Content Assist (Ctrl + Space) Is Not Working – Eclipse

Problem

Content Assist (Ctrl + Space) is not working in my Eclipse IDE version 3.3. I have two Eclipse IDE installed, both in my laptop and personal desktop computer. However my laptop Eclipse 3.3’s content assist feature is working perfectly, but not my personal desktop computer. Every time, when i pressed on the Ctrl + Space combination keys, Eclipse just show me nothing…it’s drive me crazy. How can such a killer feature is disabled in my Eclipse IDE !!!?

I start Googling online, this problem is happened since Eclipse IDE version 3.2, many people suffer and many solutions come out to quick fix on it. Sadly, there is no final solution for it, some may work and some may not.

Solution

Here i summarized few solutions that may fix it.

1. New Project WorkSpace

Create a totally new workspace and import your existing project. Remember check “Copy projects into workspace” to copy all your existing work to new workspace.

2. Content Assist Configuration

Configure Eclipse’s content assist, go “Preferences>Java>Editor>Content Assist>Advanced“. Make sure “Other Java Proposals” is ticked

3. No Hijacked

Make sure (Ctrl + Space) combination key is not hijacked by other application. For examples, My desktop computer (Ctrl + Space) combination key is hijacked by my Windows text input feature. I enabled it for Chinese and English language, one of the text input combination key is using (Ctrl + Space), so, conflict happened.

3. Regional and Language Options

Make sure “regional and language options” is in English language. For example, Windows, Control panel –> Region and language options –> Advance tab –> Language for non-unicode program –> Make sure English (United States) is selected, others may not work, no idea why like this, but it worked.

116 comments on “Content Assist (Ctrl + Space) Is Not Working – Eclipse

  1. just goto content assist > favourite and add the java.io.PrintStream . and apply this

    Reply
  2. I chose the second method and it worked, thanks a lot!

    Reply
  3. it’s already ticked but it’s not coming up for me in TestNG.xml while using <parameter> tag.

    Reply
  4. Thanks it helps .
    “Preferences>Java>Editor>Content Assist>Advanced“. Make sure “Java Proposals” is ticked

    Reply
  5. Thanks it helps .
    “Preferences>Java>Editor>Content Assist>Advanced“. Make sure “Other Java Proposals” is ticked

    Reply
  6. Hi I am using the eclipse Java Photon . i don’t have that option “Other Proposal” Can you please help me .

    Reply
  7. sir i run soap api on google ,it run but in baidu it is not run

    Reply
  8. “Follow him on Twitter, or befriend him on Facebook or Google Plus.”

    Can you change it to “Follow me…” this statement alone is in third person context 🙂

    Reply
  9. on linux machine check ibus settings – you can use dconf-editor and search for ibus->general->hotkey

    Reply
  10. Thanks it’s working fine – “Preferences>Java>Editor>Content Assist>Advanced“. Make sure “Other Java Proposals” is ticked

    Reply
  11. Thanks finally solution 2 fixed my issue 🙂

    Reply
  12. Thank you for your good solutions (as always). I also had a problem with referenced Maven Project. Types from the referenced project were missing. I just closed and opened this project 🙂

    Reply
  13. Thanks, this fix is still working for Eclipse SDK:

    – Window > Preferences > Java > Editor > Avanced

    – I set ticked the following (I’m not sure which one did the trick):

    >> Java Non-Type Proposals

    >> Java Proposals

    >> Java Type Proposals

    Reply
  14. 2. Content Assist Configuration ..works perfectly …Thanks man cheers 🙂

    Reply
  15. Thank you very much! I just have same problem with you.

    Reply
  16. Thanks……………..it is predicting now.

    Reply
  17. Thanks a lot. The “Content Assist Configuration” worked for me.

    Reply
  18. Thanks guy, the first solution worked for me =)

    Reply
  19. You are outstanding!!!!it really helped me!!

    Reply
  20. Thanks a lot for providing individuals with remarkably memorable possiblity to read articles and blog posts from here. It’s usually so enjoyable and stuffed with fun for me and my office friends to search your blog at the least 3 times a week to find out the newest things you have got. And definitely, I’m at all times satisfied for the perfect hints you serve. Selected 3 facts in this article are completely the most efficient we have ever had.

