diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/testprograms/WatchItemContext.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/testprograms/WatchItemContext.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..76b0e86c6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/testprograms/WatchItemContext.java
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*******************************************************************************
+ * Copyright (c) 2026 IBM Corporation.
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials
+ * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
+ * which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
+ * https://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-2.0/
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0
+ *
+ * Contributors:
+ * IBM Corporation - initial API and implementation
+ *******************************************************************************/
+
+/**
+ * WatchItemContext
+ */
+public class WatchItemContext {
+
+ private class X {
+ private int x = 0;
+ }
+
+ private class Y {
+ private X x = new X();
+ private int y = 0;
+ }
+
+ private class Z {
+ private Y y = new Y();
+ private int z = 0;
+ }
+
+ public static void main(String[] args) {
+ new WatchItemContext().foo();
+ }
+
+ public void foo() {
+ X x = new X();
+ Y y = new Y();
+ Z z = new Z();
+ System.out.println(x + " " + y + " " + z);
+ }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/AbstractDebugTest.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/AbstractDebugTest.java
index c700d5afa3..ddcf0d230b 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/AbstractDebugTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/AbstractDebugTest.java
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractDebugTest extends TestCase implements IEvaluation
"OutSync", "OutSync2", "ConsoleOutputUmlaut", "ErrorRecurrence", "ModelPresentationTests", "Bug565982",
"SuspendVMConditionalBreakpointsTestSnippet", "FileConditionSnippet2", "compare.CompareObjectsStringTest", "compare.CompareListObjects",
"compare.CompareMapObjects", "compare.CompareSetObjects", "compare.CompareNormalObjects", "compare.CompareArrayObjects",
- "StatementStep", "StatementStepArgument", "StatementStepNested", "StatementStepWithOperations" };
+ "StatementStep", "StatementStepArgument", "StatementStepNested", "StatementStepWithOperations", "WatchItemContext" };
/**
* the default timeout
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/core/WatchExpressionTests.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/core/WatchExpressionTests.java
index 157b68e435..1d46e01d6c 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/core/WatchExpressionTests.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/core/WatchExpressionTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
/*******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2000, 2015 IBM Corporation and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2000, 2026 IBM Corporation and others.
*
* This program and the accompanying materials
* are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@
*******************************************************************************/
package org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests.core;
+import java.util.List;
+
import org.eclipse.debug.core.DebugEvent;
import org.eclipse.debug.core.DebugPlugin;
import org.eclipse.debug.core.IExpressionManager;
import org.eclipse.debug.core.model.IValue;
+import org.eclipse.debug.core.model.IVariable;
import org.eclipse.debug.core.model.IWatchExpression;
import org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.DebugUIPlugin;
import org.eclipse.debug.ui.IDebugUIConstants;
@@ -27,6 +30,7 @@
import org.eclipse.jdt.debug.testplugin.DebugElementEventWaiter;
import org.eclipse.jdt.debug.testplugin.ExpressionWaiter;
import org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests.AbstractDebugTest;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.heapwalking.JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbench;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPage;
@@ -165,6 +169,32 @@ public void DisabledtestStepping() throws Exception {
}
}
+ public void testExpressionContext() throws Exception {
+ String typeName = "WatchItemContext";
+ createLineBreakpoint(42, typeName);
+ IJavaThread thread = null;
+ try {
+ thread = launchToBreakpoint(typeName);
+ assertNotNull("Breakpoint not hit within timeout period", thread);
+ IJavaStackFrame stackFrame = (IJavaStackFrame) thread.getTopStackFrame();
+ IVariable v1 = stackFrame.findVariable("y");
+ IVariable v2 = v1.getValue().getVariables()[2];
+ JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter javaFilter = new JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter();
+ assertTrue(javaFilter.canCreateWatchExpression(List.of(v1, v2)));
+ String exp = javaFilter.createWatchExpression(List.of(v1, v2));
+ assertEquals("Invalid Expression", "y.y", exp);
+ IWatchExpression expression = getExpressionManager().newWatchExpression(exp);
+ DebugElementEventWaiter waiter = new ExpressionWaiter(DebugEvent.CHANGE, expression);
+ getExpressionManager().addExpression(expression);
+ waiter.waitForEvent();
+ assertEquals("Wrong Value", "0", expression.getValue().toString());
+ } finally {
+ terminateAndRemove(thread);
+ removeAllBreakpoints();
+ removeAllExpressions();
+ }
+ }
+
/**
* Dumps any error messages to the console.
*/
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.ui/ui/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/debug/ui/heapwalking/JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.ui/ui/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/debug/ui/heapwalking/JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d83495c379
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.ui/ui/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/debug/ui/heapwalking/JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter.java
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+/*******************************************************************************
+ * Copyright (c) 2026 IBM Corporation.
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials
+ * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
+ * which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
+ * https://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-2.0/
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0
+ *
+ * Contributors:
+ * IBM Corporation - initial API and implementation
+ *******************************************************************************/
+package org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.heapwalking;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
+import org.eclipse.debug.core.DebugException;
+import org.eclipse.debug.core.model.IVariable;
+import org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.views.variables.IndexedVariablePartition;
+import org.eclipse.debug.ui.actions.IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter2;
+import org.eclipse.debug.ui.actions.IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapterExtension;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.core.logicalstructures.JDIPlaceholderVariable;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.core.model.JDIArrayEntryVariable;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.core.model.JDIPlaceholderValue;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.core.model.JDIReferenceListEntryVariable;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.core.model.JDIReferenceListVariable;
+
+/**
+ * Uses the {@link IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapterExtension} to filter when the watch expression action is available based on the variable selected.
