Updating the Parser Database

The IDE's parser database enables several Source Editor features of the IDE, including Java code completion, Fast Import, Go To Class, Go to Source, Go to Declaration, and Show Javadoc.

By default, the parser database consists of files for the Java 2 SDK, Standard Edition, v. 1.3, plus Java Servlet 2.2 and the Ant build tool. If you install the apisupport module, database files for OpenAPIs are also included.

Tip To include a different version of the Java 2 SDK in your code completion, mount the source files or rt.jar for that version. Then update the parser database as described below for the newly mounted filesystem.

You can update the parser database so that your own classes are among the choices offered when using code completion, Go To Class, Fast Import, and the other features that depend upon the parser database. If you never update the parser database, the code completion box shows only the default database entries and classes you have opened in the Source Editor during the current session.

To update the parser database:

  1. In the Explorer, right-click the package or filesystem containing the classes you want to add to the database. Choose Tools and choose Update Parser Database from the contextual menu.

    The Update Parser Database dialog box is displayed.

  2. Type a file name (with no extension) in the Parser Database File Prefix field of the Update Parser Database dialog box. Use a different prefix for each package or filesystem.

    Two files are created for each parsed filesystem: <prefix>.jcs, where classes and interfaces are stored, and <prefix>.jcb, where methods and fields are stored.

  3. In the Storage Levels panel of the same dialog box, select the level of code for classes, fields, and methods that you want included in the database.

    For libraries that you cannot edit, you probably want the parser database to include only protected and public members. For libraries (filesystems) that you are working on, you might want to also include private members.

    Only static fields and methods are included in the database.

  4. Click OK to add the files to the parser database.
Tip To change the storage levels you set for a particular filesystem, select the filesystem in the Explorer and invoke the Update Parser Database command again. Make sure to select the root of the filesystem. If you select a subnode of the filesystem, the parser database will be updated, but the dialog box to set storage levels will not be displayed.

Automatic Parser Database Updates

You need to update the parser database only one time per filesystem. The first update defines the parser database files for a filesystem. After that, the database is automatically updated for that filesystem whenever a file is saved or successfully parsed.

Java files that are open in the Source Editor are automatically parsed after two seconds of idle time. You can configure this time by choosing Tools and choose Options and expanding the the Editing node. Select the Java Sources node, and edit the Automatic Parsing Delay property. If you disable automatic parsing by setting the property to zero, files are parsed only when saved.

There are two exceptions to automatic parser database updates: