Assigning a keyboard shortcut for a specific Eclipse build configuration

Question

In our Java project in Eclipse, we have several build configurations, as we have an engine that when run, builds installation jar for a specific projects according to the pa

Answer 1

One alternative is to use the accelerator keys to navigate the Run menu and select the right run configuration.

On my computer it is:

Alt + R, H, Number

Alt+R gets you to get to Run menu, then H for Debug History, then one of the numbered alternatives.

To make a run configuration always be visible in the Debug or Run history menus and retain its position one can do the following:

Select the Run menu -> Run Configurations -> [some config] -> Common, then check Display in favourites menu box.

(This answer is a copy of one of my previous answers.)

Answer 2

You could define a plugin with some launchShortcuts in it.

This thread is a good illustration.

But to actually bind it, you would need to define a command running that configuration, and bind that command to a key (like in this plugin.xml configuration file)

the shortcut definition of a launch configuration:

  <shortcut id="org.maven.ide.eclipse.pomFileAction"
            category="org.maven.ide.eclipse"
            class="org.maven.ide.eclipse.actions.ExecutePomAction"
            icon="icons/m2.gif"
            label="%m2.popup.pomFile.label"
            modes="run,debug">
     <contextualLaunch>
       <contextLabel label="%m2.popup.pomFile.label" mode="run"/>
       <contextLabel label="%m2.popup.pomFile.label" mode="debug"/>
       <enablement>
         <with variable="selection">
           <count value="1"/>
           <iterate>
             <and>
               <test property="org.maven.ide.eclipse.launchable"/>
               <adapt type="org.eclipse.core.runtime.IAdaptable"/>
             </and>
           </iterate>
         </with>
       </enablement>
   </contextualLaunch>
 </shortcut>

Then the command:

 <extension point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
    <command id="org.maven.ide.eclipse.pomFileAction.run"
             categoryId="org.eclipse.debug.ui.category.run"
             name="%m2.shortcut.description.run"
             description="%m2.shortcut.description.run"/>
     ...
 </extension>

Then the key binding for a keyboard shortcut:

<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.bindings">
    <key sequence="M3+M2+X M"
         contextId="org.eclipse.ui.globalScope"
         commandId="org.maven.ide.eclipse.pomFileAction.run"
         schemeId="org.eclipse.ui.defaultAcceleratorConfiguration"/>
 </extension>

Answer 3

I was able to put together specific steps based on splintor's thread and get this working (I also added a loop at the top that finds any existing launch with the same name and terminates it, effectively making this a "restart" macro):

To assign keyboard shortcuts to specific Eclipse launch configurations, perform the following steps:

• Install https://sourceforge.net/projects/practicalmacro/, which you can inside Eclipse via Help->Software Updates: http://puremvcnotificationviewer.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/PracticallyMacroGoogleUpdateSite

• Restart Eclipse and open Eclipse Preferences. You will have a new section called "Practically Macro Options", expand that section.

• Click on "Editor Macro Definitions"

• Click on "new..."

• In the list of available commands, scroll down to "Editor Macro script (Beanshell)", select it and then click "Add->"

• When the script editor pops up, add the following code to the existing code:

  import org.eclipse.debug.core.DebugPlugin;
  import org.eclipse.debug.core.ILaunchConfiguration;
  import org.eclipse.debug.core.ILaunch;
  import org.eclipse.debug.ui.DebugUITools;
      try
      {
        // Terminate process if it already exists from a previous launch 
        org.eclipse.debug.core.ILaunch[] allLaunches=DebugPlugin.getDefault().getLaunchManager().getLaunches();
        for (ILaunch l : allLaunches)
        {              
          if (l.getLaunchConfiguration().getName().equals("YOUR CONFIG NAME HERE"))
          {
            console.write("terminating launch: " );
            console.writeln(l.getLaunchConfiguration().getName());
            l.terminate();
            break; 
          }
        }
  
          org.eclipse.debug.core.ILaunchConfiguration[] allConfigurations=DebugPlugin.getDefault().getLaunchManager().getLaunchConfigurations();
          for (ILaunchConfiguration config : allConfigurations) {
              if (config.getName().equals("YOUR CONFIG NAME HERE"))
              {
                  DebugUITools.launch(config, "debug");
                  break;
              }
          }
      } catch (CoreException e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      }
      finally{}
  

• Note line 11 that checks the configuration name, replace with whatever you want

• Also note DebugUITools.launch command on line 15, you can pass either "run" or "debug"

• In the "Macro info" section at the bottom of this dialog, specify a macro name

• IMPORTANT!: If you want to be able to see this macro in the standard Eclipse key binding dialog, you need to assign an id. I started with 1...

• Click OK

• Expand the "General" section and click on "Keys"

• You can now search the possible key bindings for your new macro's name and assign it to any key you want.

• NOTE: After assigning a key I often had to close and restart Eclipse before the key binding was respected.

Answer 4

I was able to do it using Practically Macro - see this thread.