+ *
+ * Currently removes the action from {@link JDIPlaceholderVariable}s and {@link JDIReferenceListVariable}s.
+ */
+public class JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter implements IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter2 {
+
+ @Override
+ public String createWatchExpression(Object element) throws CoreException {
+ if (element instanceof List expVariablesList) {
+ StringBuilder expresion = new StringBuilder();
+ for (Object ob : expVariablesList) {
+ if (ob instanceof IVariable variable) {
+ String current = variable.getName();
+ expresion.append(current);
+ expresion.append('.');
+ }
+ }
+ expresion.deleteCharAt(expresion.length() - 1);
+ return expresion.toString();
+ }
+ return null;
+ }
+
+ @Override
+ public boolean canCreateWatchExpression(Object variable) {
+ if (variable instanceof List expVariablesList) {
+ for (Object ob : expVariablesList) {
+ if (ob instanceof IVariable variable2) {
+ return checkForValidVariable(variable2);
+ }
+ }
+ }
+ return false;
+ }
+
+ /**
+ * Checks whether the given {@link IVariable} is suitable for creating a watch expression.
+ *
+ * Filters out variables that represent internal or synthetic structures (such as reference lists, array entries, indexed partitions) or
+ * placeholder values that do not have a concrete value.
+ *
+ *
+ * @param variable
+ * the variable to check
+ * @return {@code true} if the variable can be used to create a watch expression, {@code false} otherwise
+ */
+ private boolean checkForValidVariable(IVariable variable) {
+ if (variable instanceof JDIReferenceListVariable || variable instanceof JDIReferenceListEntryVariable
+ || variable instanceof JDIArrayEntryVariable || variable instanceof IndexedVariablePartition) {
+ return false;
+ }
+ try {
+ if (variable.getValue() instanceof JDIPlaceholderValue) {
+ return false;
+ }
+ } catch (DebugException e) {
+ }
+ return true;
+ }
+
+}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.ui/ui/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/debug/ui/variables/JavaDebugElementAdapterFactory.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.ui/ui/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/debug/ui/variables/JavaDebugElementAdapterFactory.java
index 1a6400d67c..3827d5de86 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.ui/ui/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/debug/ui/variables/JavaDebugElementAdapterFactory.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.ui/ui/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/debug/ui/variables/JavaDebugElementAdapterFactory.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
/*******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2006, 2015 IBM Corporation and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2006, 2026 IBM Corporation and others.
*
* This program and the accompanying materials
* are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
@@ -19,10 +19,12 @@
import org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.viewers.model.provisional.IElementLabelProvider;
import org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.viewers.model.provisional.IElementMementoProvider;
import org.eclipse.debug.ui.actions.IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter;
+import org.eclipse.debug.ui.actions.IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter2;
import org.eclipse.jdt.debug.core.IJavaStackFrame;
import org.eclipse.jdt.debug.core.IJavaValue;
import org.eclipse.jdt.debug.core.IJavaVariable;
import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.display.JavaInspectExpression;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.heapwalking.JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter;
import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.heapwalking.JavaWatchExpressionFilter;
/**
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@
* @see JavaVariableContentProvider
* @see ExpressionLabelProvider
* @see JavaExpressionContentProvider
+ * @see JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter
* @see JavaWatchExpressionFilter
* @see JavaStackFrameMementoProvider
* @since 3.3
@@ -44,6 +47,7 @@ public class JavaDebugElementAdapterFactory implements IAdapterFactory {
private static final IElementLabelProvider fgLPExpression = new ExpressionLabelProvider();
private static final IElementContentProvider fgCPExpression = new JavaExpressionContentProvider();
private static final IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter fgWEVariable = new JavaWatchExpressionFilter();
+ private static final IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter2 NestedWatchExpressionsAdapter = new JavaNestedWatchExpressionFilter();
private static final IElementMementoProvider fgMPStackFrame = new JavaStackFrameMementoProvider();
private static final IElementLabelProvider fgLPFrame = new JavaStackFrameLabelProvider();
@@ -83,6 +87,14 @@ public T getAdapter(Object adaptableObject, Class adapterType) {
return (T) fgWEVariable;
}
}
+ if (IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter2.class.equals(adapterType)) {
+ if (adaptableObject instanceof IJavaVariable) {
+ return (T) NestedWatchExpressionsAdapter;
+ }
+ if (adaptableObject instanceof JavaInspectExpression) {
+ return (T) NestedWatchExpressionsAdapter;
+ }
+ }
if (IElementMementoProvider.class.equals(adapterType)) {
if (adaptableObject instanceof IJavaStackFrame) {
return (T) fgMPStackFrame;
@@ -96,6 +108,7 @@ public T getAdapter(Object adaptableObject, Class adapterType) {
*/
@Override
public Class[] getAdapterList() {
- return new Class[] {IElementLabelProvider.class, IElementContentProvider.class, IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter.class, IElementMementoProvider.class};
+ return new Class[] { IElementLabelProvider.class, IElementContentProvider.class, IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter.class,
+ IWatchExpressionFactoryAdapter2.class, IElementMementoProvider.class };
}
}