WebStorm 2023.3 Help

Code refactoring

Refactoring means updating the source code without changing the behaviour of the application. Refactoring helps you keep your code solid, dry, and easy to maintain. WebStorm offers a wide variety of code refactorings, which track down and correct the affected code references automatically.

Refactoring source code: main steps

Despite the differences in the goals and the workflow, all the WebStorm refactorings require some mandatory steps. Below is an overview of these main steps you will perform when refactoring your code.

Selecting the item to refactor

  • In the Project tool window, select the file or folder to move, copy, or rename.

  • In the editor, select the expression or symbol to refactor.

    ws_refactoring_general_select_expression.png

Invoking a refactoring

  • From the main menu or from the context menu of the selection, choose Refactor | <required refactoring>.

  • Press the dedicated shortcut (refer to the table of available refactorings below).

  • Open the Refactor This list (choose Refactor | Refactor This or press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T), and then choose the required refactoring.

    ws_invoke_refactoring.png

Previewing, adjusting, and applying the suggested changes

For some refactorings WebStorm provides an option to preview the changes before applying them. To preview the potential changes and make the necessary adjustments, click Preview in the refactoring-specific dialog. WebStorm opens a dedicated tab in the Find tool window and shows the changes that are going to be made.

ws_ts_change_signature_preview

If necessary, some changes can be excluded during refactoring. If any conflicts are expected after the refactoring, WebStorm displays a dialog with a brief description of the encountered problems.

To exclude an entry from refactoring

  • Select it in the list and press Delete.

To avoid potential conflicts

  • Ignore the conflicts by clicking the Continue button. As a result, the refactoring will be performed, however, this may lead to erroneous results.

  • Preview the conflicts by clicking the Show in View button. WebStorm shows all conflicting entries on the Conflicts tab in the Find tool window, enabling you to navigate to the problematic lines of code and to make the necessary fixes.

  • Cancel the refactoring and return to the editor.

To apply the changes

  • When you are happy with the proposed results, click Do Refactor.

Copying, renaming, and moving files and folders

With these refactorings you can make copies of files and folders with the same names or with new ones, store them in the same parent folders or in new ones, as well as move files and folders to other locations.

Refactorings for files and folders are available in all types of applications.

To copy a file or a folder

  1. Select the file or folder to copy in the Project tool window and press F5 or select Refactor | Copy from the context menu or from the main menu.

    Alternatively, select the file or the folder to copy in the Project tool window and drag it to the new folder with the Ctrl key pressed.

  2. In the dialog that opens, specify the new name of the file or the folder and the new parent folder, if applicable.

    To open a file, directory or package automatically after it is copied, select the Open copy in editor checkbox.

To rename a file or a folder

  1. In the Project tool window, select the file or folder to rename and choose Refactor | Rename from the context menu or press Shift+F6.

    ws_rename_file.png
  2. In the dialog that opens, type the new name of the file or folder.

  3. To update the references to the file or folder in comments, strings, and text (for files), select the corresponding checkboxes.

    In addition to renaming the file itself, WebStorm can also look for the usages of the file name. If found, the changes you are making to the file name can also be applied to these usages.

    The usages are assigned to different categories which correspond to the options which you can turn on and off.

    Note that regardless of the options selected, the search scope (places where you search for the name occurrences) is always limited to the current entity (for example, a file, or a class) and the entities that the current one depends on.

  4. Click Refactor and examine the suggested changes in the dedicated tab of the Find tool window, as described in Previewing, adjusting, and applying the suggested changes above. Click Do Refactor when you are happy with the expected results.

To move a file or a folder

  1. In the Project tool window, select the file or folder to move and choose Refactor | Move from the context menu or press F6.

  2. In the dialog that opens, specify the new parent folder. Choose an existing folder or type the name of a new one to be created.

  3. Select the Search for references checkbox to update the references to the moved file or folder.

Deleting a file safely (Safe Delete)

Unlike simple deletion of a file (Delete or Delete from the context menu), this refactoring makes sure that you do not delete files that are referenced in your source code. WebStorm looks for the usages of the file to be deleted and shows them in the Usages Detected dialog.

