IntelliJ IDEA 2019.3 Help

General

File | Settings | Editor | General for Windows and Linux
IntelliJ IDEA | Preferences | Editor | General for macOS
Ctrl+Alt+S the Settings/Preferences icon


Use the General page of the Settings/Preferences dialog to configure the editor behaviour and customize its view.

Item

Description

Mouse

Honor "CamelHumps" word settings when selecting using double-click

Select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA invoke the CamelHumps selection when words are selected by double-clicking.

This feature works only if the Use 'CamelHumps' words option is enabled.

Change font size (Zoom) with Ctrl/Command+Mouse Wheel

If this checkbox is selected, a particular editor font size can be changed by rolling the mouse wheel while holding the Ctrl key.

This checkbox also affects font size in quick documentation lookup.

If the checkbox is cleared, rolling the mouse wheel while holding the Ctrl key scrolls the editor.

Enable Drag'n'Drop functionality in editor

If this checkbox is selected, you can drag-n-drop code fragments in the editor.

Soft Wraps

Soft-wrap files

Select this checkbox to apply soft wraps to specific file types (For example, it might be helpful when you are writing documentation in markdown files). In the field, enter file extensions separating them with semicolon.

You can also enable or disable soft wraps right in the editor:

  • Right-click the left gutter and from the context menu, either select or clear the Soft-Wrap Current Editor option. Keep in mind that these settings affect only the current editor, not a file.

  • To quickly access the settings, select Configure Soft Wraps from the list of options.

Use original line's indent for wrapped parts

Select this checkbox to use custom indentation for soft wraps on resizing the editor or console. Specify the indent value in the Additional shift text field on the right.

Show soft wrap indicators for current line only

If this checkbox is selected, the soft wrap charactersWrap  Wrap will be shown in the active logical line only.

Otherwise, soft wraps characters will be shown at the end of each line, and at the beginning of each next line.

Virtual Space

Allow placement of caret after end of line

If this checkbox is selected, you will be able to set your caret anywhere after the last character in each line. As soon as you start typing at a position beyond the end of the line, the necessary number of spaces will be added between the end of the line and the beginning of your input.

Allow placement of caret inside tabs

Select this checkbox to allow placing the caret inside tab characters. The reason is that each tab character shows in the editor as a set of 'virtual' space characters.

Show virtual space at file bottom

If this checkbox is selected, the currently edited line (even if it is the final line) can be scrolled to the top of the screen. IntelliJ IDEA adds the necessary amount of virtual lines.

Other

Strip trailing spaces on Save

Select the mode in which IntelliJ IDEA will handle trailing spaces at the end of lines on file saving:

  • Modified lines: strips trailing spaces only in the end of modified lines.

  • All: strips trailing spaces in all lines.

  • None: does not strip trailing spaces.

Always keep trailing spaces on caret line

If this option is selected, trailing spaces will not be stripped on the line where the caret is placed on save operation (for example, when you switch to another window).

Ensure line feed at file end on Save

Select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA automatically add an empty line in the end of a file during the save procedure.

Show quick documentation on mouse move

Select this checkbox to show quick documentation for the symbol at caret. The quick documentation popup appears after the specified delay.

Highlight modified lines in gutter

Select this checkbox if you want added/modified lines to be highlighted with a color stripe in the left editor gutter.

Different color for lines with whitespace-only modifications

This option only becomes available if the Highlight modified lines in gutter option is enabled.

Select this checkbox if you want lines where only whitespaces were added/removed to be highlighted with a different color from lines with more significant modifications.

Tooltip delay

Use this option to specify the delay for a tooltip appearance.

Caret Movement

When moving by words

Use this list to configure where the caret should stop when moved by words. You can select from the following options:

  • Jump to current word boundaries: this is the default option. When you move the caret forward (Ctrl+Right), IntelliJ IDEA places it to the end of the current word.

    When you move the caret to the previous word (Ctrl+Left), IntelliJ IDEA places the caret in the beginning of the current word.

  • Always jump to word start: when you select this option, the caret always moves to the beginning of the word.

  • Always jump to word end: when you select this option, the caret always moves to the end of the word.

  • Jump to next/previous word boundaries: when you select this option, the caret moves forward to the start of the next word, and when moved backwards, the caret jumps to the end of the previous word.

  • Stop at both word boundaries: when you select this option, the caret stops at both the start and the end of each word.

