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Options Dialog

The Options dialog lets you set a variety of options for the appearance and behavior of the IDE.  To access the pages in the dialog, select an option from the tree view in the left-hand pane.  Click on the plus symbol plus.gif (837 bytes) to expand each option. 

On each page, if you want to restore default settings, click Defaults.   If you want to apply changes without exiting the window, click Apply.

The Options dialog contains the following pages:

General

Option Description
Expand all problems on
Problems page
If selected, then list of problems is fully expanded when you first go to the Problems page.
Lock Log window open
(by default)
If selected, the Log window is locked, and must be unlocked before you can close it.
Show Welcome dialog
on startup
If selected, the Welcome dialog, which provides quick access to some common tasks, is shown each time you start the IDE.
Menu button selects in lists If enabled, clicking mouse button 2 first selects the list item that the mouse pointer is over, and then pops up the menu for that item.  If disabled, clicking mouse button 2 pops up the menu for the last-selected list item, regardless of where the mouse pointer is when you click.
Action on double-clicking
an item in a tree view
Select the action you want when you double-click on a tree item, either a browser opens on the item, or the tree is expanded.

Cache

Option Description
Disk Cache Enter the number of classes to be stored on the disk for quick access.
Clear Disk Cache Click to clear the classes stored in the disk cache.
Memory Cache Enter the number of classes to be stored in memory for quick access.
Clear Memory Cache Click to clear the classes stored in the memory cache.

Appearance

Option Description
Tab location
in browsers
Puts tabs at the top or bottom of browser windows.
Show toolbars If enabled, toolbars are present in all browsers and windows.
Show pane titles If enabled, each pane in a window has a title.
Include return type in
method label
If enabled, a method's label includes its return type. For example, a method called getValue that returns an int will be listed as "int getValue()" rather than "getValue()".
Include type in
field label
If enabled, a field's label includes its type.  For example, an int field called coordinate will be listed as "int coordinate" rather than "coordinate".
Reset window sizes Saves the current window sizes as the default.
Reset window
pane proportion
Saves the current pane proportions as the default.

List Fonts

Option Description
Font Select a font for lists in the IDE.
ngos2.gif (402 bytes) The SmartGuides also use the selected font.
Colors Select foreground and background colors by clicking Change.
Preview This read-only field shows how your font and color selections will appear.

Source Fonts

Option Description
Font Select a font for Source pane text in the IDE.
Colors Select a text type from the list.  Change its foreground and background colors by clicking Change.
Preview This read-only field shows how your font and color selections will appear.

Dialog Fonts

Option Description
Use system dialog font/Custom font Select one of these radio buttons to indicate which set of fonts to use for dialogs in the IDE.
Font If you selected the Custom font option, select a font for dialogs in the IDE.
Preview This read-only field shows how your custom font selection will appear.

Banner Fonts

Option Description
Font Select a font for banners in the IDE.
Preview This read-only field shows how your font selection will appear.

Printer Fonts

Option Description
Printer name Select the printer for which you want to set fonts by clicking Change.
Styles Select the text style and set the font.  Repeat for each style.
Font Select a font and size for the selected text style.
Print Sample Click this button to print sample output that shows how each of the styles font and sizes will appear.  Sends the print job to the selected printer.

Coding

Option Description
Tab Spacing The number of blank spaces each Tab will move to the right.
Report problems
before saving
Enable if you want to be warned when you are saving a program element with errors in it.  You will also receive suggestions on how to fix the error.
Accelerator keys
for saving methods
Set up how you want to use accelerator (shortcut) keys when save changes to code.  The difference between Save and Save Replace matters when you change the name of a type or method:  Save saves the changes to a new program element;  Save Replace saves the changes, including the name change to the existing program element (that it, the element's name will be changed).

Compiler

Option Description
Unreachable code errors Enable this option if you want the compiler to warn you when part of your code is unreachable (will never be run).
Report method names conflicting with constructors Enable this option to receive a warning when you create a method that has the same name as a constructor.

Debugging

Option Description
Show system programs in debugger and console Enable if you want the console and the debugger to list programs that are running outside the IDE.
Show creation time of running programs Enable if you want the debugger to show the creation time of running programs.
Source path for dynamically loaded classes Set the file system path to source code files for external classes, so that if there are breakpoints set on methods in the external classes, the debugger can step into the source code for the methods line by line.
Reset recent breakpoint conditions Click this button to reset the list of breakpoint conditions in the Configure Breakpoints dialog.  The default set of conditions will remain available.
Trace class initialization for running programs Enable this option if you want the debugger to generate the class trace for a running program.  To see the generated trace, select the program (not a thread) in the All Programs/Threads pane in the Debugger browser, while the program is running.   The trace will be output to the Source pane.

Formatter

Option Description
Compound statements begin new line Enable if you want compound statements to be separated onto separate lines.   Applied automatically to new code.  Applied to existing code when Format Code is selected from the Edit menu.
Opening braces begin new line Enable if you want to begin a new line with each opening brace ("{").   Applied automatically to new code.  Applied to code when Format Code is selected from the Edit menu.

Indentation

Option Description
No indenting Select this option to apply no indentation rule to new code.
Simple auto indent Select this option to apply a simple indentation rule to new code (Tab in for each opening brace).  Applied automatically to new code.  Applied to code when Format Code is selected from the Edit menu.
Smart auto indent Select this option to apply a more complex indentation rule to new code (Tab in for each opening brace; tab out for each closing brace). Applied automatically to new code.  Applied to code when Format Code is selected from the Edit menu.
Preview This read-only field shows how your indentation selection will appear.

Method Javadoc

The entry field on this page provides a text template for comments added when you create a method with the Add Method SmartGuide.  The comment is inserted into Javadoc-style comments.

