Perspectives and Views Toolbar Plugin for Eclipse

In the Eclipse IDE, I find it very inconvenient to go to the the Window:Open Perspective or Window:Show View submenu, and then select the one I want in dialog that is shown. I was inconvenienced enough that I wrote a simple Eclipse Plug-in called - Perspectives and Views Toolbar. The basic idea is that it adds two drop down menus to the toolbar. Using the drop down you can directly select the Perspective or the View that you want to show. In this article I show how to implement the Perspectives and Views Toolbar plug-in.

Perspectives and Views Toolbar

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Implementing actions

Extension Point

The following extension point declares the actions for showing the Perspectives and Views drop down tool bar buttons. The visible="true" () attribute of the acitionSet element makes the actions always visible. Of source the user can hide the actions using the Window:Customize Perspective. Also note that the actions appear in the reverse order of declarion in the plugin.xml file.

   <extension
         point="org.eclipse.ui.actionSets">
      <actionSet
            label="Perspectives and Views Toolbar"
1         visible="true"
            id="PerspectivesViewsToolbar.actionSet">
         <action
               class="perspectivesviewstoolbar.actions.ShowViewsPulldownMenuAction"
               icon="icons/views.gif"
               id="PerspectivesViewsToolbar.ViewsPulldownAction"
               label="Show Views"
               style="pulldown"
               toolbarPath="PerspectivesViewsToolbar/additions"
               tooltip="Show Views">
         </action>
         <action
               class="perspectivesviewstoolbar.actions.ShowPerspectivesPulldownMenuAction"
               icon="icons/perspectives.gif"
               id="PerspectivesViewsToolbar.PerspectivesPulldownAction"
               label="Show Perspectives"
               style="pulldown"
               toolbarPath="PerspectivesViewsToolbar/additions"
               tooltip="Show Perspectives">
         </action>
      </actionSet>
   </extension>

ShowPerspectivesPulldownMenu Action

The action implements the IWorkbenchWindowPulldownDelegate (1) interface - which is what makes it a drop down menu action. Every time the action is invoked the getMenu() (2) method is called. When the getMenu() method is called the first time the drop down menu is created and is populated with menu items that represent all the Perspectives that are registered 3 with Eclipse.

package perspectivesviewstoolbar.actions;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Comparator;

import org.eclipse.jface.action.IAction;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ISelection;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.events.SelectionAdapter;
import org.eclipse.swt.events.SelectionEvent;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Control;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Menu;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.MenuItem;
import org.eclipse.ui.IPerspectiveDescriptor;
import org.eclipse.ui.IPerspectiveRegistry;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbench;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindowPulldownDelegate;
import org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI;
import org.eclipse.ui.WorkbenchException;

/**
 * This action shows the alphabetically sorted pull-down menu of all registered
 * perspectives. Selecting the menu item shows and activates the perspective.
 * The menu item for the currently active perspective is shown checked and
IWorkbenchWindowPulldownDelegate * disabled.
 * 
 * @author Sandip V. Chitale
 * 
 */
public class ShowPerspectivesPulldownMenuAction implements
1	IWorkbenchWindowPulldownDelegate {

	private Menu showPerspectivesPulldownMenu;

2	public Menu getMenu(Control parent) {
		if (showPerspectivesPulldownMenu == null) {
			// Build the menu
			showPerspectivesPulldownMenu = createPerspectiveMenu(parent,
					showPerspectivesPulldownMenu);
		}
		// Determine active perspective id
		IWorkbench workbench = PlatformUI.getWorkbench();
		IPerspectiveDescriptor perspective = workbench
				.getActiveWorkbenchWindow().getActivePage().getPerspective();
		String id = null;
		if (perspective != null) {
			id = perspective.getId();
		}
		MenuItem[] items = showPerspectivesPulldownMenu.getItems();
		for (MenuItem item : items) {
			if (id == null) {
				// No perspective is active
				item.setEnabled(true);
			} else {
				// Check and disable the menuItem for the active perspective
				boolean equals = item.getData().equals(id);
				item.setEnabled(!equals);
			}
		}
		return showPerspectivesPulldownMenu;
	}

