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| <h2> |
| Perspectives</h2> |
| <P > |
| We've already seen some ways the workbench allows the user to control the appearance of plug-in functionality. Views can be hidden or shown using the |
| <b>Window >Show View</b> menu. Action sets can be hidden or shown using the |
| |
| <a class="command-link" href='javascript:executeCommand("org.eclipse.ui.window.customizePerspective")'> |
| <img src="PLUGINS_ROOT/org.eclipse.help/command_link.png"> |
| <b>Window > Customize Perspective...</b></a> |
| |
| menu. These features help the user organize the workbench. </P> |
| |
| <P > |
| <b> |
| Perspectives</b> provide an additional layer of organization inside a workbench |
| window. Users can switch between perspectives as they move across tasks. A perspective defines |
| a collection of views, a layout for the views, and the visible action sets that |
| should be used when the user first opens the perspective.</P> |
| <P > |
| Perspectives are implemented using <b><a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IPerspectiveFactory.html">IPerspectiveFactory</a>. |
| </b>Implementors of |
| <b><a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IPerspectiveFactory.html">IPerspectiveFactory</a></b> |
| are expected to configure an <b><a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IPageLayout.html"> IPageLayout</a></b> with information that describes the |
| perspective and its perspective page layout.</P> |
| |
| |
| <h3> |
| Workbench part layout</h3> |
| <P > |
| One of the main jobs of an <b><a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IPageLayout.html"> IPageLayout</a></b> |
| is to describe the placement of the editor and the views in the workbench window. Note that these layouts are different than the |
| <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Layout.html"><b> Layout</b></a> class in SWT. Although |
| <b><a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IPageLayout.html"> IPageLayout</a></b> |
| and <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Layout.html"><b> Layout</b></a> |
| solve a similar problem (sizing and positioning widgets within a larger area), you do not have to understand SWT layouts in order to supply a |
| perspective page layout.</P> |
| <P > |
| A perspective page layout is initialized with one area for displaying an editor. The perspective factory is responsible for adding additional views relative to the |
| editor. Views are added to the layout relative to (top, bottom, left, right) another part. Placeholders (empty space) can also be added for |
| items that are not initially shown.</P> |
| <P > |
| To organize related views and reduce clutter, you can use <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IFolderLayout.html"><b>IFolderLayout</b></a> to group views into tabbed folders. For example, the Resource perspective |
| places the resource navigator inside a folder at the top left corner of the |
| workbench. Placeholders are commonly used with folder layouts. |
| The Resource perspective defines a placeholder for the bookmarks view in the |
| same folder as the resource navigator. If the user shows the bookmarks view, it will appear in the same folder with the |
| navigator, with a tab for each view.</P> |
| <P > |
| <b><a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IPageLayout.html"> IPageLayout</a></b> |
| also allows you to define the available actions and shortcuts inside a |
| perspective. </P> |
| |
| |
| |
| <ul> |
| <li><b>addActionSet</b> is used to add action sets to a perspective. </li> |
| <li><b>addNewWizardShortcut</b> adds a new entry to the <b>File >New</b> menu for a perspective.</li> |
| <li><b>addShowViewShortcut</b> adds the names of |
| views that should appear in the <b>Window >Show View</b> menu when the |
| perspective is active. </li> |
| <li><b>addPerspectiveShortcut</b> adds the names of |
| perspectives that should appear in the <b>Window >Open Perspective</b> menu when |
| the perspective is active.</li> |
| </ul> |
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| |
| |
| <h3> |
| <a name="showin"> |
| Linking views and editors</a> with "show-in"</h3> |
| |
| |
| |
| <p> |
| Another valuable service provided by perspectives and the <b><a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IPageLayout.html"> IPageLayout</a> |
| </b> |
| is to aid in navigation between an editor and its related views. We |
| typically think of views as helping the user find the objects to work with in |
| editors. However, the converse operation is also useful: a user |
| working with an object in an editor may need to navigate to that object inside a |
| view. This can be accomplished using the workbench <b>Navigate > Show |
| In</b> menu. This command allows the user to jump to one of any number of |
| related views in the context of the currently edited (or selected) object. |
| For example, a user editing a file may want to jump over to that file in the |
| resource navigator. </p> |
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| |
| |
| <p> |
| The plug-in architecture of the workbench allows developers to contribute views |
| and editors in different plug-ins that are not even aware of each other. |
| By implementing support for "show in," your view or editor can support |
| convenient navigation to or from the views and editors contributed by other |
| plug-ins. </p> |
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| |
| |
| <p> |
| This navigation allows users to move quickly between views and to easily open a |
| view that is not usually shown in a particular perspective. For example, a |
| user working in the Java perspective can use <b>Navigate > Show |
| In</b> to view the currently edited Java file in the Navigator view. </p> |
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| |
| <h4> |
| Show-in source</h4> |
| <p>If you want to allow users to use <b>Navigate > Show In</b> from your |
| editor or view to jump to another view, you must implement <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/part/IShowInSource.html"><b>IShowInSource</b></a>. |
| Your part can supply its <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/part/IShowInSource.html"><b>IShowInSource</b></a> |
| directly using protocol (<b>getShowInSource()</b>) or as an adapter. <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/part/IShowInSource.html"><b>IShowInSource</b></a> |
| allows your part to supply a context (<a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/part/ShowInContext.html"><b>ShowInContext</b></a>) |
| which is used by the target to decide how to show the source. The show in |
| context for an editor is typically its input element. For a view, the |
| context is typically its selection. Both a selection and an input element |
| are provided in a <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/part/ShowInContext.html"><b>ShowInContext</b></a> |
| to give the target flexibility in determining how to show the source. </p> |
| |
| |
| |
| <p>A default context for editors is provided, so that your editor can |
| participate in "show-in" without any special coding. For |
| editors, the input element and selection are used to create an appropriate |
| context. </p> |
| |
| |
| |
| <p>For views, <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/part/IShowInSource.html"><b>IShowInSource</b></a> |
| must be implemented by the view in order to offer <b>Navigate > Show In</b> |
| functionality.</p> |
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| <h4> |
| Show-in target</h4> |
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| |
| |
| <p>You must implement <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/part/IShowInTarget.html"><b>IShowInTarget</b></a> |
| if you want your view to be a valid target for a "show in" |
| operation. The target is responsible for showing a given context in a |
| manner appropriate for its presentation. For example, the Navigator view |
| expands its tree to select and reveal a resource specified in the |
| context. </p> |
| <p>A target should check the selection in the <a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/part/ShowInContext.html"><b>ShowInContext</b></a> |
| first in deciding what to show, since this is the more specific |
| information. It should show the input element only if no selection is |
| indicated.</p> |
| <h4>Presenting appropriate targets</h4> |
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| |
| |
| <p>How is the list of available targets determined? You can specify the |
| available targets for your perspective in its <b><a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IPageLayout.html"> IPageLayout</a></b>. |
| Recall that a "show in" navigation may open a view that is not already |
| present in the perspective. Using <b><a href="../reference/api/org/eclipse/ui/IPageLayout.html">IPageLayout</a>.addShowInPart</b>, |
| you can specify a valid "show in" target by id. In this way, the |
| valid targets can be established without unnecessarily creating any views. </p> |
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