While editing your source code, you might need to navigate to the location where a particular named code reference (a symbol) has been first declared. Go To | Declaration command enables you to navigate back to the initial declaration of a symbol from any place in the source code, even if it is from inside another class, or comment.

Important!

Navigate | Declaration/Type Declaration

  • Applies to the symbols of source code, CSS, HTML or XML tags and attributes, DTD and schema elements and attributes, and references in comments.
  • Does not apply to the primitive types.
To navigate to the declaration of a symbol
  1. Place the caret at the desired symbol in the editor.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • On the main menu, choose Navigate | Declaration.
    • Press ⌘B, ⌘Button1 Click, Button2 Click, ⌘B, ⌘Button1 Click or Button2 Click⌘B, ⌘Button1 Click, Button2 Click, ⌘B, ⌘Button1 Click or Button2 ClickF3, ⌃Button1 Click, F3 or ⌃Button1 ClickF12, ⇧ F2, ^ B, ^ Button1 Click, Button2 Click, F12, ⇧F2, ⌃B, ⌃Button1 Click, Button2 Click, F12, ⇧F2, ⌃B, ⌃Button1 Click or Button2 Click^ ⌥ G, Escape, Period, ⌥ Period, ^ Button1 Click, ⌃⌥G, ⎋, ., ⌥., ⌃Button1 Click, ⌃⌥G, ⎋, ., ⌥. or ⌃Button1 Click.
    • Click the middle mouse button.
    • Keeping ⌃ pressed, point to the symbol, and click, when it turns to a hyperlink. You can also see declaration at the tooltip while keeping ⌃ pressed. viewDeclaration.png

      Annotation types are marked in the declaration tooltips with the @ character:

      viewDeclarationAnnotation.png

To navigate to the type declaration of a symbol
  1. Place the caret at the desired symbol in the editor.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • On the main menu, choose Navigate | Type Declaration.
    • Press ⇧⌘B, ⌃⇧B, ⇧⌘Button1 Click, ⇧Button2 Click, ⇧⌘B, ⌃⇧B, ⇧⌘Button1 Click or ⇧Button2 Click⌃⇧B, ⇧⌘Button1 Click, ⇧Button2 Click, ⌃⇧B, ⇧⌘Button1 Click or ⇧Button2 Click⇧ ⌥ F12, ⇧ ⌥ F2, ⌥⇧F12, ⌥⇧F2, ⌥⇧F12 or ⌥⇧F2^ ⇧ B, ^ ⇧ Button1 Click, ⌃⇧B, ⌃⇧Button1 Click, ⌃⇧B or ⌃⇧Button1 Click.
    • Press the ^ ⇧ keys and hover your mouse pointer over the symbol. When the symbol turns to a hyperlink, click it without releasing ^ ⇧ keys. The type declaration of the symbol opens in the editor. You can also see the declaration at the tooltip while keeping ^ ⇧ pressed.

      viewTypeDeclaration.png