Setup code completion for WordPress in Eclipse

If you use Eclipse+PDT as a WordPress development tool, you’ll notice that whenever you type a PHP command, Eclipse will pop-up suggestions for completing what you type in the editor. These list of commands are limited to PHP by default. Wouldn’t it be nice if the WordPress API commands would be included in that list like the one show below? Here’s how.

Requirements

• Eclipse with the PHP Development Tools installed
• A copy of the WordPress source code

The Steps to include WordPress code completion in Eclipse

1. Download a copy of the WordPress source code.
2. Unzip the WordPress source code into a directory inside your Eclipse workspace and create an Eclipse project for the WordPress souce code you downloaded in step 1.
3. Now start creating your WordPress project in Eclipse. if you already have an existing WordPress project, you can skip to step 4.
4. This is the key step. Add the WordPress project you created in step 2 into the PHP Include Path of your WordPress project. To do this, right click on your WordPress project’s name and click on the Properties menu item. You will see the PHP Include Path item on the left side of the dialog box — click on it. Click the Projects tab and click Add. Select the WordPress project that you created. You should now have a screen similar to the one below.

Click OK.

Now code completion for WordPress API commands is available for your WordPress project on your Eclipse development environment. Just repeat the procedure for any WordPress project.