diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/DebugToolbar.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/DebugToolbar.java
index 3229c4e0f..192d8075c 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/DebugToolbar.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/DebugToolbar.java
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ public class DebugToolbar extends JavaToolbar {
   public DebugToolbar(Editor editor, Base base) {
     super(editor, base);
   }
+  
+  
   public Image[][] loadDebugImages() {
     int res = Toolkit.highResDisplay() ? 2 : 1;
     
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java
index ab1cbd55e..2543e59e9 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java
@@ -92,19 +92,19 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
   protected JScrollPane errorTableScrollPane;
   protected JPanel consoleProblemsPane;    
   protected XQErrorTable errorTable;
-    
+
+  // TODO how is this different from hasJavaTabs?
   public boolean compilationCheckEnabled = true;
 
 //  protected JCheckBoxMenuItem showWarnings;
-  public JCheckBoxMenuItem problemWindowMenuCB;
+//  public JCheckBoxMenuItem problemWindowMenuCB;
 //  protected JCheckBoxMenuItem debugMessagesEnabled;
 //  protected JMenuItem showOutline; 
 //  protected JMenuItem showTabOutline;
 //  protected JCheckBoxMenuItem writeErrorLog;
 //  protected JCheckBoxMenuItem completionsEnabled;
     
-  // TODO no way should this be public; make an accessor or protected
-  public boolean hasJavaTabs;
+  private boolean hasJavaTabs;
   
 
   protected JavaEditor(Base base, String path, EditorState state, Mode mode) {
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
     }
     getSketch().setModified(false); // setting breakpoints will flag sketch as modified, so override this here
 
-    checkForJavaTabs();
+    hasJavaTabs = checkForJavaTabs();
     initializeErrorChecker();
 
     getJavaTextArea().setECSandThemeforTextArea(errorCheckerService, jmode);
@@ -2415,24 +2415,28 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
     }
 
     
+    public boolean hasJavaTabs() {
+      return hasJavaTabs;
+    }
+    
+    
     /**
-     * Checks if the sketch contains java tabs. If it does, the editor ain't built
-     * for it, yet. Also, user should really start looking at more powerful IDEs 
-     * likeEclipse. Disable compilation check and some more features.
+     * Checks if the sketch contains java tabs. If it does, the editor ain't 
+     * built for it, yet. Also, user should really start looking at a full IDE 
+     * like Eclipse. Disable compilation check and some more features.
      */
-    private void checkForJavaTabs() {
-      hasJavaTabs = false;
-      for (int i = 0; i < this.getSketch().getCodeCount(); i++) {
-        if (this.getSketch().getCode(i).getExtension().equals("java")) {
+    private boolean checkForJavaTabs() {
+      for (SketchCode code : getSketch().getCode()) {
+        if (code.getExtension().equals("java")) {
           compilationCheckEnabled = false;
-          hasJavaTabs = true;
-          JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(new Frame(), this
-                                        .getSketch().getName()
-                                        + " contains .java tabs. Some editor features are not supported " +
-              "for .java tabs and will be disabled.");
-          break;
+          final String msg = 
+            getSketch().getName() + " contains .java tabs. Some editor " +
+            "features are not supported for .java tabs and will be disabled.";
+          Base.showWarning("Cannot debug advanced sketches", msg);
+          return true;
         }
       }
+      return false;
     }
 
     
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ASTGenerator.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ASTGenerator.java
index 3bcdf2d8f..a5dd89225 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ASTGenerator.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ASTGenerator.java
@@ -2127,8 +2127,9 @@ public class ASTGenerator {
     editor.getTextArea().select(lineStartWSOffset, lineStartWSOffset + length);
   }
   
-  public void handleShowUsage(){
-    if(editor.hasJavaTabs) return; // show usage disabled if java tabs
+  public void handleShowUsage() {
+    if (editor.hasJavaTabs()) return; // show usage disabled if java tabs
+    
     log("Last clicked word:" + lastClickedWord);
     if (lastClickedWord == null && 
         getSelectedText() == null) {
@@ -2383,8 +2384,9 @@ public class ASTGenerator {
   
   protected SketchOutline sketchOutline;
   
