IntelliJ IDEA 2016.2 Help

Creating and Editing Template Variables

On this page:

Basics

After a template is expanded, its variables are presented in the editor as input fields. The values of these fields can be either filled in by the user or calculated by IntelliJ IDEA.

To have it done automatically, for each variable you need to specify the following:

  • Expression to be calculated in association with the variable.
  • Default value to be entered in the input field if the calculation fails.

The order in which IntelliJ IDEA will process input fields after the template expansion, is determined by the order of variables in the list.

Configuring variables used in a template

  1. Open the template settings, and in the Template Text area click the Edit Variables button.

    The Edit Variables button is enabled only if the template body contains at least one user-defined variable, that is, a variable different from $END$ or $SELECTION$.

    The Edit Template Variables dialog box opens, where you can define how the variables will be processed when the template is used.

  2. In the Name text box, specify the variable name to be used in the template body.
  3. In the Expression drop-down list, specify the expression to be calculated by IntelliJ IDEA when the template is expanded. Do one of the following:
    • Type a string constant in double quotes.
    • Type a predefined function with possible arguments or select one from the drop-down list.

      An argument of a function can be either a line constant or another predefined function. See the list of predefined functions below on this page.

  4. To enable IntelliJ IDEA to proceed with the next input field, if an input field associated with the current variable is already defined, select the Skip if defined check box.
  5. To arrange variables in the order you want IntelliJ IDEA to switch between associated input fields, use the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

Predefined functions to use in live template variables

ItemDescription
annotated("annotation qname")Creates a symbol of type with an annotation that resides at the specified location. For an example, see Live Templates in the iterations group.
arrayVariable()Suggests all array variables applicable in the current scope. For an example, see Live Templates in the iterations group.
anonymousSuper()Suggests a supertype for a Kotlin object expression.
camelCase(String)Returns the string passed as a parameter, converted to camel case. For example, my-text-file/my text file/my_text_file will be converted to myTextFile.
capitalize(String)Capitalizes the first letter of the name passed as a parameter.
capitalizeAndUnderscore(sCamelCaseName)Capitalizes the all letters of a CamelCase name passed as a parameter, and inserts an underscore between the parts. For example, if the string passed as a parameter is FooBar, then the function returns FOO_BAR.
castToLeftSideType()Casts the right-side expression to the left-side expression type. It is used in the iterations group to have a single template for generating both raw-type and Generics Collections.
className(sClassName)Returns the name of the current class (the class where the template is expanded).
classNameComplete()This expression substitutes for the class name completion at the variable position.
clipboard()Returns the contents of the system clipboard.
snakeCase(String) Returns CamelCase string out of snake_case string. For example, if the string passed as a parameter is foo_bar, then the function returns fooBar.
complete()This expression substitutes for the code completion invocation at the variable position.
completeSmart()This expression substitutes for the smart type completion invocation at the variable position.
componentTypeOf (<array variable or array type>)Returns component type of an array. For example, see the Live Templates in the iterations group in the other group.
currentPackage()Returns the current package name.
date(sDate) Returns the current system date in the specified format.

By default, the current date is returned in the default system format. However, if you specify date format in double quotes, the date will be presented in this format:

date_format
decapitalize(sName)Replaces the first letter of the name passed as a parameter with the corresponding lowercase letter.
descendantClassEnum(<String>)Shows the children of the class entered as a string parameter.
enum(sCompletionString1,sCompletionString2,...)List of comma-delimited strings suggested for completion at the template invocation.
escapeString(sEscapeString)Escapes the specified string.
expectedType()Returns the type which is expected as a result of the whole template. Makes sense if the template is expanded in the right part of an assignment, after return, etc.
fileName(sFileName)Returns file name with extension.
fileNameWithoutExtension()Returns file name without extension.
firstWord(sFirstWord)Returns the first word of the string passed as a parameter.
groovyScript("groovy code")Returns Groovy script with the specified code.
You can use groovyScript macro with multiple arguments. The first argument is a script text that is executed or a path to the file that contains a script. The next arguments are bound to _1, _2, _3, ..._n variables that are available inside your script.
Also, _editor variable is available inside the script. This variable is bound to the current editor.
guessElementType (<container>)Makes a guess on the type of elements stored in a java.util.Collection. To make a guess, IntelliJ IDEA tries to find the places where the elements were added to or extracted from the container.
iterableComponentType(<ArrayOrIterable>)Returns the type of an iterable component, such as an array or a collection.
iterableVariable()Returns the name of a variable that can be iterated.
lineNumber()Returns the current line number.
lowercaseAndDash(String)Returns lower case separated by dashes, of the string passed as a parameter. For example, the string MyExampleName is converted to my-example-name.
methodName()Returns the name of the embracing method (where the template is expanded).
methodParameters()Returns the list of parameters of the embracing method (where the template is expanded).
methodReturnType()Returns the type of the value returned by the current method (the method within which the template is expanded).
qualifiedClassName()Returns the fully qualified name of the current class (the class where the template is expanded).
rightSideType()Declares the left-side variable with a type of the right-side expression. It is used in the iterations group to have a single template for generating both raw-type and Generics Collections.
snakeCase(sCamelCaseText) Returns snake_case string out of CamelCase string passed as a parameter.
spaceSeparated(String)Returns string separated with spaces out of CamelCase string passed as a parameter. For example, if the string passed as a parameter is fooBar, then the function returns foo bar.
subtypes(sType)Returns the subtypes of the type passed as a parameter.
suggestIndexName()Suggests the name of an index variable. Returns i if there is no such variable in scope, otherwise returns j if there is no such variable in scope, etc.
suggestVariableName()Suggests the name for a variable based on the variable type and its initializer expression, according to your code style settings that refer to the variable naming rules.
For example, if it is a variable that holds an element within iteration, IntelliJ IDEA makes a guess on the most reasonable names, also taking into account the name of the container being iterated.
suggestFirstVariableName(sFirstVariableName)Doesn't suggest true, false, this, super.
time(sSystemTime)Returns the current system time.
typeOfVariable(VAR)Returns the type of the variable passed as a parameter.
underscoresToCamelCase(sCamelCaseText)Returns the string passed as a parameter with CamelHump letters substituting for underscores. For example, if the string passed as a parameter is foo_bar, then the function returns fooBar.
underscoresToSpaces(sParameterWithSpaces)Returns the string passed as a parameter with spaces substituting for underscores.
user()Returns the name of the current user.
variableOfType(<type>)Suggests all variables that may be assigned to the type passed as a parameter, for example variableOfType("java.util.Vector"). If you pass an empty string ("") as a parameter, suggests all variables regardless of their types.
JsArrayVariable Returns JavaScript array name.
jsClassName()Returns the name of the current JavaScript class.
jsComponentType Returns the JavaScript component type.
jsMethodName()Returns the name of the current JavaScript method.
jsQualifiedClassName Returns the complete name of the current JavaScript class.
jsSuggestIndexName Returns a suggested name for an index.
jsSuggestVariableName Returns a suggested name for a variable.

See Also

Last modified: 23 November 2016