How Can I Prevent .class Files from Appearing in the Open Resource Dialog in Eclipse?

How can I hide .class files from appearing in the Open Resource dialog in Eclipse? I prefer not to edit working sets, and I want this to apply across all workspaces and projects.

In Eclipse, managing the visibility of files in the Open Resource dialog can enhance your development experience, especially when you want to focus on source files rather than compiled outputs like .class files. Unfortunately, there isn't a direct global setting specifically for this purpose; however, you can utilize filters in the Open Resource dialog to achieve this goal.

// N/A for this context because Eclipse does not support code-based settings for this operation.

Causes

• Eclipse does not have a built-in feature specifically designed to hide .class files globally from the Open Resource dialog.
• The default behavior of the Open Resource dialog includes all project files unless specified otherwise.

Solutions

• In the Open Resource dialog, you can type a filter in the search box such as `!*.class` to exclude .class files from the results temporarily.
• Set file filters through the Preferences in Eclipse: Go to `Window > Preferences > General > Appearance > Filters and Customization`. From there, you can define various filters, although this will not universally apply to all projects and workspaces.
• Consider using a Java Editor view that does not show class files, which might simplify choices during navigation.

Mistake: Relying solely on the workspace-specific settings to hide .class files from all projects.

Solution: Filters need to be applied during each session, or you need to set up a consistent convention for filtering out .class files.

Mistake: Not utilizing the search filter efficiently in the Open Resource dialog.

Solution: Always remember to type `!*.class` in the filter box to quickly hide class files during resource searches.