Selecting a text

[mathnitin]

Hello,

I am trying to look for a code which can select a specified text from a java file .
To be more precise, I have a java code :

public Demo() {
int abc = 1;
while (abc<5) {
System.out.println(abc);
abc++;
System.out.println("Done");
}
}
I want to select the lines "System.out.println(abc) & abc++. Is there a way to do that.

Any type of help will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Nitin

[lovelesh]

That's easy :)

Just read the java file as if its an ordinary txt file. e.g u can use bufferedReader for this

Read the file line by line and search (using contains() api) each line for

1. System.out.println and
2. abc++

Now, if you want to show these lines as highlighted, then you can use a highlighter for this.

Hope that helps :-)

[mathnitin]

Thanks for the help.

But I don't want to highlight it. I want to select it. So this is what I want to do exactly.

--> Select the line.
--> Than call the Extract Method Refactoring tool on the selected code.

I know how to call Extract Method using the Robot class, but need help with selection.

[lovelesh]

Could you please elaborate more: what do you mean by select the line?

It would be better, if you explain the whole scenario as to what do you want to achieve?

[mathnitin]

Ok,

So I am making a tool which looks into your code identifies code smells and refactors it for you. Eclipse has many refactoring tools like Extract Method. Extract Variable..... All of these have a short cut to call them, but you need something selected to call them.

So I am done with identifying the code smells and I know how to generate a key press event to call these methods, but I need something selected to call them. So I am trying to figure out something for it.

For Example: Make a java file in Eclipse of my precious code.

Select those 2 lines and select Refactor --> Extract Method from the tool bar and follow the steps

So if you don't select anything you can't call Extract Method. I am trying to figure out how I can select these 2 lines using code :(

[lovelesh]

read the java file into a JTextpane.

Jtextpane allows you to select characters/words/sentences using mouse, from there you can just invoke the shortcuts you already know.

I hope this is what you want?

[mathnitin]

I think I am not able to explain it properly.

I don't want to use mouse to select it. I want to write a code to select it. Its complicated. But I want everything to be automated from the start to end. Just the user specifies the file and thats it. So I can't ask user to select anything. I want code to select it.

Thanks for the help though.

[Fubarable]

But select it based on what criteria? If you don't have this solidly defined yet, you can't write the method. No one can.

[mathnitin]

I have. I know the text which I want to select. There is a criteria to know what to select. Just don't know how to select.

[Fubarable]

I have. I know the text which I want to select. There is a criteria to know what to select. Just don't know how to select.

Without passing the criteria to us, I'm not sure how we can help you here.

[mathnitin]

The criteria varies from code smell to code smell. So let's say I'm talking about the switch case code smell. If the switch case code smell is there, I need to extract all the switch cases individually in separate method. So I need to select each case separately and than call Extract Method refactoring on each o them.
Now can you help me to select each swith case individually.
I don't think knowing this will make much of the difference, but I don't have any problem in sharing it.

[Fubarable]

It sounds as if you're looking to parse or perform syntactic analysis on your text, much as a compiler would parse it, which is no simple feat. I am going to bow out of this thread because I have little knowledge about this large and difficult subject (yet), but there are chapters and books written on the subject that might help you. Best of luck.

[mathnitin]

I know its the parser problem and the parser part is done. I am using AST tree for that. What I am looking for is a later part "How to select a specified text using code and not mouse."