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Yesterday, I downloaded Eclipse Juno and it's pretty nice. Somehow I'm not able to maximize a split screen that shows two Java files. Just one of the two Java files are maximized at the same time.

Sure, I could manually close the Package Explorer, Outline View and so on, but this is pretty tedious. How do I maximize both files in the split view? It used to be Ctrl + m. Thank you.

Edit:

Apparently, there two different ways to split the screen. I still haven't figured out the difference while I'm splitting the screen.

maximizes both files

maximizes just one

kon
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  • Try the little maximize button at the top of the editor area. Does that do what you want? – Paul Webster Jul 16 '12 at 18:29
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    @PaulWebster No, it just maximizes one of the two files :( – kon Jul 17 '12 at 06:52
  • Could you update your question with your steps including clicking on the maximize button? Maybe include a before and after image? When I do that, I see the editor area maximized and both of my editors. – Paul Webster Jul 17 '12 at 11:24
  • It's the top one you want. When you maximize that, it maximizes the editor area so you can see both editor stacks at the same time. – Paul Webster Jul 17 '12 at 14:45
  • That's right. In Eclipse Indigo just the behavior of the first picture is possible. The splitting process doesn't seem to be intuitive :( – kon Jul 17 '12 at 14:52
  • @PaulWebster I am unable to move from screen shot 2 to screen shot 1. The green highlights make it looks like an embedded split editor (not sure of the terminology?), but then it just stays the same. I have to first move the Test.java tab back to the same editor as ITest.java and then move it again to get to screen shot 1. And there is no longer double click maximize option in the screen shot 1 scenario. – Karen Butzke Aug 01 '12 at 23:11
  • Starting with Eclipse Luna 4.4 M4, this all "split dragging position" business will be much simpler: see [my answer below](http://stackoverflow.com/a/20566458/6309). – VonC Dec 13 '13 at 12:24

5 Answers5

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The way the editor area will be split depends on how far you drag the the upper tab, notice the position of the hand cursor in the screenshots below:

If you drag it halfway, it will be split so you can maximize both at once.

enter image description here

If you drag it a little more to the right edge, the editor area will be split so you can only maximize one at a time.

enter image description here

Daniel Serodio
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  • Thank you for the hint. But even with this knowledge, it is still a bit strange. If I drag the tab, the green frames are toggling between vertical an horizontal splitting. It take some time to get this adjusted the way I need it. I still have the feeling that in Indigo it was much easier to manage. – kon Aug 04 '12 at 09:50
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    @kon yes, this new split screen method while likely well intentioned is about as clear as mud. – Jeff Axelrod Sep 18 '12 at 18:07
  • It was possible to double-click on the tabs to maximize but that doesn't seem possible when split using this new style. – nevets1219 Jul 03 '13 at 17:47
  • It seems that you need to double-click outside of the tab in order to maximize. – nevets1219 Jul 03 '13 at 18:06
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    In Eclipse Luna, holding down Ctrl while splitting will separate the windows, so that `Ctrl+M` will maximize just one of the windows. – noumenal Aug 10 '16 at 13:04
  • noumenal's comment about Ctrl +M works for me. hold ctrl then split. then dobule click on any editor will maximize. – jkb016 Jul 21 '23 at 07:35
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This new behavior inspired the following Eclipse bug report:

New split screen dragging UI/maximize pane options is as clear as mud

So I appreciate the likely well intentioned UI developments, but apparently many of us are puzzled by the change in how editors are now split and maximized:

Eclipse Juno maximize splitscreen

It seems the user experience was not really well thought through with respect to these changes.

Might I suggest that this interface be rethought? I'd start by dumping the drag-to-define whether or not panes should be maximized individually or with their neighbors interface. First, the instance of a user splitting an editor in two is the wrong time to be "asking" the user whether or not to maintain both views if he or she decides to maximize the editor someday. To top it off, the visual indication of the user's decision about this is confusing at best.

Instead, I propose that you dump the varying green line interface and instead shift the decision to the time when it actually matters--that is, when the user decides to maximize the editor. Maybe the following would work better:

There should be a small "editor maximize" button in the upper right corner of the "complete" editor pane. This would always maximize all panes in the editor. There should always be a maximize/minimize pair on each editor split as well that would maximize/minimize that particular split.

Community
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Jeff Axelrod
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  • I've been using this feature for long time on different Eclipse versions. I think both ways are helpful but unfortunately it isn't intuitive to use. Thank you for your effort! :) – kon Sep 19 '12 at 08:53
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I don't use Juno yet, but in the previous versions you can change this behavior from Window -> Preferences -> General -> Appearance and play with "current presentation" until you find the behavior you like

lambda.mostafa
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If you split your editor with the shortcuts from the HandySplit plugin you should be fine maximizing both sections simultaneously.

akikhtenko
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It will be easier with Eclipse Luna 4.4 M4+, as Lars Vogel announced (December 2013) in "Split editor implemented in Eclipse M4 Luna":

Split editor implemented in Eclipse M4 Luna 4.4

This solves one of the oldest and most upvoted Eclipse bug: Bug 8009.

https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/attachment.cgi?id=214959

That means you have to maximize only one Windows, even when that Windows is a code editor view, with a split in it.

The split editor functionality has been developed in Bug 378298, and will be available as of Eclipse Luna M4. The Note & Newsworthy of Eclipse Luna M4 will contain the announcement.
Current shortcut for splitting is:

  • Ctrl + _ for split horizontally, and
  • Ctrl + { for split vertically.
VonC
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