Navigating to Declaration or Type Declaration of a Symbol

On this page:

• Introduction
• Important note
• Navigating to the declaration of a symbol
• Navigating to the type declaration of a symbol

Introduction

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. Navigate | 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 note

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.

Navigating 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⌘BF3F12⌃⌥G.
   • Click the middle mouse button.
   • Keeping ^ for Windows or Linux users or ⌘ for macOS users pressed, point to the symbol, and click, when it turns to a hyperlink. You can also see declaration at the tooltip while keeping ^ for Windows or Linux users or ⌘ for macOS users pressed.

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

     

Navigating 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⌥⇧F12⌃⇧B.
   • Press the ^ ⇧ for Windows and Linux users, or ⌘ ⇧ for macOS users keys and hover your mouse pointer over the symbol. When the symbol turns to a hyperlink, click it without releasing ^ ⇧ for Windows and Linux users, or ⌘⇧ for macOS users keys. The type declaration of the symbol opens in the editor. You can also see the declaration at the tooltip while keeping ^ ⇧ for Windows and Linux users, or ⌘⇧ for macOS users pressed.