Description Thomas Oesterle 2008-04-29 04:42:05 EDT

Setup:

- started Eclipse 3.3.2 with completely fresh workspace
- created new java project
- created a new class in any package
- using project explorer and enabling "link with editor"
- expanding the class's members in the project explorer
- opened the .java file for the new class in standard java editor in eclipse
- creating a new method, i.e. typing in "public void test"

--> beginning from here, eclipse will ALWAYS mark the method name of the new method whenever i do anything that would result in a change of the method's signature. It is irrelevant wether or not i pause shortly while typing or not.

The problem with this is that because of eclipse doing this WHILE i am trying to modify the method, the marking of the method while i'm typing will result in me deleting the method name with anything i was just typing in. The reason seems to be that the project explorer updates the tree view with the method's new siganture and then selects the (modified) method in the tree view. When this happens, the method's name is marked in the java editor, thus causing the problem.

This behaviour is specific to the project explorer (package explorer will update and select the method in the tree view, but will NOT mark the method name in the java editor), which i need to use because i need to be able to open and edit uml2 models in eclipse. So anytime i forget switching back to the package explorer, this problem can hit me.

It took me several weeks just to identify the problem being caused by the project explorer with enabled "link to editor" and expanded class members, until then it nearly drove me crazy (again and again deleting method names while just wanting to change their siganture, AND not knowing why it happens ;-) ). I also cannot see how the described behaviour could in any way be a desired one - this just seems like a bug to me, that's why i'm reporting it here.

I hope my descriptions were sufficient,

thx Thomas