Live Templates

Use this page to create, manage, and edit live templates.

Main settings

Item	Description
By default expand with		Specifies the default invocation key for all templates. Individual expansion keys for the particular templates are defined in the editing area. If the standard expansion keys (`Tab`, `Enter`, or `Space`) are not desirable, select the Custom option from this list. When Custom is selected, the Change link appears next to the drop-down, leading you to the Keymap page.
Live Templates		Displays all currently available template abbreviations with their descriptions. The abbreviations are grouped below nodes and sorted alphabetically within each group. To activate a template or an entire group, select the checkbox near the template or the group. Only active templates are displayed in the editor. If a template is active, the editor is sensitive to its abbreviation. Otherwise, the abbreviation is considered a set of characters.
	Add `Alt+Insert`	Adds a new template item to the current group of template. You can define the template abbreviation, description, text, variables, expansion key, and context in the editing area below.
	Remove `Delete`	Removes the selected live template from the list.
	Duplicate	Click this button to create a new template based on the selected template. A new template item is added to the current node and the fields in the Template Text area show the definition of the selected template.
	Restore deleted defaults	Click this button to restore the deleted live templates. This button is only enabled when the changes are applied.

Context menu of a live template

Item	Description
Move	Moves the selected template to a specified group.
Change context	Changes context or contexts where the current template is enabled. When you select this command, a list of supported language contexts is displayed. To make IntelliJ IDEA consider a context sensitive to the template, select a checkbox next to the context name. The available context types depend on the enabled plugins.
Copy	Creates a serialized template XML in the system clipboard.
Paste	Pastes an XML representation of the copied templates to the selected group of templates.
Restore defaults	This command only appears on the context menus of the modified templates, marked blue. Choose this command to restore the default template settings.

Template editing area

The focus is moved to this area in the following cases:

When you click the Add or Copy button.
When you select a live template in the list.
When you select a fragment of code in the editor and choose Tools | Save as Live Template.

Use controls of this area to create new live templates and edit the settings for the existing ones.

You can navigate through the Template Text Area using the hot keys that are marked in the field labels.

Item	Description
Abbreviation	In this field, specify the template abbreviation, i.e a sequence of characters that identify the template in the editor.
Description	In this field, provide optional description of a template or an example of its usage.
Template Text	In this field, type the template body that may contain plain text and variables in the format $<variable name>$ . If necessary, click Edit Variables and configure the variables as required. To escape a dollar sign `$` in the template text, just duplicate it `$$`.
Applicable in:	This read-only field shows the languages and/or pieces of code where the editor should be sensitive to the template. Upon pressing `Ctrl+J` in such context, IntelliJ IDEA displays a list of templates that are valid for this context.
Change	Click this link to modify the set of contexts where the current template is enabled. Upon clicking the link, a list of supported language contexts is displayed. To make IntelliJ IDEA consider a context sensitive to the template, select a checkbox next to the context name. The available context types depend on the enabled plugins.
Edit Variables	Click this button to open the Edit Template Variables dialog, where you can define how IntelliJ IDEA should process template variables upon template expansion. The Edit Template Variables dialog contains a complete list of available functions. See the list of predefined functions below on this page.
Options	In this area, define the behavior of the editor when a template is expanded. Expand with - from this list, choose the key to invoke the template. Reformat according to style - select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA automatically reformat the expanded text according to the current style settings, defined on the Code Style page. Use static import if possible - select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA add static import statements instead of inserting `Class.methodName()`. Shorten FQ names - select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA truncate fully qualified names in the expanded template and add the corresponding import statements.