-  public void showSketchOutline(){
-    if(editor.hasJavaTabs) return; // sketch outline disabled if java tabs
+  public void showSketchOutline() {
+    if (editor.hasJavaTabs()) return;
+    
     sketchOutline = new SketchOutline(codeTree, errorCheckerService);
     sketchOutline.show();
   }
@@ -2472,7 +2474,8 @@ public class ASTGenerator {
   }
   
   public void handleRefactor() {
-    if(editor.hasJavaTabs) return; // refactoring disabled if java tabs
+    if (editor.hasJavaTabs()) return;  // refactoring disabled w/ java tabs
+
     log("Last clicked word:" + lastClickedWord);
     if (lastClickedWord == null && 
         getSelectedText() == null) {
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ErrorWindow.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ErrorWindow.java
index 92c0ee539..d381ac6f4 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ErrorWindow.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ErrorWindow.java
@@ -167,7 +167,8 @@ public class ErrorWindow extends JFrame {
 
 			@Override
 			public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {
-				thisEditor.problemWindowMenuCB.setSelected(false);
+			  // removing b/c this was the only use of problemWindowMenuCB [fry 150125]
+//				thisEditor.problemWindowMenuCB.setSelected(false);
 			}
 
 			@Override
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextArea.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextArea.java
index f1317e457..9c3b88b9d 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextArea.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextArea.java
@@ -163,22 +163,21 @@ public class JavaTextArea extends JEditTextArea {
 
   
   /**
-   * Handles KeyEvents for TextArea
-   * Code completion begins from here.
+   * Handles KeyEvents for TextArea (code completion begins from here).
    */
   public void processKeyEvent(KeyEvent evt) {
-    //if(Base.isMacOS() && evt.isControlDown()) System.out.println("Ctrl down: " + evt);
-    if(evt.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ESCAPE){
-      if(suggestion != null){
-        if(suggestion.isVisible()){
+    if (evt.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ESCAPE) {
+      if (suggestion != null){
+        if (suggestion.isVisible()){
           Base.log("esc key");
           hideSuggestion();
           evt.consume();
           return;
         }
       }
-    }
-    else if(evt.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ENTER && evt.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_PRESSED){
+    
+    } else if (evt.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ENTER && 
+               evt.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_PRESSED) {
       if (suggestion != null) {
         if (suggestion.isVisible()) {
           if (suggestion.insertSelection(CompletionPanel.KEYBOARD_COMPLETION)) {
@@ -228,62 +227,27 @@ public class JavaTextArea extends JEditTextArea {
     }
     super.processKeyEvent(evt);
 
-    if (editor.hasJavaTabs) return; // code completion disabled if java tabs
-
-    if (evt.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_TYPED) {
-      char keyChar = evt.getKeyChar();
-      if (keyChar == KeyEvent.VK_ENTER ||
-          keyChar == KeyEvent.VK_ESCAPE ||
-          keyChar == KeyEvent.VK_TAB ||
-          keyChar == KeyEvent.CHAR_UNDEFINED) {
-        return;
-      }
-      else if (keyChar == ')') {
-        hideSuggestion(); // See #2741
-        return;
-      }
-
-      final KeyEvent evt2 = evt;
+    // code completion disabled if java tabs
+    if (!editor.hasJavaTabs()) {
+      if (evt.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_TYPED) {
+        processCompletionKeys(evt);
       