	private static Menu createPerspectiveMenu(Control parent, Menu menu) {
		final IWorkbench workbench = PlatformUI.getWorkbench();
		if (menu == null) {
			menu = new Menu(parent);
3			IPerspectiveRegistry perspectiveRegistry = PlatformUI
					.getWorkbench().getPerspectiveRegistry();
			// Get all perspectives
			IPerspectiveDescriptor[] perspectiveDescriptors = perspectiveRegistry
					.getPerspectives();

			// Sort alphabetically by label
			Arrays.sort(perspectiveDescriptors,
					new Comparator<IPerspectiveDescriptor>() {
						public int compare(IPerspectiveDescriptor pd1,
								IPerspectiveDescriptor pd2) {
							return pd1.getLabel().compareTo(pd2.getLabel());
						}
					});

			// Configure the menu items for each Perspective
			for (IPerspectiveDescriptor perspectiveDescriptor : perspectiveDescriptors) {
				final MenuItem menuItem = new MenuItem(menu, SWT.PUSH);
				menuItem.setText(perspectiveDescriptor.getLabel());
				menuItem.setImage(perspectiveDescriptor.getImageDescriptor()
						.createImage());
				menuItem.setData(perspectiveDescriptor.getId());

				// Handle selection
				menuItem.addSelectionListener(new SelectionAdapter() {
					public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent e) {
						try {
							IPerspectiveDescriptor perspectiveDescriptorWithId = workbench
									.getPerspectiveRegistry()
									.findPerspectiveWithId(
											(String) e.widget.getData());
							if (perspectiveDescriptorWithId != null) {
								workbench.showPerspective(
										perspectiveDescriptorWithId.getId(),
										workbench.getActiveWorkbenchWindow());
							} else {
								// may be delete this menuItem ?
							}
						} catch (WorkbenchException we) {
						}
					}
				});
			}
		} else {
			// Delete children
		}

		return menu;
	}

	public void dispose() {
		if (showPerspectivesPulldownMenu != null) {
			showPerspectivesPulldownMenu.dispose();
		}
	}

	public void init(IWorkbenchWindow window) {
	}

	public void run(IAction action) {
	}

	public void selectionChanged(IAction action, ISelection selection) {
	}

}

ShowViewsPulldownMenu Action

The action implements the IWorkbenchWindowPulldownDelegate (1) interface - which is what makes it a drop down menu action. Every time the action is invoked the getMenu() (2) method is called. When the getMenu() method is called the first time the drop down menu is created and is populated with menu items that represent all the Views that are registered 3 with Eclipse.

package perspectivesviewstoolbar.actions;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Comparator;

import org.eclipse.jface.action.IAction;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ISelection;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.events.SelectionAdapter;
import org.eclipse.swt.events.SelectionEvent;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Control;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Menu;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.MenuItem;
import org.eclipse.ui.IViewPart;
import org.eclipse.ui.IViewReference;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbench;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPage;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPartReference;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindowPulldownDelegate;
import org.eclipse.ui.PartInitException;
import org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI;
import org.eclipse.ui.views.IViewDescriptor;
import org.eclipse.ui.views.IViewRegistry;

/**
 * This action shows the alphabetically sorted pull-down menu of all registered
 * views. Selecting the menu item shows and activates the view. The menu item
 * for the currently active view is shown checked and disabled.
 * 
 * @author Sandip V. Chitale
 * 
 */
public class ShowViewsPulldownMenuAction implements
1		IWorkbenchWindowPulldownDelegate {

	private Menu showViewsPulldownMenu;

