GitHub user harshaindunil created a discussion: CodeLens-style reference count hint to the NetBeans Java editor.
I have been working on a prototype for [#8230](https://github.com/apache/netbeans/issues/8230), and before opening a PR I would like to get feedback on the overall direction and scope. <img width="671" height="493" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f8f824a1-0ffd-47bf-82d2-dc638110d858"; /> ## Summary The feature adds a CodeLens-style reference count hint to the NetBeans Java editor. For Java methods and named types, the editor shows an above-line hint such as: - `1 reference` - `5 references` Clicking the hint opens a lightweight popup with grouped references, and from there the user can navigate to usages or open the full existing Find Usages results. ## Scope of the current implementation This is currently limited to the **Swing Java editor only**. Implemented behavior: - shows reference counts above Java methods and named types - aligns the hint with the declaration start - hides zero-reference entries - excludes constructors in the current version - uses the existing Java Find Usages infrastructure for correctness and navigation - opens a popup on click, with an option to open the full Find Usages UI - adds a setting under `Tools > Options > Editor > Inline Hints > Show reference counts` ## Main implementation areas The current implementation touches these areas: - Java editor task to discover declarations and publish above-line hints - editor rendering support for block-style hints above a line - integration with Java Find Usages / Where Used - popup UI for quick navigation - settings/UI integration for enabling or disabling the feature ## Performance work done I initially observed noticeable editor slowdown, especially on larger files. To address that, the current implementation now: - computes counts in the background - avoids running while scan/indexing is still in progress - caches computed counts - only computes counts for declarations visible in the current editor viewport - avoids full cache invalidation on every index event - handles split editors correctly - keeps existing hints visible while recomputation is deferred With these changes, the feature now appears stable in my testing and no longer shows obvious scrolling or split-editor issues. ## Areas where I would like feedback Before I submit a PR, I would especially like feedback on these points: 1. **Feature scope** - Is Java-editor-only a reasonable first step? - Is it acceptable that this is editor functionality only, not LSP / generic editor support? 2. **UI direction** - Is the above-line block hint approach acceptable for NetBeans? - Is the popup-on-click interaction preferred over directly opening Find Usages? 3. **Reuse of Find Usages** - The current implementation reuses the existing Java Where Used behavior for correctness. - Is this the right direction for v1, even if a future optimization could use a lighter counting backend? 4. **Performance expectations** - The current implementation is much better after viewport-based computation and cache improvements. - Is this sufficient for an initial contribution, or would reviewers expect a lighter-weight count mechanism before merge? ## Current intent If there are no major objections to the approach, I plan to open a PR for #8230 with: - the editor hint support - popup navigation - settings integration - tests and documentation/screenshots I would appreciate feedback before I finalize the PR. GitHub link: https://github.com/apache/netbeans/discussions/9318 ---- This is an automatically sent email for [email protected]. To unsubscribe, please send an email to: [email protected] --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] For further information about the NetBeans mailing lists, visit: https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/NETBEANS/Mailing+lists