    Reply
  21. Thanks for this!
    I was having a similar problem, and it would give me these cryptic errors that Google knew nothing about. Fixed it by resetting my Content Assist > Advanced stuff to default and restarting Eclipse 🙂

    Reply
  22. I did a fresh install of juno “classic sdk” and was working on a workspace I had created previously with juno “Java EE” and my content assist was not working. I found that going into the java -> editor -> content assist -> advanced as noted and then checking one, saving, then going back in and restoring defaults was all that was needed.

    Long story short, just bumping the config to something else and back to defaults seemed to fix mine. I really didn’t need the “java non type” clicked at all in the end.

    Wayne

    Reply
  23. Thank you…..so much…..!!!
    Suggestion no. 2 worked for me….:)

    Reply
  24. I can’t just make a new workspace because it’s over a full day’s worth of work.

    My ctrl-space is not working for JSF XHTML files. My laptop broke. It was fine on my old laptop, but it’s not working on the new laptop. This is making it so I can’t do my job… It’s a complex system and autocomplete is really required here! :/

    Reply
  25. Thank you for such a useful and timely advise (I was fed up with Content Assist stumbling every 30-40 lines of code in Eclipse-based Spring Tool Suite)!
    In addition I found that going this way: Window->Preferences->Java->Editor->Content Assist->Insertion (Completion inserts / Completion owerwrites) ‘Press ‘Ctrl’ to toggle while content assist is active’ I can do the same choice as in Intellij IDEA while choosing whether to inserts or overwrite while editing my code (I can press either Enter OR Ctrl-Enter and voila!)

    Reply
  26. My JRE System Library was “unbound”. I set the path and everything works now!

    Reply
  27. I removed all the other languages and have just the english US in the settings
    still when i do ctrl+space the language bar moves to chinese and on second time i do ctrl +space i get the content assist 🙁

    Reply
  28. mkong the other thing i am noticing is that every time i do ctrl+space my language bar move to chinese all time i dont know what to do with this

    Reply
      1. Its working thanks i deleted all the other languages and kept just the english US

        Reply
  29. i am using Eclipse Java EE IDE for Web Developers.Version: Indigo Service Release 2 Build id: 20120216-1857 my content assist does not work i tried all that is mentioned first thing it does not have other java proposals listed in the prefrences i am using a latitude dell laptop on windows 7 please help

    Reply
  30. My problem was the email was changed. Restoring the language to English (from language bar) solved the problem.

    Reply
  31. We just had a hard to find issue with CTRL-Space: Content Assist worked on e. g. String or something from java.util, but not from a few specific packages that were our own. Content Assist was only showing the inherited methods of java.lang.Object.

    Solution:
    Somehow a “type filter” was set, via Preferences->Java->Appearance->Type Filters. Sometimes these get set (and promptly forgotten) when you are overwhelmed by the number of classes that CTRL-SHIFT-T (“Open Type”) gives you.

    This guy had the same problem:
    http://www.eclipse.org/forums/index.php?t=msg&th=80401/

    Reply
    1. Thanks a ton! This was exactly my issue. I struggled with the content assist settings for hours before finding this suggestion.

      Reply
    2. Hey I’m using oracle enterprise pack for eclipse so there I am unable to use CTRL + Space.
      please whatever solution you are providing, explain it deeply because I’m still not getting.

      Thanks
      Mayur

      Reply
  32. Thanks a lot… solution 2 worked for me in RAD 7.0.0.6…

    Reply
  33. the whole thing is about “content assist”, may not need so much uttering. search “keys” in “preferences”, and search “content assist” in “keys” would just do the job.

    Reply
    1. give my way a try. search “easoncxz” on this page to find it. the way allows you to be sure by your own examination.

      Reply
  34. In my case it was point 2)

    Thank you and have a good day…

    Reply
  35. Thanks! Windows Language Program was hijakcing and creating problems

    Reply
  36. Thanks, I came here for JavaScript content assist. after following your steps its worked for me in JavaScript – jQuery.

    Thanks again.

    Reply
  37. If your project is configured as Maven project, Maven -> Update Project Configuration may also help. It helped for me on Eclipse Indigo.

    Reply
  38. Ctrl + space was hijacked here cause of the program ‘maConfort’ running the back.

    Fixed now, thanks for the help.

    Reply
  39. I am using Eclipse 3.7.1(Indigo) and I want to say 2-nd proposal was very helpful for me.
    thanks!!!!!

    Reply
    1. thanks dude u comment was very useful in finding the fix for my problem again in Indigo

      Reply
  40. I downloaded Indigo & my content assist was not working, your second option helped me. thanks for the help & sparing your time to share with us.

    Reply
    1. I cannot see “Other Java Proposals” in “Preferences>Java>Editor>Content Assist>Advanced”. Can any body help me with that ?

      Reply
  41. I just upgraded to Java 3.7 (Indigo) & my content assist kinda broke. But after applying your – ‘Content Assist Configuration’ suggestion it was brought back to life.

    Thanks a ton!

    Reply
    1. Same here. It had been troubling me for days.

      I knew it was something to do with preferences so I kept clearing out my workspace and reimporting my preferences. But now I know that it was just that eclipse was forgetting to include java proposals in the content assist…

      Kinda wacky, but at least I know how to fix it now.

      Thanks mkyong.

      Reply
  42. Check the lib of your project. It may be that you have include two such jar files in which same class is available or say one class in code can be refrenced in two jar files. In such case also eclipse stops assisting code as it is totally confused.

    Better way to check this is go to the file where assist is not working and comment all imports there, than add imports one by one and check at each import if code-assist is working or not.You can easily find the class with duplicate refrences.

    Reply
    1. It worked, You really rock Mona….Really you thrown some light in to my eclipse editor..jars including the same class files , Eclipse stops assisting.

      Reply
  43. Thanks man,
    Control Panel-> Language settings worked for me.
    Thanks

    Reply
  44. My content assists used to work fine, but some reason it broke.
    This worked for me.
    Close all the project from navigator
    and close the eclipse.
    after few mins open the eclipse, then open the first project which does not have any
    dependency on any other project, then next one, which depend on the first and so on.

    Reply
  45. Thanks!

    The first solution fixed the problem. This works for other versions of Eclipse( newer versions), but the menus are a bit changed.

    Reply
  46. The 3rd solution saved me,
    I had installed MSN plug in called messenger plus and it used ctrl+space to lock the messenger. so i unchecked that feature and now eclipse works again.

    Thanks for the tip!

    Reply
  47. Thanks checking “Other Java Proposals” enabled the Content assist for me.

    Reply
    1. Ya.. many programs are using the content + space key :), sound it’s a popular combination ~

      Reply
  48. How to use code assist in views (MVC) when code assist don’t list variables defined in another file? Does exist a comment tag, that do “force insert into code assist list” ? Thanks.

    Reply
  49. Thanks, solution 2 worked perfectly. You saved many hours of pain 🙂

    Reply
  50. Thnx mate…

    2) Go Preferences>Java>Editor>Content Assist>Advanced

    P.S Make sure “Other Java Proposals” is ticked

    worked for me … u saved my life …

    Reply
  51. thx it works. i checked everything in
    Preferences/Java/Editor/Content Assist/Advanced
    and the problem is fixed 🙂

    Reply
  52. Java content assist inside jsp pages does not work in eclipse.
    I am using :

    Eclipse Java EE IDE for Web Developers.
    Build id: 20090621-0832

    This used to work properly when I was using the older eclipse 3.1.1

    Can anyone help?
    Thanks.

    Reply
  53. If you use MSN plus, it uses the ctrl+space for blocking the Messenger itself. In preferences and options, go to Messenger, Block Messenger, and disable block messenger. This will allow you to use ctrl+space for the content assist at your Eclipse programm

    Reply
  54. Sometimes it doesnt work because the regional langauge settings is not English(US)

    Reply

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