Tag: eclipse

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Eclipse: Adding File Associations

We regularly write PHP, using the CakePHP framework, in Eclipse (Juno, with PHP Development Tools (PDT)). The view template files in CakePHP have the .ctp extension, which Eclipse does not, by default, recognise as PHP files, so you do not benefit from any of the helpful Eclipse PHP tools. However, you can add an association (i.e. tell Eclipse that .ctp files are PHP files), as follows:

  1. Go to Window > Preferences to open the Preferences box
  2. Go to General > Content Types in the menu
  3. In the Content types box, expand Text and select “PHP Content Type”
  4. Click “Add”
  5. Type “.ctp” in the box that appears and click OK
  6. Click OK to close the Preferences box

Note that you will have to close and then reopen any .ctp files that are already open in order for them to be recognised as PHP files.

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Eclipse: Changing Project Type

I’ve just added a new project from an existing location in Eclipse Juno, and for some reason it wouldn’t let me create it as a PHP project. Instead, I had to just create it as a general project. Having done this, it is fairly easy to convert it to a PHP Project, by doing the following:

  1. Open the .project file for the new (non-PHP) project in a text editor
  2. Open a .project file for an existing PHP project (or, if you haven’t got an existing PHP project, create one in your workspace and use the .project file from that)
  3. Copy the <buildSpec> and <natures> sections from the PHP .project file (from 2. above) to the .project file for the project that you want to change to a PHP project (from 1. above)
  4. Save the new modified .project file and refresh the workspace
  5. The general project should now be a PHP project

The .project file for my PHP projects looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<projectDescription>
   <name>project_name</name>
   <comment></comment>
   <projects>
   </projects>
   <buildSpec>
      <buildCommand>
         <name>org.eclipse.wst.validation.validationbuilder</name>
         <arguments>
         </arguments>
      </buildCommand>
      <buildCommand>
         <name>org.eclipse.dltk.core.scriptbuilder</name>
         <arguments>
         </arguments>
      </buildCommand>
   </buildSpec>
   <natures>
      <nature>org.eclipse.php.core.PHPNature</nature>
   </natures>
</projectDescription>
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Selecting and Replacing Columns/Blocks of Text in Eclipse

In Eclipse (I’m using Eclipse June 4.2.2 at the moment), it is possible to select columns/vertical blocks of text by using Alt+Shift+A to switch to block selection mode. You can then drag over a column/block of text. With a block selected, typing text will replace the selected text in all of the selected rows.