-      if (keyChar == '.') {
-        if (JavaMode.codeCompletionsEnabled) {
-          Base.log("[KeyEvent]" + KeyEvent.getKeyText(evt2.getKeyCode()) + "  |Prediction started");
-          Base.log("Typing: " + fetchPhrase(evt2));
-        }
-      } else if (keyChar == ' ') { // Trigger on Ctrl-Space
-        if (!Base.isMacOS() && JavaMode.codeCompletionsEnabled &&
-        (evt.isControlDown() || evt.isMetaDown())) {
-          SwingWorker<Object, Object> worker = new SwingWorker<Object, Object>() {
-            protected Object doInBackground() throws Exception {
-              // Provide completions only if it's enabled
-              if (JavaMode.codeCompletionsEnabled) {
-                getDocument().remove(getCaretPosition() - 1, 1); // Remove the typed space
-                Base.log("[KeyEvent]" + evt2.getKeyChar() + "  |Prediction started");
-                Base.log("Typing: " + fetchPhrase(evt2));
-              }
-              return null;
-            }
-          };
-          worker.execute();
-        } else {
-          hideSuggestion(); // hide on spacebar
-        }
-      } else {
-        if (JavaMode.codeCompletionsEnabled) {
-          prepareSuggestions(evt2);
-        }
+      } else if (Base.isMacOS() && evt.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_RELEASED) {
+        processControlSpace(evt);
       }
     }
-    // #2699 - Special case for OS X, where Ctrl-Space is not detected as Key_Typed -_-
-    else if (Base.isMacOS() && evt.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_RELEASED
-        && evt.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_SPACE && evt.isControlDown()) {
-      final KeyEvent evt2 = evt;
+  }
+  
+  
+  // #2699 - Special case for OS X, where Ctrl-Space is not detected as Key_Typed -_-
+  private void processControlSpace(final KeyEvent event) {
+    if (event.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_SPACE && event.isControlDown()) {
       SwingWorker<Object, Object> worker = new SwingWorker<Object, Object>() {
         protected Object doInBackground() throws Exception {
           // Provide completions only if it's enabled
           if (JavaMode.codeCompletionsEnabled) {
-            Base.log("[KeyEvent]" + KeyEvent.getKeyText(evt2.getKeyCode()) + "  |Prediction started");
-            Base.log("Typing: " + fetchPhrase(evt2));
+            Base.log("[KeyEvent]" + KeyEvent.getKeyText(event.getKeyCode()) + "  |Prediction started");
+            Base.log("Typing: " + fetchPhrase(event));
           }
           return null;
         }
@@ -292,10 +256,52 @@ public class JavaTextArea extends JEditTextArea {
     }
   }
 
+    
+  private void processCompletionKeys(final KeyEvent event) {
+    char keyChar = event.getKeyChar();
+    if (keyChar == KeyEvent.VK_ENTER ||
+        keyChar == KeyEvent.VK_ESCAPE ||
+        keyChar == KeyEvent.VK_TAB ||
+        keyChar == KeyEvent.CHAR_UNDEFINED) {
+      return;
+
+    } else if (keyChar == ')') {
+      hideSuggestion(); // See #2741
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (keyChar == '.') {
+      if (JavaMode.codeCompletionsEnabled) {
+        Base.log("[KeyEvent]" + KeyEvent.getKeyText(event.getKeyCode()) + "  |Prediction started");
+        Base.log("Typing: " + fetchPhrase(event));
+      }
+    } else if (keyChar == ' ') { // Trigger on Ctrl-Space
+      if (!Base.isMacOS() && JavaMode.codeCompletionsEnabled &&
+          (event.isControlDown() || event.isMetaDown())) {
+        SwingWorker<Object, Object> worker = new SwingWorker<Object, Object>() {
+          protected Object doInBackground() throws Exception {
+            // Provide completions only if it's enabled
+            if (JavaMode.codeCompletionsEnabled) {
+              getDocument().remove(getCaretPosition() - 1, 1); // Remove the typed space
+              Base.log("[KeyEvent]" + event.getKeyChar() + "  |Prediction started");
+              Base.log("Typing: " + fetchPhrase(event));
+            }
+            return null;
+          }
+        };
+        worker.execute();
+      } else {
+        hideSuggestion(); // hide on spacebar
+      }
+    } else {
+      if (JavaMode.codeCompletionsEnabled) {
+        prepareSuggestions(event);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   
-  /**
-   * Kickstart auto-complete suggestions
-   */
+  /** Kickstart auto-complete suggestions */
   private void prepareSuggestions(final KeyEvent evt){
     SwingWorker<Object, Object> worker = new SwingWorker<Object, Object>() {
       protected Object doInBackground() throws Exception {
@@ -315,7 +321,6 @@ public class JavaTextArea extends JEditTextArea {
   /**
    * Retrieves the word on which the mouse pointer is present
    * @param evt - the MouseEvent which triggered this method
-   * @return
    */
   private String fetchPhrase(MouseEvent evt) {
     Base.log("--handle Mouse Right Click--");
@@ -726,7 +731,7 @@ public class JavaTextArea extends JEditTextArea {
       }
 
