Editing Autocomplete (section)

=== In source code editors ===
{{Main|Code completion}}
[[File:Qt Creator 5.0-Autocomplete.png|thumb|Code completion in [[Qt Creator]] 5.0: The programmer types some code, and when the software detects a recognizable string such as a variable identifier or class name it presents a menu to the programmer which contains the complete name of the identified variable or the methods applicable to the detected class, and the programmer makes a choice with her or his mouse or with the keyboard arrow keys. If the programmer continues typing without making a choice, then the menu disappears]]
Autocompletion of source code is also known as '''code completion'''. In a [[source code editor]], autocomplete is greatly simplified by the regular structure of the [[programming language]]. There are usually only a limited number of words meaningful in the current context or [[namespace]], such as names of variables and functions. An example of code completion is [[Microsoft]]'s [[IntelliSense]] design. It involves showing a pop-up list of possible completions for the current input prefix to allow the user to choose the right one. This is particularly useful in [[object-oriented programming]] because often the programmer will not know exactly what [[member variable|members]] a particular [[class (computer science)|class]] has. Therefore, autocomplete then serves as a form of convenient [[Software documentation#Technical documentation|documentation]] as well as an input method.

Another beneficial feature of autocomplete for source code is that it encourages the programmer to use longer, more descriptive variable names, hence making the [[source code]] more readable. Typing large words which may contain [[camel case]] like <code>numberOfWordsPerParagraph</code> can be difficult, but autocomplete allows a programmer to complete typing the word using a fraction of the keystrokes.