Type Javadoc

The entry field on this page provides a text template for comments added when you create a class or interface with the Add Class or Add Interface SmartGuide.  The comment is inserted into Javadoc-style comments.

Help

On this page, select the HTML browser that the IDE will use to display help information.  If your operating system is set up to use a particular browser for all .htm files by default, then select the Use file association option.   Otherwise, select the Specify browser path option and supply a path to the browser's executable.  Note that the browser must be frames-capable to view the information. 

ngos2.gif (402 bytes)For OS/2, the path must be absolute, or relative to the working directory.

Tips

A Tip provides you with information about using a particular part of the IDE user interface.  It is shown when you first enter the window or dialog that the Tip describes.  As you get to know the interface, you can disable the Tips so they don't appear each time.  Enable or disable each Tip as needed.

Warnings

Warnings let you know when you are about to do something dangerous or non-standard.   Like Tips, they can be disabled once you are familiar with them.  Enable or disable each Warning as needed. 

Resources and Paths

Option Description
Workspace class path Edit this path to add file system paths to external classes (classes that classes and methods in the workspace can use, without being imported to the workspace).
Shared project_resources directory Select a directory that will contain project resources for all team members.   Usually this will be a network path.
New projects should use shared resources Enable this option if you want new projects to use the above shared project_resources directory by default (otherwise new projects will use the default local directory).

RMI Registry

Option Description
Start RMI registry on VisualAge startup Enable if you want the RMI registry to start when you start the IDE.
Use the default  RMI port Select if you want RMI to use the default port
Use a custom RMI port Select and provide a port number if you want to use a port other than the default.
Restart the RMI Registry Click to start the RMI registry on the specified port.
Stop RMI Registry Click to stop the RMI registry.

Design Time

Option Description
Inherit BeanInfo of bean superclass Enable this box to allow BeanInfo properties of a superclass to be inherited by a subclass.  Changing this setting after the BeanInfo class has been created for the subclass does not change whether it inherits its superclass' BeanInfo properties (that is, changing this setting is not retroactive). However, the setting change does take effect the next time the BeanInfo class is updated or regenerated. The BeanInfo class is updated whenever you add, change, or remove a feature in the BeanInfo page. You can generate the BeanInfo class by selecting Generate BeanInfo class from the Features menu in the BeanInfo page.
BeanInfo search path extensions Additions to the default search path for BeanInfo. Click the Edit button to add packages at the beginning of the path.
Complete BeanInfo search path The complete search path used to find BeanInfo. This list consists of any packages added to the default path, followed by packages in the default path.
Design time class path extensions Additions to the default search path for classes and program resources, such as property editors and customizers, used in development. Click the Edit button to add directories and .jar files at the beginning of the path.
Complete design time class path The complete search path used to find classes and program resources. This list consists of any directories and .jar files added to the default path, followed by those in the default path.
Generate meta data method Enable this checkbox to allow a method named getBuilderData to be generated by the Visual Composition Editor. The getBuilderData method will contain binary data inside a Java comment representing the meta data that is required by the Visual Composition Editor. This option only needs to be enabled if you plan to export your visually composed part as Java source files and later want to import these source files back into VisualAge for Java. Enabling this option slows down saving visually composed parts and should only be enabled if importing and exporting of Java source files is required.

tentergf.gif (577 bytes) IDL-to-Java Compile

Use the IDL-to-Java Compile page of the Options dialog to set the initial default compile options of your IDL-to-Java compiler for the entire Workbench.

Note: The Defaults button on this page resets the default compile options to the initial program settings.

Option Description
IBM Component Broker Series Select this radio button if you want to set the default compile command to the command used to start the IBM Component Broker Series IDL-to-Java compiler.
Other Compiler Select this radio button if you are using an IDL-to-Java compiler other than the Component Broker Series compiler.  
Command  If you selected the Other Compiler radio button, in this field type the name of the command that starts the IDL-to-Java compiler. This is the command that you would normally use to invoke the compiler when you are running outside the VisualAge for Java environment. 

If the IDL-to-Java compiler is a Java program, you may enter the following string as the command string:

java package-qualified_class_name_of_the_IDL-to-Java_ compiler

Note, however, that if you are running on Windows 95, you must use the name of the actual executable and not a command implemented as a .bat file.

Compile Options  In this entry field, type in any command options that you want to specify for your selected IDL-to-Java compiler. 

In the context of the file system, if the IDL definitions specified in your IDL files contain <include_name> references to IDL definitions contained in other IDL files that reside in different subdirectories, then you need to set the include path option using the following syntax:

-I path_to_the_included_IDL_files

In the context of the VisualAge for Java IDL Development Environment, you must specify the include path differently than you would for the file system. If the IDL definitions specified in your IDL objects contain references to IDL definitions contained in other IDL objects, and these other IDL objects are contained in groups that do not reside under the group that you have selected to compile, then you need to set the include path option using the following syntax:

-I %PATH%ProjectName\GroupName\AdditionalGroupNames

The value of the %PATH% variable is automatically set when VisualAge for Java is installed. The value is displayed under the Compile Options field. This way of specifying the include path option is necessary because the IDL objects, which are contained in the specified group associated with the specified project, are mapped to the IDL files located in the path.  (Note that any spaces that appear in the project name must be removed before specifying the project name on the -I option).

File Import Masks In this entry field, specify the name of any file masks that you want to use to control the import of generated Java files. For instance, you might specify the name of the following file mask that restricts the importation to stub files:

*stub.java

ngrelt.gif (466 bytes)
Including Resource Files in a Project
Saving Changes to Code
Creating a Method
Creating a Class
Creating an Interface
Debugging During the Development Cycle
Printing Source Code and Other Text