       if (me.getButton() == MouseEvent.BUTTON3) {
-        if(!editor.hasJavaTabs){ // tooltips, etc disabled for java tabs
+        if (!editor.hasJavaTabs()) { // tooltips, etc disabled for java tabs
           fetchPhrase(me);
         }
       }
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextAreaPainter.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextAreaPainter.java
index bd5d92f8d..31ee62da0 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextAreaPainter.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextAreaPainter.java
@@ -75,11 +75,10 @@ public class JavaTextAreaPainter extends TextAreaPainter
   
   public JavaTextAreaPainter(JavaTextArea textArea, TextAreaDefaults defaults) {
     super(textArea, defaults);
-//    ta = textArea;
     
     addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter() {
       public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent evt) {
-        if (!hasJavaTabs()) { // Ctrl + Click disabled for java tabs
+        if (!getEditor().hasJavaTabs()) { // Ctrl + Click disabled for java tabs
           if (evt.getButton() == MouseEvent.BUTTON1) {
             if (evt.isControlDown() || evt.isMetaDown()) {
               handleCtrlClick(evt);
@@ -453,87 +452,89 @@ public class JavaTextAreaPainter extends TextAreaPainter
   }
 
   
-  public String getToolTipText(java.awt.event.MouseEvent evt) {
-    if (hasJavaTabs()) { // disabled for java tabs
-      setToolTipText(null);
-      return super.getToolTipText(evt);
-    }
-    int off = textArea.xyToOffset(evt.getX(), evt.getY());
-    if (off < 0) {
-      setToolTipText(null);
-      return super.getToolTipText(evt);
-    }
-    int line = textArea.getLineOfOffset(off);
-    if (line < 0) {
-      setToolTipText(null);
-      return super.getToolTipText(evt);
-    }
-    String s = textArea.getLineText(line);
-    if (s == "")
-      return evt.toString();
-    else if (s.length() == 0) {
-      setToolTipText(null);
-      return super.getToolTipText(evt);
-    } else {
-      int x = textArea.xToOffset(line, evt.getX()), x2 = x + 1, x1 = x - 1;
-      int xLS = off - textArea.getLineStartNonWhiteSpaceOffset(line);
-      if (x < 0 || x >= s.length()) {
+  public String getToolTipText(MouseEvent event) {
+    if (!getEditor().hasJavaTabs()) { 
+      int off = textArea.xyToOffset(event.getX(), event.getY());
+      if (off < 0) {
         setToolTipText(null);
-        return super.getToolTipText(evt);
+        return super.getToolTipText(event);
       }
-      String word = s.charAt(x) + "";
-      if (s.charAt(x) == ' ') {
+      int line = textArea.getLineOfOffset(off);
+      if (line < 0) {
         setToolTipText(null);
-        return super.getToolTipText(evt);
+        return super.getToolTipText(event);
       }
-      if (!(Character.isLetterOrDigit(s.charAt(x)) || s.charAt(x) == '_' || s
-          .charAt(x) == '$')) {
+      String s = textArea.getLineText(line);
+      if (s == "") {
+        return event.toString();
+
+      } else if (s.length() == 0) {
         setToolTipText(null);
-        return super.getToolTipText(evt);
-      }
-      int i = 0;
-      while (true) {
-        i++;
-        if (x1 >= 0 && x1 < s.length()) {
-          if (Character.isLetter(s.charAt(x1)) || s.charAt(x1) == '_') {
-            word = s.charAt(x1--) + word;
-            xLS--;
+        return super.getToolTipText(event);
+
+      } else {
+        int x = textArea.xToOffset(line, event.getX()), x2 = x + 1, x1 = x - 1;
+        int xLS = off - textArea.getLineStartNonWhiteSpaceOffset(line);
+        if (x < 0 || x >= s.length()) {
+          setToolTipText(null);
+          return super.getToolTipText(event);
+        }
+        String word = s.charAt(x) + "";
+        if (s.charAt(x) == ' ') {
+          setToolTipText(null);
+          return super.getToolTipText(event);
+        }
+        if (!(Character.isLetterOrDigit(s.charAt(x)) || 
+            s.charAt(x) == '_' || s.charAt(x) == '$')) {
+          setToolTipText(null);
+          return super.getToolTipText(event);
+        }
+        int i = 0;
+        while (true) {
+          i++;
+          if (x1 >= 0 && x1 < s.length()) {
+            if (Character.isLetter(s.charAt(x1)) || s.charAt(x1) == '_') {
+              word = s.charAt(x1--) + word;
+              xLS--;
+            } else
+              x1 = -1;
           } else
             x1 = -1;
-        } else
-          x1 = -1;
 
