Nateclipse

This project improves your Java coding experience when using Eclipse and the fantastic Pi coding harness.

Isn't Eclipse ancient? Yes, but it has an amazing compiler. It does real incremental compilation so the bytecode is ready as soon as a file is changed. Even files with errors can be compiled, as much as possible. It really is goddamned excellent and Nateclipse lets it pair perfectly with Pi.

Pi gives you a prompt to talk to any LLM and gives the LLM tools to do work. With Pi it's as good as it gets: just you, your prompts, and the model. Unlike Claude Code or Codex, there's no long system prompt filled with garbage or janky extra features.

Nateclipse gives Pi tools so the LLM can talk to Eclipse instead of blundering around with grep. Giving IDE tools to the coding agent is obviously great and the rest of the provided Pi extensions further improve the experience.

Installation

Get the JAR from the latest release, put it in your Eclipse/dropins folder, and restart Eclipse.

Then to install the Pi extensions:

pi install git:github.com/EsotericSoftware/Nateclipse

The java_* Pi tools require Eclipse to be running with the Nateclipse plugin loaded. The rest of the provided Pi extensions are optional and don't need Eclipse. They are handy for all Pi usage.

JDT API

The Nateclipse Eclipse plugin exposes JDT functionality over HTTP so Pi (or other tools) can use it. It also unfucks tabs and completion sorting, see below.

Eclipse already has all your Java projects, builds incrementally in the background, and keeps an extensive symbol database. This plugin lets your LLM efficiently explore the codebase, organize imports, check compilation succeeds, and more. It also provides entire the classpath of an Eclipse project, with all dependencies, allowing the agent to run code in your projects.

Pi extensions

nateclipse.ts

This extension gives the LLM access to the JDT API. Semantic understanding of Java source makes code spelunking efficient. Tools reference types by name or wildcard rather than file path, so agents don't waste tokens guessing at source locations across many projects.

Tools provided:

• java_grep Grep source files of Java types matched by name or pattern. and results show the enclosing method/type.
• java_members Show fields and methods of a Java type and inherited members.
• java_type Show a Java type's source by name or wildcard pattern. Lists results if multiple are found.
• java_method Show the source code of a Java method, without over/under reading. Also includes source for super calls to reduce turns.
• java_organize_imports Automatically add/remove Java imports, with conflict resolution. If there is only 1 conflict it is resolved automatically, without using an extra turn.
• java_errors Report Java compilation errors and warnings. Eclipse builds in the background, so this is very fast.
• java_references Show all references to a Java type, method, or field.
• java_hierarchy Show subtypes/implementors, supertypes, or full class hierarchy.
• java_callers Show all callers of a Java method.
• java_classpath Provides the classpath for a Java project and all dependencies, so main classes can be run in the project.

Also, at the Pi prompt press ctrl+space to complete type names, just like in Eclipse (camelCase, *, etc). Name. completes static members and nested types. Name# completes instance members, including inherited. Bindctrl+space to \u001b[32;5u if your terminal eats \u0000 (as Windows Terminal does).

filter.ts

This extension collapses agent turns once they are complete, greatly reducing session history noise. ctrl+F to toggle, for when you actually need to read that junk.

usage.ts

This extension shows Codex or Claude 7 day and 5 hour usage: a percentage for usage remaining and the amount of time until usage is refreshed. Shares across Pi instances so you aren't hammering the remote service.

edit.ts

This extension improves the edit tool by providing context when edits fail:

• When there are no matches, returns a fuzzy match for context to save a turn.
• When edits fail due to multiple occurrences, returns minimal unique context to save a turn.
• Prefixes No edits made. when edits fail to make it clear.

grep.ts

This extension provides a grep tool. It gives nicer output than making the agent use bash grep, provides hints for recovery when there are no matches, and ignores .git and other folders. Agent usage matches bash grep, unlike Pi's grep tool (disabled by default) that has its own parameters.

image-pruner.ts

This extension prunes old image blocks from the LLM request context. If the agent reads 5+ images, this prevents your context from filling up too quickly.

retry.ts

This extension automatically retries if the agent fails with a retryable error not covered by pi's built-in retry. Also adds /retry or pressing enter on an empty editor to retry the last prompt.

read.ts

This extension delegates to Pi's read tool, so it provides the exact same functionality, but it renders using styling consistent with all other Nateclipse tools. With filter.ts you'll rarely look at it anyway.

Completion sorting

Eclipse seems to sort completions semi-randomly by default. This plugin makes it smarter by tracking your most recently used types and projects. Types defined in the same file and project are preferred, and lots of other reasonable logic. The types you are likely to choose appear higher in the list, a real modern technological marvel.

The Open Type dialog also gets similar improvements, with slightly different rules that make sense there.

Tabs

Better tabs:

• Removes the .java suffix so tabs are narrower.
• Removes the close button so tabs are narrower.
• Increases the number of characters for a tab to be truncated with a ellipsis to 100 so tabs are wider, but you can actually tell them apart.

Before:

After: