Editor Options: Code Completion

As you type in the Source Editor, you can use the IDE's code completion feature to find code snippets and have them filled in for you automatically. In this tab, you can customize code completion. Some code completion properties apply to all languages, while others are language-specific.

This panel has the following elements.

Element Description

Language

The language whose global formatting options you want to edit.

    All Languages

All languages that support code completion.

    HTML

Formatting options that are specific to HTML.

    Java

Formatting options that are specific to Java.

    PHP

Formatting options that are specific to PHP.

    C/C++

Formatting options that are specific to C/C++.


The following code completion options are available when you select All Languages as the language and apply to all languages, where applicable.

Element Description

Auto Popup Completion Window

When 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, JSP and C/C++.

Auto Popup Documentation Window

When selected, the documentation window appears automatically, otherwise only if it is invoked explicitly (Ctrl-Shift-Space, by default).

Display Documentation Next to Completion

Specifies that the code completion window appears next to, rather than above/below, the related code.

Insert Single Proposals Automatically

When 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, but only if you invoke code completion explicitly, not if you simply type "." behind an identifier.

Case Sensitive Code Completion

If selected, the code completion box only displays results that match the case of the expression that you are typing.

Show Deprecated Members in Code Completion

If selected, any deprecrated class elements that are available are shown in the completion box. Deprecated members are struck through with a line to indicate that they are deprecated.

Insert Closing Brackets Automatically

When selected, the Source Editor generates the closing parenthesis, bracket, brace, or quotation mark after you type the first one.


The following code completion options are available when you select HTML as the language and apply only to HTML files.

Element Description

Auto Popup Completion Window

When 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.

Equals-sign (=) Keypress After Attribute Name Autocompletes Quote Set

If you type an HTML tag with an attribute name, like <img src, and then type =, the IDE adds a pair of quote tags and places your cursor between the quote tags. So if you type <img src=, the IDE expands this to <img src="|". Enabled by default.

Display Documentation Next to Completion

Specifies that the code completion window appears next to, rather than above/below, the related code.

Insert Single Proposals Automatically

When 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, but only if you invoke code completion explicitly, not if you simply type "." behind an identifier.

Case Sensitive Code Completion

If selected, the code completion box only displays results that match the case of the expression that you are typing.

Show Deprecated Members in Code Completion

If selected, any deprecrated class elements that are available are shown in the completion box. Deprecated members are struck through with a line to indicate that they are deprecated.

Insert Closing Brackets Automatically

When selected, the Source Editor generates the closing parenthesis, bracket, brace, or quotation mark after you type the first one.


The following code completion options are available when you select Java as the language and apply only to Java files.

Element Description

Guess Filled Method Arguments

When selected, enables the editor to insert a variable available in the current context as the method argument. Enabled by default.

Auto Popup Triggers for Java

Specify the patterns upon which code completion appears. For example, a new dot can trigger code completion, so that related method parameters are shown.

Auto Popup on Typing Any Java Identifier Part

If this option is enabled, code completion is shown when a new Java identifier part is entered.

    Completion Selectors for Java

Specify the characters that confirm the current selection in the code completion box. When one of the selectors is pressed, the current item in the code completion box is selected and entered in the editor, with the selector appearing after it.

Subword completion

Enables code completion of subwords when selected.

Packages/classes

Enables you to limit what is shown in the code completion box.

    Exclude

Define which packages, classes, or methods must be excluded from code completion. Click Add to specify, Edit to modify, or Remove to delete an excluded pattern.

    Include

Define which packages, classes, or methods must be included into code completion. Click Add to specify, Edit to modify, or Remove to delete an included pattern.

    Apply rules to methods

When selected, enables the editor to apply the specified excluded and included patterns to methods.

Auto Popup Triggers for Javadoc

Specify the patterns upon which the code completion box prompts inside Javadoc comments.


The following code completion options are available when you select PHP as the language and apply only to PHP files.

Element Description

Enable Auto Popup Completion Window

Enables the editor to display a code completion box with options for how to complete an expression. Decide the circumstances under which the completion window opens from the following options:

    All Possible Situations

The auto popup completion window opens whenever it can be of use.

    Customize

Select the Customize option and then tick the boxes for the circumstances under which the auto popup completion window opens. If you select Customize and do not select any of the circumstances under Customize, the auto popup completion window will never open.

Code Completion for Class Methods

Select the class methods that prompt a code completion window.

    Also Static Methods after "->"

Selected by default.

    Also Non-static Methods after "::"

Disabled by default.

    Use Smart Parameters Pre-Filling

Code completion suggests valid variables (of desired type), so you don't have to rewrite method calls every time you use code completion. Enabled by default.

Code Completion for Variables

Select to have code completion for all variables (default) or only variables in the local file.

Type of Code Completion (PHP 5.3 only)

Select which type of code completion to use when referring to classes:

    Smart

Uses partially qualified names according to namespace declarations. Default.

    Fully Qualified

Always use fully qualified names regardless of namespace declarations.

    Unqualified

Always use names without namespaces.


The following code completion options are available when you select C/C++ as the language and apply only to C/C++ projects.

Element Description

Auto Popup Triggers for C/C++ Identifier

When you type the symbols shown in this field, the editor opens a popup completion window to enable you to select an identifier from a list. The symbols ,->:: are the default triggers, and you can add or remove symbols..

Auto Insert #include Directives for Completed Identifiers

If you select this option, the editor automatically inserts the appropriate #include directive required for an identifier you selected from a code completion popup window. This option is enabled by default.

Auto Popup Triggers for #include Directives

Specify the characters that, when typed after the #include directive, cause the popup completion window to display a list of headers files. If you type a double-quotation mark (") a completion popup of header files from your project displays. If you type a left-angle bracket (<) the completion popup shows header files that are on the compiler search path. This option is enabled by default. .



Related Topics

Developing Applications with NetBeans IDE,

Copyright © 2014, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.