-        if (x2 >= 0 && x2 < s.length()) {
-          if (Character.isLetterOrDigit(s.charAt(x2)) || s.charAt(x2) == '_'
-              || s.charAt(x2) == '$')
-            word = word + s.charAt(x2++);
-          else
+          if (x2 >= 0 && x2 < s.length()) {
+            if (Character.isLetterOrDigit(s.charAt(x2)) || s.charAt(x2) == '_'
+                || s.charAt(x2) == '$')
+              word = word + s.charAt(x2++);
+            else
+              x2 = -1;
+          } else
             x2 = -1;
-        } else
-          x2 = -1;
 
-        if (x1 < 0 && x2 < 0)
-          break;
-        if (i > 200) {
-          // time out!
-          // System.err.println("Whoopsy! :P");
-          break;
+          if (x1 < 0 && x2 < 0)
+            break;
+          if (i > 200) {
+            // time out!
+            // System.err.println("Whoopsy! :P");
+            break;
+          }
+        }
+        if (Character.isDigit(word.charAt(0))) {
+          setToolTipText(null);
+          return super.getToolTipText(event);
+        }
+        String tooltipText = errorCheckerService.getASTGenerator()
+            .getLabelForASTNode(line, word, xLS);
+
+        //      log(errorCheckerService.mainClassOffset + " MCO "
+        //      + "|" + line + "| offset " + xLS + word + " <= offf: "+off+ "\n");
+        if (tooltipText != null) {
+          return tooltipText;
         }
       }
-      if (Character.isDigit(word.charAt(0))) {
-        setToolTipText(null);
-        return super.getToolTipText(evt);
-      }
-      String tooltipText = errorCheckerService.getASTGenerator()
-          .getLabelForASTNode(line, word, xLS);
-
-//      log(errorCheckerService.mainClassOffset + " MCO "
-//      + "|" + line + "| offset " + xLS + word + " <= offf: "+off+ "\n");
-      if (tooltipText != null)
-        return tooltipText;
     }
+    // Used when there are Java tabs, but also the fall-through case from above
     setToolTipText(null);
-    return super.getToolTipText(evt);
+    return super.getToolTipText(event);
   }
 
   
@@ -881,7 +882,7 @@ public class JavaTextAreaPainter extends TextAreaPainter
 //	}
 	
 	
-	private boolean hasJavaTabs() {
-	  return getEditor().hasJavaTabs;
-	}
+//	private boolean hasJavaTabs() {
+//	  return getEditor().hasJavaTabs();
+//	}
 }
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index ce7bed5a1..50d805471 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -89,8 +89,11 @@ X rename TextArea and TextAreaPainter to JavaTextArea
 X DebugEditor.createTextArea() is copy & pasted from JavaEditor
 X   this whole setup is really gross at the moment
 X finish Ant task to download JRE and JDK from Oracle
+X remove public 'ta' object in DebugEditor, also dmode
 
-_ remove public 'ta' object in DebugEditor, also dmode
+_ fix hasJavaTabs() function
+_   almost always used as a negative, or tied to a 'return' from fxn
+_   name isn't tied to its function, but the symptom
 _ crashed on startup w/ JavaScript mode as default b/c PdeKeyListener not found
 _   because it's in the other ClassLoader, can no longer rely on it