STS 4.29.0, 4.29.1 losts focus and opens external browser when I try to see context help

[Gorky1975]

Describe the bug
STS 4.29.0 and 4.29.1 instead of show help in context window, opens external browser with empty temp file.
STS 4.28.1 works well and show context help inside Eclipse.

To Reproduce
SpringToolsSuite v4.28.1
Ctrl+Space opens context help with (for example) list of methods etc. And next to this window opens another window with some help.
It is OK.
See attached animated GIF.

SpringToolsSuite v4.29.1
Ctrl+Space opens context help with (for example) list of methods etc. And next to this window SHOULD opens another window with some help. BUT opens external browser with empty page. STS losts focus, and I have to go back to Eclipse.
It is NOT OK and make me cry.
See attached animated GIF.

See attached animated GIFs:

[ilopezv]

same problem happends with version 4.30.0

[BoykoAlex]

I'm not seeing anything like that on Windows 10 (I've assumed you're seeing this on Win). Can you try vanilla Eclipse for Java Developers? Same completion proposals scenario should have less proposals but the problematic proposal from the animated gif above should be there for the same file. The doc control is the same for completion proposal items... I'd be surprised if you won't get the issue with plain Eclipse...

[martinlippert]

Maybe this is related to the Eclipse platform using Edge as the default internal browser since Eclipse 2025-03. There are a few hints how to switch this back to the old implementation here: https://eclipse.dev/eclipse/news/news.html?file=4.35/platform.html - look out for the section "Edge as Default Browser on Windows". Maybe adding -Dorg.eclipse.swt.browser.DefaultType=IE to the end of the SpringToolSuite4.ini file helps. But this is just guessing.

[ilopezv]

I confirm that putting -Dorg.eclipse.swt.browser.DefaultType=IE at SpringToolSuite4.ini solves the problem

And yes, the problem appeared at Windows 10, i will try at Windows 11 later

[martinlippert]

Thanks a lot @ilopezv for letting us know that the workaround solves the issue. I will report this back to eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.swt#1466, so would be great if you could join the discussion over there as well in order to provide further input, if needed. Closing this item here.

[martinlippert]

Thanks a lot @ilopezv !

[fedejeanne]

I bet it has something to do with the "modal" popups not working properly on Edge in 2025-03. If that's the case, it should have been fixed already: eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform#1807

[sratz]

I think this is eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.swt#1912 (fixed with eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.swt#1920)

[martinlippert]

Thanks a lot @sratz for the update on this, very much appreciated. I guess the fix will show up in 2025-06 M2, right? In that case, we will have that in our nightly Spring Tools builds after May 5 (2025), I think. You can find the snapshot builds at https://cdn.spring.io/spring-tools/snapshot/STS4/nightly-distributions.html

[sratz]

Thanks a lot @sratz for the update on this, very much appreciated. I guess the fix will show up in 2025-06 M2, right? In that case, we will have that in our nightly Spring Tools builds after May 5 (2025), I think. You can find the snapshot builds at https://cdn.spring.io/spring-tools/snapshot/STS4/nightly-distributions.html

Actually this should already be part of 2025-06 M1.

@Gorky1975 : Can you check whether the issue is fixed with

Spring Tools for Eclipse 4.31 - based on Eclipse 2025-06 Milstone Builds (4.36.0)

from https://cdn.spring.io/spring-tools/snapshot/STS4/nightly-distributions.html?

[Gorky1975]

Hi!

4.31.0 (just install) - lost focus again - NOT OK.
See attached 20250510_221004.gif

4.31.0 (after edit SpringToolSuite4.ini, add "-Dorg.eclipse.swt.browser.DefaultType=IE" and restart "SpringToolSuite4.exe") - works OK.
See attached 20250510_221440.gif

Thanx a lot to @martinlippert, @ilopezv !

[martinlippert]

@Gorky1975 Can you tell us the exact version of the plugins starting with org.eclipse.swt from the 4.31.0 based install?