Upon line break

Use this list to configure where the caret should stop on line breaks. You can select from the following options:

  • Jump to next/previous line boundaries: when you select this option, the caret moves forward to the beginning of the next line, and when moved backwards, the caret jumps to the end of the previous line.

  • Ignore line breaks: when you select this option, IntelliJ IDEA ignores the line breaks, and the caret moves according to the configuration specified in the Moving by words list.

  • Stop at both line boundaries: when you select this option, the caret stops at both the start and the end of each line.

  • Jump to current line boundaries: when you select this option, the caret always jumps to the end of the current line (when moved forward) or to the beginning of the current line (when moved backwards).

    Check the following example when you have Always jump to word start specified in the Moving by words list and Jump to current line boundaries specified in the Upon line break list:

  • Always jump to line start: when you select this option, the caret always moves to the start of a line.

  • Always jump to line end: when you select this option, the caret always moves to the end of a line.

Highlight on Caret Movement

Highlight matched brace

Select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA highlight pairs of opening/closing braces when you position the caret right before the opening or right after the closing one. It also works for HTML and XML tags.

Highlight current scope

Select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA highlight the available scope for the code typed in the current caret location.

Highlight usages of element at caret

Select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA highlight all usages of the element at which the caret is currently positioned.

Formatting

Show notification after reformat code action

Select this checkbox to show a notification with changes in your code and a shortcut to the Reformat Code dialog every time you try to reformat the code. Otherwise, IntelliJ IDEA will reformat code silently.

Show notification after optimize imports action

Select this checkbox to show notification with changes in your code. Otherwise, IntelliJ IDEA will optimize imports silently.

Scrolling

Smooth scrolling

If this option is enabled, the editor scrolls the page when you navigate to an element, instead of just jumping to the target location.

Prefer scrolling editor canvas to keep caret line centered

Click this option to choose scrolling editor canvas and keeping the caret at place.

Keeping the caret at place and scrolling the editor canvas can be helpful in course of debugging session. As you step through the lines of code, the editor canvas scrolls, while the line at caret is always in the center of the screen.

Prefer moving caret line to minimize editor scrolling

Click this option to choose moving the caret.

When you step through the lines of code during the debugging session, the caret moves down, and the editor canvas doesn't scroll until the caret line reaches the bottom of the screen.

Refactorings

Enable in-place mode

Select or clear this checkbox to enable or disable in-place refactorings for Java.

The in-place in connection with the refactorings means specifying all or most of the information necessary for the refactoring by typing, right in the editor. All the affected code fragments are highlighted and change as you type. If appropriate, additional refactoring options are selected in corresponding option boxes.

The in-place refactoring mode is available for the following refactorings:

If this checkbox is not selected, the refactoring settings for all of the refactorings are specified in the corresponding dialogs.

Preselect old name

If this checkbox is selected, the old name of a symbol is selected when the Rename refactoring is invoked for that symbol.

Preselect

If the checkbox is cleared, the symbol being renamed is not selected.

Show inline dialog for local variables

Select this checkbox if you want to display a confirmation dialog for the "Inline local variable" refactoring.

Limits

Recent file limit

In this field, specify how many file names can be included in the list of recent files.

Recent locations limit

In this field, specify how many recently viewed code snippets can be included in the list of recent locations.

Rich-text copy

Copy as rich text by default

Select this checkbox to copy a rich text from the editor to any other editor that recognizes RTF.
Note that you can override this option if you select Copy as Plain Text from the context menu in your editor and vice versa, using the Copy as Rich Text option from the context menu overrides the unselected checkbox in the editor settings.

Color scheme

Use this list to select a color scheme for the text copy. You can select from the following options:

  • Default
  • Active scheme
  • Darcula
Error highlighting

Error stripe mark min height (pixels)

In this field, specify the minimum size of the error and warning stripes.

Autoreparse delay (ms)

In this field, specify the time period after which IntelliJ IDEA starts reparsing the entered text.

'Next Error' action goes to high priority problems only

Select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA pass through the highest priority problems only (for example, errors), when executing Navigate | Next/Previous Highlighted Error commandF2/Shift+F2.

Clear this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA pass through all the existing problems (for example, errors and warnings) sequentially.

Suppress with @SuppressWarnings (for 5.0 only)

Select this checkbox to have @SuppressWarnings implemented as an annotation.

Clear this checkbox to have @SuppressWarnings implemented as a JavaDoc comment.

Last modified: 26 April 2020