Visual Studio's keybindings for Eclipse

Does anybody have a keybinding scheme similar to VS 2005 available for Eclipse?

How to import it into preferences of Eclipse (I see only export button).


How to Install Visual Studio Key Bindings in Eclipse (Helios onwards)

For anyone finding this post, if you need step by step instructions and you're using Eclipse Indigo PDT , the following should help you:

(Note: you will be prompted to restart Eclipse after installing)

  1. Start Eclipse
  2. Click Help -> Install New Software
  3. In the Work with box select or type your version of Eclipse, e.g.:
    • for Neon (4.6)
    • for Mars (4.5)
    • for Luna (4.4)
    • for Kepler (4.3)
    • for Juno (4.2)
    • for Indigo (3.7)
    • for Helios (3.6)
  4. Make sure the 'type filter text' box is blank.
  5. Wait for a list of names and versions to appear
  6. Scroll down to find Programming Languages, and expand it
  7. Locate C/C++ Development Tools and check the box
  8. Click Next and follow the remaining instructions on screen.

After finishing the install and restarting Eclipse...

  1. Click Window -> Preferences
  2. Expand General
  3. Click Keys
  4. Change the Scheme drop down to Microsoft Visual Studio
  5. Click OK

To confirm the update, try pressing CTRL + SHIFT + F and the 'Search' dialogue box should appear.


I think the latest Eclipse ships with Visual Studio bindings but at least the Eclipse PDT doesn't (which I just installed). And I would prefer to not have lots of extra plug-ins in Eclipse to keep it more "slim", so I didn't add the C++ plug-in. (maybe it doesn't affect performance but I really need only the keys...)

So anyway, I added the keys which I needed. As previous posters noted, when you "Export" in the key customization there is no way to import them, so the separate File->Export/Import functionality is the way to go.

So, as summary:

  1. Try add to Eclipse C++ plugin and see if it ships with key bindings that work for you

  2. Use mine key bindings, key list and download here install: unzip, use File->Import->General... to get it to Eclipse

It's far from complete of course (it's only keys which I missed to get started...), but better than nothing anyway.

Update (2009-10-16): Added Ctrl + G (go-to-line) to the bindings.


To get the Visual Studio key bindings in Eclipse you need to install the C++ development plugins - see this.

I downloaded the latest Java development version of Eclipse (version below), when to Help -> Software Updates -> Available Software -> Ganymede and ticked the C++ box. After a restart the Visual Studio key binding appeared in the list.

Eclipse Platform

Version: 3.4.1
Build id: M20080911-1700

I don't have a VS2005 keybinding scheme as I personally prefer a Brief-style scheme.

However, to import "it", as far as I know (at least on Eclipse 3.4 Ganymede) use File -> Import -> General -> Preferences where "it" is a .prf file which has been saved out using File -> Export -> General -> Preferences.