By default, there are no Undo/Redo toolbar buttons in the Eclipse toolbar. With Eclipse as an open and extensible framework, how to add them?

Undo and Redo Toolbar Buttons in Eclipse

Toolbar buttons in Eclipse are configured through the menu Window > Customize Perspective. But somehow there are no buttons available for undo/redo:

No Undo and Redo Buttons

They only exist as menu items:

Undo and Redo Menu Items

Adding Undo/Redo Buttons

The Eclipse framework allows to define new toolbar groups/items. No need to write code. All what is needed is a description XML file plus a manifest file (see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/819846/how-to-add-undo-redo-buttons-to-toolbar-in-eclipse/821801#821801).

plugin.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.4"?>
<plugin>
   <extension point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
      <menuContribution locationURI="toolbar:org.eclipse.ui.main.toolbar?after=additions">
            <toolbar id="undoredo.toolbar" label="Undo/Redo">
            <command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.undo" id="undoredo.undo" style="push">
            </command>
            <command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.redo" id="undoredo.redo" style="push">
            </command>
         </toolbar>
      </menuContribution>
   </extension>
</plugin>

MANIFEST.MF:

Manifest-Version: 1.0
Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
Bundle-Name: Undoredo
Bundle-SymbolicName: undoredo;singleton:=true
Bundle-Version: 1.0.0
Bundle-RequiredExecutionEnvironment: J2SE-1.5
Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.ui

If you don’t want to build the .jar file, here is a link to it: http://www.foglyn.com/misc/undoredo_1.0.0.jar

Installation of Undo/Redo Toolbar

To install undo/redo buttons, follow the steps below:

1. Close Eclipse
2. Place the file undoredo*.jar file into the eclipse\dropin folder:
   

   undoredo plugin in Eclipse Dropins Folder

3. Restart Eclipse
4. This shows the undo/redo in the toolbar:
   

   Undo and Redo Toolbar Buttons in Eclipse

5. To configure it, use the menu Window > Customize Perspective:
   

   Undo Redo Configuration

6. That’s it 🙂

Summary

The undo/redo menu item can be added as toolbar button with an XML file and a manifest file. I have not tried it for other functions, but that should work for anything else available too. It worked fine e.g. in Eclipse Luna based Freescale (now NXP) Kinetis Design Studio v3.0.0 and Eclipse MARS. Another case where the Eclipse framework shows its extensibility :-).

Links

• StackOverflow article: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/819846/how-to-add-undo-redo-buttons-to-toolbar-in-eclipse/821801#821801
• Link to the plugin used: http://www.foglyn.com/misc/undoredo_1.0.0.jar