How to Add Undo/Redo Toolbar Buttons to Eclipse

By default, there are no Undo/Redo toolbar buttons in the Eclipse toolbar. With Eclipse as an open and extensible framework, how do you add them?

- Undo and Redo Toolbar Buttons in Eclipse

Toolbar buttons in Eclipse are configured through the menu Window > Customize Perspective. But somehow there are no buttons available for undo/redo:

- No Undo and Redo Buttons

They only exist as menu items:

- Undo and Redo Menu Items

Adding Undo/Redo Buttons

The Eclipse framework allows you to define new toolbar groups/items. No need to write code. All that is needed is a description XML file plus a manifest file (see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/819846/how-to-add-undo-redo-buttons-to-toolbar-in-eclipse/821801#821801).

plugin.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.4"?>
<plugin>
   <extension point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
      <menuContribution locationURI="toolbar:org.eclipse.ui.main.toolbar?after=additions">
            <toolbar id="undoredo.toolbar" label="Undo/Redo">
            <command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.undo" id="undoredo.undo" style="push">
            </command>
            <command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.redo" id="undoredo.redo" style="push">
            </command>
         </toolbar>
      </menuContribution>
   </extension>
</plugin>

MANIFEST.MF:

Manifest-Version: 1.0
Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
Bundle-Name: Undoredo
Bundle-SymbolicName: undoredo;singleton:=true
Bundle-Version: 1.0.0
Bundle-RequiredExecutionEnvironment: J2SE-1.5
Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.ui

If you don’t want to build the .jar file, here is a link to it: 

http://www.foglyn.com/misc/undoredo_1.0.0.jar

Installation of Undo/Redo Toolbar

To install undo/redo buttons, follow the steps below:

1. Close Eclipse

2. Place the file undoredo*.jar file into the eclipse\dropin folder:

- undoredo plugin in Eclipse Dropins Folder

3. Restart Eclipse

4. This shows the undo/redo in the toolbar:

- Undo and Redo Toolbar Buttons in Eclipse

5. To configure it, use the menu Window > Customize Perspective:

- Undo Redo Configuration

6. That’s it :-)

Summary

The undo/redo menu item can be added as toolbar button with an XML file and a manifest file. I have not tried it for other functions, but that should work for anything else available too. It worked fine in Eclipse Luna-based Freescale (now NXP) Kinetis Design Studio v3.0.0 and Eclipse MARS. Another case where the Eclipse framework shows its extensibility :-).

LINKS

• StackOverflow article: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/819846/how-to-add-undo-redo-buttons-to-toolbar-in-eclipse/821801#821801
• Link to the plugin used: http://www.foglyn.com/misc/undoredo_1.0.0.jar