How can I get word wrap to work in Eclipse PDT for PHP files?

Question

Programming PHP in Eclipse PDT is predominately a joy: code completion, templates, method jumping, etc.

However, one thing that drives me crazy is that I can't get my lines in PHP files to word wrap so on long lines I'm typing out indefinitely to the right.

I click on Windows|Preferences and type in "wrap" and get:

- Java | Code Style | Formatter
- Java | Editor | Typing
- Web and XML | CSS Files | Source

I've tried changing the "wrap automatically" that I found there and the "Line width" to 72 but they had no effect.

How can I get word wrap to work in Eclipse PDT for PHP files?

Answer 1

This has really been one of the most desired features in Eclipse. It's not just missing in PHP files-- it's missing in the IDE. Fortunately, from Google Summer of Code, we get this plug-in Eclipse Word-Wrap

To install it, add the following update site in Eclipse:

AhtiK Eclipse WordWrap 0.0.5 Update Site

Answer 2

Eclipse Word-Wrap Plug-In by Florian Weßling works well in Eclispe PDT (3.0.2).

Installation and update sites

It is recommended to restart Eclipse with -clean option immediately after installation.

Eclipse Indigo 3.7: http://dev.cdhq.de/eclipse/updatesite/indigo/
Eclipse Juno 4.2: http://dev.cdhq.de/eclipse/updatesite/juno/
Eclipse Kepler 4.3: http://dev.cdhq.de/eclipse/updatesite/kepler/
Eclipse Luna 4.4: http://dev.cdhq.de/eclipse/updatesite/luna/
Eclipse Mars 4.5: http://dev.cdhq.de/eclipse/updatesite/mars/
Eclipse Neon 4.6: Plugin not necessary.* Just press Alt-Shift-Y :)

^{* See KrisWebDev's answer for more details and how to make word wrap permanent.}

Usage

After the installation of the plugin:

• Context menu: Right click > Toggle Word Wrap
• Menu bar: Edit > Toggle Word Wrap
• Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl-Alt-E
• Also you may: Edit > Activate Word Wrap in all open Editors

There is no dedicated indicator for the current status of the word wrap setting, but you can check the horizontal scroll bar in the Editor.

• Horizontal scroll bar is visible: Word wrap is disabled.
• Horizontal scroll bar is absent: Word wrap is enabled.

Answer 3

Finally something that works in 2016 with native support!

You want the latest and newer NEON version of Eclipse since Bug 35779 is finally patched:

• Use the Eclipse installer
• Click on the top right "menu" icon and choose ADVANCED MODE
• Select Eclipse IDE for PHP Developers with Product Version: Latest
• Next ... Next, Finish

Now you can toogle wordwrap manually using Alt+Shift+Y for EACH file! Boring!

So if you're lucky, there's supposed to be a nice global setting lost in Window > Preferences > General > Editors > Text Editors > Enable Wordwrap but no, that's a trap, there's no GUI setting! At least at the time of writing.

So I've found the hard way to set it globally (by default):

1. Close Eclipse

2. Find org.eclipse.ui.editors.prefs Eclipse settings file:

   find ~ -name org.eclipse.ui.editors.prefs -printf "%p %TY-%Tm-%Td %TH:%TM:%TS\n"

If you're on a platform like macOS where the above command doesn't work, you can find the settings file in your current workspace folder under .metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.core.runtime/.settings/org.eclipse.ui.editors.prefs.

3. Add:

   wordwrap.enabled=true

Answer 4

It's a known enhancement request. Bug 35779