.
This is set as 8 by default for compliance with many other applications.
You can also specify tab settings for text that is typed, generated, or formatted
in the Source Editor using the Indentation Engine property described above.
Expert
- Auto Popup Javadoc Window.
If selected, a small Javadoc window appears attached to the code completion window when you use the code
completion feature.
- Background Color of Popup Javadoc Window.
Sets the background color of the Javadoc window that appears when you use the code
completion feature.
- Case Sensitive Code Completion.
If selected, the code completion box only displays results that match the case of expression
that you are typing.
- Code Completion Instant Substitution.
If selected, the code completion box does not appear when the IDE is aware of
only one possible completion for the expression. The expression is completed automatically.
- Code Completion Natural Sort.
If selected, the code completion box lists the completion possibilities in alphabetical order without
regard to case. If unselected, uppercase words precede all lower-case words in the list.
- Display Text Limit Line.
If selected, shows a vertical line to mark suggested maximum line width (for
example, for printing).
- Fast Import Package.
If selected, the whole package is imported when you use the Fast Import command
(Alt-Shift-I) on a Java class.
- Highlight Caret Row.
If selected, highlights the row where the insertion point (caret) is.
- Highlight Matching Bracket.
If selected, the matching brace, bracket, or parenthesis highlights
whenever the insertion point is immediately after a brace, bracket,
or parenthesis.
- Insertion Point.
Determines the type of caret that appears at the insertion point when in
insert mode. From the list you can select Vertical bar, Thin vertical bar,
or Solid block.
- Insertion Point Blink Rate.
Sets blink rate (in milliseconds) for the text pointer that
marks the insertion point.
- Insertion Point Color.
Specifies the color of the caret when in insert mode. Select a
color from the list or display the custom property editor
for colors by clicking the ellipsis (...) button.
- Italic Insertion Point.
If selected, displays italic insertion point (caret) when in insert mode.
- Italic Overwrite Caret.
If selected, displays italic insertion point (caret) when in overwrite mode.
- Javadoc Preferred Size.
Specifies the size of the Javadoc window that appears when you use code completion on Java classes.
- Line Height Correction.
Adjusts height of lines by specified multiplier.
- Line Number Margin.
Determines placement of line numbers within the glyph margin.
Line numbers are aligned to the right.
The left margin determines the distance from the left edge of the window
based on the highest line number. Therefore, the left margin will look
larger at the top of the page, where line numbers have fewer digits.
- Margin.
Sets top, bottom, left, and right margins of text within the Source Editor page. The
left margin determines how far text starts to the left of the glyph margin. Click the
ellipsis (...) button to edit the settings.
- Pair Character Completion.
If selected, the Source Editor generates the closing parenthesis, bracket,
brace, or quotation mark after you type the first one.
- Overwrite Caret.
Determines the type of caret that appears when in overwrite mode. From
the list you can select line, thin line, or block.
- Overwrite Caret Color.
Specifies the caret color when in overwrite mode.
- Scroll Find Insets.
Specifies how much space should be reserved on each side of text
located with the Find command.
- Scroll Jump Insets.
For each of four directions, specifies how much the view should
jump when the scrolling goes off the screen.
- Status Bar Caret Delay.
Sets the delay (in milliseconds) between the time when the caret
stops moving and the update of its position in the status bar.
- Status Bar Visible.
If selected, displays the status bar (which shows information such as
current line number and whether the editor is in insert or overwrite
mode) at the bottom of the window.
- Text Limit Character Count.
Sets the number of characters to the right of the left margin where
the text limit line is displayed.
- Text Limit Line Color.
Specifies the color of the text limit line.
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See Also
- Configuring the Source Editor
- Using the Options Window
- Setting Tab Behavior
- Code Navigation: Quick Reference
- Sharing Source Editor Settings
- Importing Settings from a Previous Version of the IDE
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