Description Carolyn MacLeod 2012-01-27 12:28:27 EST

Run Eclipse 3.7.1, and open 5 or 6 java editors. With focus in an editor, type ctrl+shift+tab and focus will go to the current CTabItem (dotted line under the file.java name). Now, use the left and right arrow keys to traverse through the tabs. Notice that focus remains on the tab items, and does not jump to the java editors.

Now do the same thing in e4. (I am using Build id: I20120126-1300). You need to type ctrl+shift+tab to traverse backwards out of the java editor, but then you can type shift+tab to traverse through the controls. You will go to minimize, <, > (I opened bug 369973 to point out the wierd < > tab order), show list, and then focus goes to a tab item. This time, however, when you try to arrow through the tab items, you are constantly being thrown into java editors. It's a bit random, too, as if there's a timer doing the throwing. If you type the arrow keys fast enough, you might be able to get to your destination tab, or you might not. It seems to be related to the point at which the UI updates the shell title, scrolls the Package Explorer if Link with Editor is on, and updates the Outline view.

Some code from 3.x must have been omitted. I suspect it looks something like:
if focus is on a CTabItem, then keep it there, otherwise give focus to the selected editor.