Star diagram with automated refactorings for Eclipse

Abstract

One of the powerful features of the Eclipse JDT plug-in is its refactoring feature. Yet, because many refactorings are global and architectural in nature, the textual presentation of refactorings presents challenges for designers. We have designed and implemented the visual Star Diagram automated refactoring plug-in to ease such refactorings. This paper motivates and introduces star-diagram-based refactorings, demonstrates that new tools can be implemented on top of existing JDT refactorings, and reflects on the challenges that the JDT refactoring API presents in supporting novel extensions. In this last category, we found it difficult to build on the refactoring API to introduce more general refactoring semantics and visualizations of refactoring opportunities.