Add support for custom code templates (and corresponding code proposals) for the languages / grammars available via TM4E

[travkin79]

It would be great to have support for custom code templates that can be user-created for the languages available as a TextMate grammar through TM4E.

• These code templates should be managed through a preferences dialog very similar to the Templates dialog in JDT and CDT (see screenshot).
• Having specified custom code templates, users should have code completion support (code proposals) for available code templates.
• When adding a new code template, it should be mapped to a context type.
  • There should be at least one context type for each language that TM4E has a grammar for, e.g. a "C++" context type, a "Java" context type, etc.
  • In addition, there should be some common context types like "Comment" (for a comment in any language) and "Documentation comment" (for a comment used as documentation in any language, e.g. javadoc comments in Java or Doxygen comment in C/C++). Such common context type would make certain code templates usable in all languages, e.g. Copyright comments, author comments, or TODO comments (tasks).
• In best case, the code templates could be used with template variables similar to those in JDT and CDT. For example, a ${user} variable could be used to place the active user's name into the code template being created.
  • Of course, it would be even better if we had not only language-independent template variables like ${user}, ${date}, or ${cursor}, but also language-specific template variables like the Java-specific variable ${Exception} in the example from the screenshot.
  • These language-specific templates variables could be offered through some kind of extension mechanism.

The ideas for this feature requests were first discussed in a CDT LSP issue.

[angelozerr]

When you speak about code template, you mean vscode snippet? If yes, with your PR can we use the same snippet syntax than vscode? If no I think it should be very good to use the same syntax than vscode to share snippets between Eclipse and vscode.

If code action is the same than vscode snippet, I think you should use snippet as name instead of code template to have the same name than vscode (like we have with language configuration for instance).

[angelozerr]

@travkin79 for instance user could just copy paste this vscode java snippet https://github.com/redhat-developer/vscode-java/blob/main/snippets/server.json and use it in Eclipse IDE.

[travkin79]

Hello @angelozerr,

Thank you very much for your feedback. You're really fast! 😃

When you speak about code template, you mean vscode snippet?

No. I took a look at your example and I think, the code templates in the Eclipse IDE are something different, although there are some similarities. I'm reusing code from the Eclipse platform to implement those code templates preferences and dialogs. I think, the jface code uses another syntax for such code templates, but I didn't check if the format for storing the templates look different from what we see in the UI. But in the end, it's very unlikely that we can easily support the VSCode syntax when reusing the code templates implementation from jface / Eclipse platform. Maybe we could add an import wizard with another PR supporting VSCode snippet syntax.

Since I reuse the code temlates concept from the Eclipse platform, I'd prefer to stay with its naming conventions, i.e. name the preferences dialog "Templates" and also use the same names in the remaining labels and dialogs, similar to the "Templates" preferences and dialogs in JDT and CDT, for example.

[angelozerr]

Hello @angelozerr,

Thank you very much for your feedback. You're really fast! 😃

You are welcome! And thanks for your great contribution.

Even if I am not active in TM4E (thanks to @sebthom to maintain the project), it is again my baby :)

When you speak about code template, you mean vscode snippet?

No. I took a look at your example and I think, the code templates in the Eclipse IDE are something different, although there are some similarities. I'm reusing code from the Eclipse platform to implement those code templates preferences and dialogs. I think, the jface code uses another syntax for such code templates, but I didn't check if the format for storing the templates look different from what we see in the UI. But in the end, it's very unlikely that we can easily support the VSCode syntax when reusing the code templates implementation from jface / Eclipse platform. Maybe we could add an import wizard with another PR supporting VSCode snippet syntax.

Since I reuse the code temlates concept from the Eclipse platform, I'd prefer to stay with its naming conventions, i.e. name the preferences dialog "Templates" and also use the same names in the remaining labels and dialogs, similar to the "Templates" preferences and dialogs in JDT and CDT, for example.

Makes sense.

When I created TM4E my idea was to share features with vscode like LSP and DAP spirit. So I think really that vscode snippets must be supported. User should have the capability to edit snippets with Eclipse syntax (like you did) and vscode snippet syntax (to copy/paste vscode snippets). See my comment at #988 (comment)

[travkin79]

Hello @angelozerr,

When I created TM4E my idea was to share features with vscode like LSP and DAP spirit. So I think really that vscode snippets must be supported.

I'm not arguing against that feature. But I expect a lot of additional effort for supporting VSCode snippet syntax, especially, since I'm not familiar with VSCode. The PR is already becoming quite big, without VSCode snippet syntax. For that reason, I suggest to add VSCode snippet syntax with a separate issue and PR.

Besides, my team mates would love to use the code templates soon and there are still some questions open concerning the whole concept and some implementation details (I'll got into the details in the PR comments). It would be great if we could finish this feature soon and go on with additional features in a next step.

[angelozerr]

Hello @angelozerr,

When I created TM4E my idea was to share features with vscode like LSP and DAP spirit. So I think really that vscode snippets must be supported.

I'm not arguing against that feature. But I expect a lot of additional effort for supporting VSCode snippet syntax, especially, since I'm not familiar with VSCode. The PR is already becoming quite big, without VSCode snippet syntax. For that reason, I suggest to add VSCode snippet syntax with a separate issue and PR.

Besides, my team mates would love to use the code templates soon and there are still some questions open concerning the whole concept and some implementation details (I'll got into the details in the PR comments). It would be great if we could finish this feature soon and go on with additional features in a next step.

Dont spend your time to convice me to merge your PR :)

Your PR looks very promising and I agree with you let is go step by step.

I wanted to just share my idea.

For the review I am sorry I will not have time to do that. Hope @sebthom will have time to review it.

[travkin79]

Dont spend your time to convice me to merge your PR :)

Your PR looks very promising and I agree with you let is go step by step.

I wanted to just share my idea.

Great. 😄

I think, your suggestion would be a great addition to my PR.