Java Language JShell Editting Snippets

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Example

The basic unit of code used by JShell is the snippet, or source entry. Every time you declare a local variable or define a local method or class, you create a snippet whose name is the identifier of the variable/method/class. At any time, you can edit a snippet you have created with the /edit command. For example, let's say I have created the class Foo with a single, method, bar:

jshell> class Foo {
   ...> void bar() {
   ...> }
   ...> }

Now, I want to fill in the body of my method. Rather than rewrite the entire class, I can edit it:

jshell> /edit Foo

By default, a swing editor will pop up with the most basic features possible. However you can change the editor that JShell uses:

jshell> /set editor emacs
jshell> /set editor vi
jshell> /set editor nano
jshell> /set editor -default

Note that if the new version of the snippet contains any syntax errors, it may not be saved. Likewise, a snippet is only created if the original declaration/definition is syntactically correct; the following does not work:

jshell> String st = String 3
//error omitted
jshell> /edit st
|  No such snippet: st

However, snippets may be compiled and hence editable despite certain compile-time errors, such as mismatched types—the following works:

jshell> int i = "hello"
//error omitted
jshell> /edit i

Finally, snippets may be deleted using the /drop command:

jshell> int i = 13
jshell> /drop i
jshell> System.out.println(i)
|  Error:
|  cannot find symbol
|    symbol:   variable i
|  System.out.println(i)
|

To delete all snippets, thereby reseting the state of the JVM, use \reset:

jshell> int i = 2

jshell> String s = "hi"

jshell> /reset
|  Resetting state.

jshell> i
|  Error:
|  cannot find symbol
|    symbol:   variable i
|  i
|  ^

jshell> s
|  Error:
|  cannot find symbol
|    symbol:   variable s
|  s
|  ^


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