Java Reference
In-Depth Information
The process of software development is rarely an uninterrupted one. General
annoyances hamper productivity on most sizable development efforts.
One common problem is the difficulty in navigating between a large number
of disparate source files. Some tasks are pervasive by nature, and the developer
assigned to handling them has no choice but to trace through source code in mul-
tiple packages, in multiple directories, potentially throughout the source tree. In
addition, developers often have many open issues assigned to them, such as new
features to implement, pilot implementations to test functionality, introduction
of new cross-cutting concerns, and bugs to fix.
Another common issue is functionality deferred out of necessity. Often, while
working on one deliverable, you happen across another that hasn't been previ-
ously thought of or included on the project plan. Sometimes you may encoun-
ter a flaw in a piece of code that demands fixing, but scheduling and scope
pressures prevent you from making the necessary changes right away. The task
has to be deferred until its risk, scope, and ultimate impact can be assessed. The
danger is that the task, which arose from a code inspection, may easily be forgot-
ten as you work on your deliverables, and project management may never
acknowledge its existence.
IDEA
provides a series of tools to help overcome these (and other) barriers to
productivity. Bookmarks allow rapid movement between diverse areas of the code
base. ToDo lists give you an informal way to use comments to denote unresolved
issues. The
IDEA
Commander provides a convenient panel interface for perform-
ing basic file refactorings (such as moving, copying and cloning) on packages,
classes, files, and the like. And, in the event that you use external tools for audit-
ing, for pre- or post-processing of source or object files, or even for source code
generation,
IDEA
includes a generic tool integration mechanism that is flexible
enough to meet most needs. This chapter will explore each in turn.
13.1 Working with bookmarks
IDEA
's bookmarks don't alter your source code; they're reference points that let
you navigate back to a particular area of code. Once placed, bookmarks stay with
your project until you remove them. There are two types of bookmarks: num-
bered and anonymous. They're revealed in the editor through gutter icons as well
as black lines in the marker bar, as shown in figure 13.1.
