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How can I install the CSS Spy in 2025 or how can I otherwise easily inspect the effective CSS?

Context: After skipping several versions, I just installed successfully the 2025-03 Eclipse bundle and somehow got the most important plugins installed and migrated my workspace. However, I also have some custom styling, which seemingly needs some minor tweaks. In the past, you could use the "CSS Spy". There used to be a menu entry in the "Windows" menu (something with "Spy"), and there was a keybinding ALT-SHIFT F5 to open the inspector view. I know that this was related to the "E4 tools project", but I'm unable to find any Update-Site, or any helpful information. Search engines turn up obsolete information or lead to archived projects. The Eclipse Market Place offers only some installation that is no longer compatible.

How can I find out where this functionality has moved? Or is there something similar available to just inspect the effective CSS today?

How can I install the CSS Spy in 2025 or how can I otherwise easily inspect the effective CSS?

Context: After skipping several versions, I just installed successfully the 2025-03 Eclipse bundle and somehow got the most important plugins installed and migrated my workspace. However, I also have some custom styling, which seemingly needs some minor tweaks. In the past, you could use the "CSS Spy". There used to be a menu entry in the "Windows" menu (something with "Spy"), and there was a keybinding ALT-SHIFT F5 to open the inspector view. I know that this was related to the "E4 tools project", but I'm unable to find any Update-Site, or any helpful information. Search engines turn up obsolete information or lead to archived projects. The Eclipse Market Place offers only some installation that is no longer compatible.

How can I find out where this functionality has moved? Or is there something similar available to just inspect the effective CSS today?

  • eclipse
Share Improve this question asked Mar 14 at 4:12 IchthyoIchthyo 8,3913 gold badges31 silver badges35 bronze badges 5
  • e4 tools should be included as standard, CSS Spy still works for me on 2025-03 as usual – greg-449 Commented Mar 14 at 7:46
  • 1 Check in "Help > About > Installation Details" that "Eclipse e4 Tools" is listed in "Installed Software". If not it should be installable from "Help > Install New Software..." from https://download.eclipse./releases/2025-03 – greg-449 Commented Mar 14 at 7:53
  • As @greg-449 already mentioned it is installed by default. The shortcut should still be the same, but you could also try to look at "Window > Spies > CSS Spy" to check it is installed. – Philipp Commented Mar 14 at 7:58
  • 3 The Eclipse IDE for Eclipse Committers contains the spies: see "Detailed features list" containing .eclipse.pde.spies. Also the Eclipse IDE for RCP and RAP Developers contains the spies, but maybe you installed a different IDE package like the Eclipse IDE for Java Developers without the spies. – howlger Commented Mar 14 at 8:40
  • Many Thanks! Works for me now. Seemingly there were several pitfalls, and I went into every one. Yes, its only in the Plugin developers bundle. And you need to add the Release URL, and it is called "spies" not "spy". – Ichthyo Commented Mar 14 at 23:48
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To summarise (for later referrence)...

A Spy is a diagnostic view in Eclipse to inspect internals of the Eclipse E4 platform, like the application model, injection contexts, preferences, events and actual CSS. Especially the CSS Spy can be used to dynamically select a view component and see the actual styles applied. A CSS fragment can be generated to capture the effective CSS for that element. Properties can be changed dynamically, and there is an associated view, the CSS Scratch Pad to try out new CSS rules immediately.

The Spies were developed as part of the E4 tools project, which at that time (2009) was started to help bootstrap the transition to the new Eclipse-4 platform. This goal was achieved, and thus the E4 tools project is archived and not actively maintained anymore. However, the Spies continue to be very helpful, and for some time, there used to be externally maintained update sites, and even a feature that could be installed from the Market Place. All these are obsolete and should not be installed any more.

Since the 2022-06 Eclipse release, the Spies were factored out and integrated into the Plugin Development Environment (PDE Project). Notably there is a feature .eclipse.pde.spies-feature, allowing to install only the Spies.

Note

  • By default, this feature is only included in the EPP packages for RCP and RAP and plugin development. For the typical developer bundles (e.g. C++), you need to install this feature explicitly
  • Please ensure that you have the update site for the current SimRel added to your software sources (Help > Install new Software > Manage...).
    • For Eclipse 2025-03 this is https://download.eclipse./releases/2025-03
    • It is not sufficient to use only the general »latest SimRel« URL !
  • Then look into the "General Purpose Tools" section or search for "spies" (not "spy" !)... There should be a feature called "Eclipse plug-in development environment spies"
  • After successful installation, there should be a sub-Menu Window>Spies
  • There is a description in the Tips-and-Tricks Section of the »Plugin Development Environment Guide«
  • I found a detailed description in some Slides from Eclipse-Con 2022

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