Eclipse Cookbook

4.1. Renaming Elements

Problem

You want to rename a variable, method, or other item in code, and you want to be sure you catch every place the element is used.

Solution

Select the element in the JDT editor and then select Refactor→ Rename, or right-click the element and select Refactor→ Rename. Enter the new name you want to give the item, and you’re set.

Discussion

Say, for instance, that you have the code appearing in Example 4-1, and you decide that msg, the name of the variable in the main method, is too terse. Instead, you want it named message.

Example 4-1. A simple main method

package org.cookbook.ch04;

public class Messenger
{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        String msg = "No problem.";
                  System.out.println(msg);
    }
    
    public static void printem(String msg)
    {
        System.out.println(msg);
    }
}

To rename all uses of this msg variable, highlight the variable and select Refactor→ Rename, or right-click the variable and select Refactor→ Rename, opening the dialog shown in Figure 4-1.

Figure 4-1. Renaming a local variable

To rename msg to message, type the word “message” in the dialog and click Preview, opening a preview of the changes, as shown in Figure 4-2.

Figure 4-2. Previewing refactoring changes

Eclipse is smart enough to change only references to the variable you’re renaming, not the ...