2	public Menu getMenu(Control parent) {
		if (showViewsPulldownMenu == null) {
			// Build the menu
			showViewsPulldownMenu = createViewsMenu(parent,
					showViewsPulldownMenu);
		}
		// Determine the active view and use it to enable and check
		// the menu items
		IWorkbench workbench = PlatformUI.getWorkbench();
		IWorkbenchPartReference activePartReference = workbench
				.getActiveWorkbenchWindow().getActivePage()
				.getActivePartReference();
		String id = null;
		if (activePartReference instanceof IViewReference) {
			id = activePartReference.getId();
		}
		MenuItem[] items = showViewsPulldownMenu.getItems();
		for (MenuItem item : items) {
			if (id == null) {
				// No view is active
				item.setEnabled(true);
			} else {
				// Check and disable the menuItem for the active view
				boolean equals = id.equals(item.getData());
				item.setEnabled(!equals);
			}
		}
		return showViewsPulldownMenu;
	}

	private static Menu createViewsMenu(Control parent, Menu menu) {
		if (menu == null) {
			menu = new Menu(parent);
3			IViewRegistry viewsRegistry = PlatformUI.getWorkbench()
					.getViewRegistry();
			// Get all views
			IViewDescriptor[] viewDescriptors = viewsRegistry.getViews();

			// Sort alphabetically by label
			Arrays.sort(viewDescriptors, new Comparator<IViewDescriptor>() {
				public int compare(IViewDescriptor vd1, IViewDescriptor vd2) {
					return vd1.getLabel().compareTo(vd2.getLabel());
				}
			});

			// Configure the menu items for each View
			for (IViewDescriptor viewDescriptor : viewDescriptors) {
				MenuItem menuItem = new MenuItem(menu, SWT.PUSH);
				menuItem.setText(viewDescriptor.getLabel());
				menuItem.setImage(viewDescriptor.getImageDescriptor()
						.createImage());
				menuItem.setData(viewDescriptor.getId());
				// Handle selection
				menuItem.addSelectionListener(new SelectionAdapter() {
					public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent e) {
						IWorkbench workbench = PlatformUI.getWorkbench();
						try {
							IViewDescriptor viewWithId = workbench
									.getViewRegistry().find(
											(String) e.widget.getData());
							if (viewWithId != null) {
								IWorkbenchPage activePage = workbench
										.getActiveWorkbenchWindow()
										.getActivePage();
								IViewPart view = activePage.showView(viewWithId
										.getId(), null,
										IWorkbenchPage.VIEW_CREATE);
								activePage.activate(view);
							} else {
								// may be delete this menuItem ?
							}
						} catch (PartInitException pie) {
						}
					}
				});
			}
		} else {
			// Delete children
		}
		return menu;
	}

	public void dispose() {
		if (showViewsPulldownMenu != null) {
			showViewsPulldownMenu.dispose();
		}
	}

	public void init(IWorkbenchWindow window) {
	}

	public void run(IAction action) {
	}

	public void selectionChanged(IAction action, ISelection selection) {
	}

}

MANIFEST.MF

Manifest-Version: 1.0
Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
Bundle-Name: Perspectives and Views Toolbar Plug-in
Bundle-SymbolicName: PerspectivesViewsToolbar;singleton:=true
Bundle-Version: 1.0.1
Bundle-Activator: perspectivesviewstoolbar.Activator
Bundle-Vendor: Sandip V. Chitale
Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.ui,org.eclipse.core.runtime
Bundle-RequiredExecutionEnvironment: J2SE-1.5
Bundle-ActivationPolicy: lazy

Installation

The resources section has the link to the plugin jar which can be dropped into your Eclipse installation's plugins directory. Once installed you will be able to use the Perspectives and Views tool bar buttons.

Source Code

The source code is bundled in the plug-in's jar file. In fact you can import the source plug-in project into  PDE  and hack it further. The source code is also available here.

Conclusion

In this tutorial we built a simple yet useful Eclipse plug-in called - Perspectives and Views Toolbar. It makes use of the actionSet extension points to add useful functionality to Eclipse. It also how to make the actions permanently visible.

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Resources

Notes on the Eclipse Plug-in Architecture
PDE Does Plug-ins
Contributing Actions to the Eclipse Workbench
Download Perspectives and Views Toolbar Plug-in
Sources