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Eclipse: How to change the highlight color of selected method/expression?

java
ide
customization
preferences
Nikita BarsukovbyNikita Barsukov·Feb 6, 2025
TLDR

Eclipse Preferences is the go-to place to modify highlight colors. Follow this path: General > Editors > Text Editors > Annotations. Here, find Occurrences and Write Occurrences, toggle the color box to pick your preferred hue. Modification pathway is mentioned below:

Preferences > General > Editors > Text Editors > Annotations > [Occurrences | Write Occurrences] > Color

Don't forget to hit apply to see your color changes alive instantly in the editor.

Detailed explanation

Color and style can greatly influence code readability. Eclipse provides the option to customize these elements. Let's discuss them!

Preferences and annotations

Eclipse IDE houses all visual customization settings under Preferences. Here you can modify the color and style of different parts of your code, with Annotations being the critical section.

Instances of Highlighting

Occurrences and Write Occurrences are parts of annotation types that deal with the instances of the selected method or variable. You can adjust the colors of these instances to enhance readability.

// Eclipse says: Go ahead, paint me with your favorite colors!

The art of choosing colors

Deciding on colors isn't just an aesthetic choice. You need to weigh in on the contrast and legibility. Maintain a balance between visibility and comfort, especially when having lengthy coding sessions. It's the coder's Eye-Q!

// Remember: Your eyes are an important coding tool, take care of them!

Enhanced customization

Universal application

Maintaining a consistent color scheme across your IDE is an excellent practice. Eclipse's Themes sections allow a more centralized change approach, including your altered highlights.

Other development environments

There's a chance you might be using other IDEs, like Titanium Studio. Keep in mind, the route to tweak highlight colors might differ there. This is what we meant when we said, perseverance is the key!

// IDEs are like humans. Each one of them is unique in its own way!

Reset to defaults

Ever got frustrated with color changing and wanted to go back to basics? No worries! With Eclipse’s Java Editor Preferences, hitting revert is just a couple of clicks away.

// Eclipse says: It's okay to make mistakes. I've got your back!