In Java world I always press F3 if I want to jump into a method or class, variable… anything really.
I am now working on a Javascript project and I am finding the F3 (Open Decleration) extremely limiting in Eclipse and in Aptana. Its actually almost non-existent, working only for declared variables in methods.
Our project has grown to about 50 Javascript files (~60 Javascript “objects”), and things are becoming almost unmanagable because of situations like this :
this.url = Util.buildURLFor(URLs.ticketPrefillData);
The Util object is in a file called Toolbox, and the URLs object is in a file called URLManager. The question is, how is anyone supposed to know that it is in the Toolbox file? And why can’t the IDE pick out all the objects in all the files, so the F3 knows where to go.
As the javascript files grow it is becoming unmanageable (in an agile project this can be fatal) and we are thinking of switching back to Java in the form of Vaadin or ZK, unless we can find a decent intelligent IDE for code navigation.
In Summary, I need a JS IDE which can do this :
I have a method in file A which calls a method on class B1 which is in file B. It seems like no IDE i have come across can make that association.
Check out WebStorm by JetBrains. I haven’t used it but have heard great things about it. It supports code navigation, and judging by ReSharper, JetBrains are really good at it.
Currently, I use Visual Studio 2012, which has great (enough, for me) navigation when you add references to your used javascript files. So in file A, when you use code in file B, you would just add this to the top of your file:
From now, you have Intellisense and code navigation. (VS2010 has similar features but isn’t as powerful, if I recall correctly)
(your question is however kind of subjective, so might get closed/flagged; try to avoid asking questions where you ask people what they use/prefer; see the FAQ for more info)