To apply Safe Delete to a file

  1. In the Project tool window, select the file to remove and choose Refactor | Safe Delete from the context menu or press Alt+Delete.

  2. In the Safe Delete dialog that opens, select the corresponding checkboxes to look for usages of the file in comments and strings and for occurrences of the file in text.

  3. If any usages are detected, WebStorm lists them in the Usages Detected dialog.

    • To delete the file without viewing the found usages, click Delete Anyway.

    • To stop the refactoring, click Cancel.

    • To examine the potential conflicts, click View Usages. WebStorm opens a dedicated tab of the Find tool window where the usages are listed. Explore them, analyze the potential conflicts, and update your code as described in Previewing, adjusting, and applying the suggested changes above.

Refactorings supported in WebStorm

Copy

From the Project tool window:

  • Refactor | Copy

  • F5

Any context

Move file

Move folder

From the Project tool window:

  • Refactor | Move

  • F6

Any context

Move Symbol

From the editor:

  • Refactor | Move

  • F6

  • JavaScript

  • TypeScript

Pull Class Members Up

From the editor:

  • Refactor | Pull Members Up

  • JavaScript

  • TypeScript

Rename file

Rename folder

From the Project tool window:

  • Refactor | Rename

  • Shift+F6

  • JavaScript

  • TypeScript

Rename symbol

From the editor:

  • Refactor | Rename

  • Shift+F6

  • JavaScript

  • TypeScript

Safe Delete

From the Project tool window:

  • Refactor | Safe Delete

  • Alt+Delete

  • JavaScript

  • TypeScript

Introduce Parameter

From the editor:

  • Refactor | Extract/Introduce | Parameter

  • Ctrl+Alt+P

JavaScript

TypeScript

Introduce Field

From the editor:

  • Refactor | Extract/Introduce | Field

  • Ctrl+Alt+F

JavaScript

TypeScript

Introduce Field in JavaScript

Extract Method

From the editor:

Refactor | Extract/Introduce | Method

Ctrl+Alt+M

JavaScript

TypeScript

Extract Method in JavaScript

Introduce Variable

From the editor:

Refactor | Extract/Introduce | Variable

Ctrl+Alt+V

JavaScript

TypeScript

Style Sheets

Introduce Variable in JavaScript

Introduce Variable in TypeScript

Introducing variables in Style Sheets

Introduce Constant

From the editor:

Refactor | Extract/Introduce | Constant

Ctrl+Alt+C

JavaScript

TypeScript

Introduce Constant in JavaScript

Introduce Constant in TypeScript

Extract Superclass

From the editor:

Refactor | Extract/Introduce | Superclass

JavaScript

TypeScript

Extracting a superclass in JavaScript

Extracting a superclass in TypeScript

Extract React Component

From the editor:

Refactor | Extract/Introduce | Extract Component

React

Extracting a React component

Convert to Class Component

From the editor:

Refactor | Convert to Class Component

React

Converting a function to a class component

Convert to Functional Component

From the editor:

Refactor | Convert to Functional Component

React

Converting a class to a functional component

Extract Vue Component

From the editor:

Refactor | Extract/Introduce | Extract Vue Component

JavaScript

Extracting a Vue.js component

Extract Type Alias

From the editor:

Refactor | Extract | Type Alias

TypeScript

Extracting a type alias in TypeScript

Extract Include File

From the selected block of code in the editor:

Refactor | Extract Include File

HTML, CSS

Extracting include Files

Extract Ruleset

From the editor:

press Alt+Enter and select Extract ruleset from the list.

Style Sheets

Extracting a ruleset

Inline

Refactor | Inline

Ctrl+Alt+N

JavaScript

TypeScript

Inline refactorings in JavaScript

Inline refactorings in TypeScript

Change Signature

Refactor | Change Signature

Ctrl+F6

JavaScript

TypeScript

Change Signature in JavaScript

Change Signature in TypeScript

Last modified: 20 February 2024