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My delete key isn't working in Eclipse in OS X. However, Shift-Delete deletes.

Delete works elsewhere, so a setting must have been unwittingly changed. Any idea what it is or how to fix it?

Restarting Eclipse didn't help.

Eric Wilson
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    Similar to http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5263921/really-weird-eclipse-keyboard-problem-bug/5585512 – Gray Apr 07 '11 at 18:22

9 Answers9

17

Check your key mapping for delete and cut commands:

cut and delete key mapping preferences

Maybe the delete key has been re-affected.

VonC
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    Strange. The binding was displayed correctly, but the problem disappeared when I unbound and restored the delete command. Thanks much. – Eric Wilson Mar 29 '10 at 17:51
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    Thanks, this worked for me too. Note to anyone else who may come across this: I had to restart Eclipse for it to take effect. – Wade Mueller Mar 08 '11 at 23:40
  • Solved this problem on OS X by putting the computer in sleep mode and then waking it up. everything was back to normal. It's an eclipse bug. – JoeLallouz Nov 02 '12 at 16:01
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I'm on a mac and this is a trip. None of the answers are working for me. I tried everything suggested here :(

I was about to reinstall eclipse and decided to see if a restart would help. I logged off...

 | Log out [user]

and then logged back on and I got control of my arrows and delete key again.

!!! UPDATE !!! If I close one program in the doc I get it all back.

This generally happens to me when Firefox Crashes

Matt Fenwick
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Shanimal
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  • Similar thing for me. I'm also on a Mac, and this has been happening to me occasionally for at least 1.5 years. Eclipse Indigo and Juno are definitely affected, not sure anymore about Helios. Happened on Snow Leopard, Lion, and Mountain Lion. The only workaround I've found so far is to restart Eclipse. – Piotr99 Sep 07 '12 at 09:26
  • I figured it out. When Firefox crashes I lose many keys, delete, escape, arrows, etc... I figured out that if I close one program on the doc I get everything back. Choose a program... Doesn't matter. – Shanimal Sep 07 '12 at 18:00
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    Strange! It happened to me as well. Firefox crashed. Delete key stopped working. Closed a program (picked a random one) and tested and Delete key started working again! BAM! – 1.21 gigawatts Feb 04 '13 at 21:13
  • @1.21gigawatts I added this as another answer since it appears to be relevant. ;) thanks. – Shanimal Feb 06 '13 at 15:18
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    lol that's madness. Happened to me too, and the fix worked. "Oh your eclipse bugged out.. simple, it's because your browser crashed and the fix is to close any other unrelated program". Awesome. – Jason Polites Mar 08 '13 at 19:35
  • @Jason you're cracking me up :D – Shanimal Dec 24 '13 at 06:43
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I have this problem with Helios too sometimes. It seems like it has to do with changing focus to another app and when i return, the arrow keys and delete don't work. If you also have problems with the arrow keys, the solution is to change the

Preferences | General | Keys | Scheme

I just change it to something and change it back and it solves the issue.

nix
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STRANGE SOLUTION WORKS! Recover by randomly closing one program in the Mac dock

Pick any program in the dock and close it. This usually happens to me when Firefox crashes, but it might work for you as well.

Added this as an alternative answer because it appears to be relevant —Shanimal

Shanimal
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2

None of these answers help me. It works after following actions:

  • Go to Preference > General > Keys > Delete
  • Clear Binding text field
  • Assign Tab to Binding text field, then click OK (it works as press tab to delete files)
  • Go back Preference > General > Keys > Delete
  • Clear Binding text field
  • Assign "Delete" to Binding text field, then click OK

That's all.

Bao Le
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This was a known bug in previous (non-Helios -- 3.6) versions of Eclipse. Apparently, the bug was addressed in Helios:

https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=283415

Huuuze
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Hi Fn key and delete works for me.

What I did I clear the binding and Apply Then I again set the binding and Apply. Then Restart the Eclipse.

0

I just had the same problem too. Got the delete key to work again by right clicking one of the tabs I had open in eclipse and clicking "Close All"

Somehow that worked.

Someone mentioned it generally happens after firefox crashes, oddly enough that did happen after my firefox crashed.

Hope this helps someone.

Khon Lieu
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0

The same problem here using Mac OSX 10.7.5 and Eclipse 4.2.2 loosing DEL Key, Save Shortcut (and maybe others)

Solution for me is to click into another file-editor window and back into the one i was editing.

Christian Scholz
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