Predefined functions to be used in live template variables

Item	Description
`annotated("annotation qname")`	Creates a symbol of type with an annotation that resides at the specified location. For example: `annotated("java.lang.Deprecated")`
`anonymousSuper()`	Suggests a supertype for a Kotlin object expression.
`arrayVariable()`	Suggests all array variables applicable in the current scope. For an example, see Live Templates in the iterations group.
`blockCommentEnd`	Returns the characters that indicate the end of a block comment in the current language context.
`blockCommentStart`	Returns the characters that indicate the start of a block comment in the current language context.
`camelCase(String)`	Converts a string into camelCase. For example, `camelCase(my-text-file)`, `camelCase(my text file)`, and `camelCase(my_text_file)` all return `myTextFile`.
`capitalize(String)`	Capitalizes the first letter of the parameter.
`capitalizeAndUnderscore(String)`	Capitalizes all the letters of a CamelCase name passed as the parameter, and inserts an underscore between the parts. For example, `capitalizeAndUnderscore(FooBar)` 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()`	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.
`commentEnd()`	Returns the characters that indicate the end of a comment in the current language context. The return value is empty if line comments are defined in the current language.
`commentStart()`	Returns the characters that indicate the start of a comment in the current language context. If line comments are defined in the current language, their start indicator is preferable.
`complete()`	Invokes code completion at the position of the variable.
`completeSmart()`	Invokes smart type completion at the position of the variable.
`componentTypeOf(<array>)`	Returns component type of an array. For an example, see live templates in the iterations group and in the other group.
`concat(expressions...)`	Returns a concatenation of all the strings passed to the function as parameters.
`currentPackage()`	Returns the current package name.
`date(sDate)`	Returns the current system date in the specified format. Without a parameter, the current date is returned in the default system format. To use a different format, provide a parameter according to the SimpleDateFormat specification. For example, the function `date("Y-MM-d, E, H:m")` will return the date formatted as `2019 - 07 - 5, Fri, 12:56`.
`decapitalize(sName)`	Replaces the first letter of the parameter with the corresponding lowercase letter.
`defaultReturnValues`	Returns the default value if the expression is used in the return statement. Uses the `errorVariableName` parameter if the expression is of the error type.
`descendantClassEnum(<String>)`	Returns the children of the class specified as a string parameter.
`enum(sCompletionString1,sCompletionString2,...)`	Returns a list of comma-separated strings suggested for completion when the template is expanded.
`escapeString(sEscapeString)`	Escapes the string specified as the parameter.
`expectedType()`	Returns the expected type of the expression into which the template expands. Makes sense if the template expands in the right part of an assignment, after `return`, and so on.
`fileName()`	Returns the name of the current file with its extension.
`fileNameWithoutExtension()`	Returns the name of the current file without its extension.
`filePath()`	Returns the absolute path to the current file.
`fileRelativePath()`	Returns the current file path relative to the current project. To check what the relative path is for a given file, right-click it and select Copy Reference, or press`Ctrl+Shift+Alt+C`.
`firstWord(sFirstWord)`	Returns the first word of the string passed as the parameter.
`groovyScript("groovy code", arg1)`	Returns a Groovy script with the specified code. You can use the `groovyScript()` function with multiple arguments. The first argument is the text of the script that is executed or the path to the file that contains the script. The next arguments are bound to the `_1`, `_2`, `_3`, ...`_n` variables that are available inside your script. Also, the `_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.
`JsArrayVariable()`	Returns the name of the current JavaScript array.
`jsClassName()`	Returns the name of the current JavaScript class.
`jsComponentTypeOf()`	Returns the type of the current JavaScript component.
`jsDefineParameter`	Based on the name of the module, returns the parameter from `define(["module"], function (<parameter_in_question>>) {})`.
`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 variable from most commonly used ones: `i`, `j`, `k`, and son on. The names that are not used in the current scope yet are shown first.
`jsSuggestVariableName()`	Returns the suggested name for a variable based on its variable type and 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 an iteration, IntelliJ IDEA makes a guess on the most reasonable name, taking into account the name of the container that is iterated.
`jsSuggestDefaultVariableKind(Boolean)`	The Boolean parameter determines whether constants are allowed or not in the current context. If no parameter is specified, constants are allowed. When the templates expands, a list is shown with `var`, `let`, `const` options for TypeScript and ES6 and with only one `var` option for earlier JavaScript versions.
`jsSuggestImportedEntityName()`	Suggests the name for import statements of the type `import * as $ITEM$ from "$MODULE$"` or `import $ITEM$ from "$MODULE$"` based on the filename.
`lineCommentStart`	Returns the characters that indicate the start of a line comment in the current language context.
`lineNumber()`	Returns the current line number.
`lowercaseAndDash(String)`	Converts a camelCase string into lower case and inserts n-dashes as separators. For example, `lowercaseAndDash(MyExampleName)` returns `my-example-name`.
`methodName()`	Returns the name of the method in which the template is expanded.
`methodParameters()`	Returns the list of parameters of the method in which the template is expanded.
`methodReturnType()`	Returns the type of the value returned by the current method (in which the template is expanded).
`qualifiedClassName()`	Returns the fully qualified name of the current class (in which the template is expanded).
`regularExpression(String, Pattern, Replacement)`	Find all occurrences of `Pattern` in a `String` and replace it with `Replacement`. You can specify the pattern as a regular expression to find everything that matches it in the string.
`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(String)`	Converts a string into snake_case. For example, `snakeCase(fooBar)` returns `foo_bar`.
`spaceSeparated(String)`	Converts a string into lowercase and inserts spaces as separators. For example, `spaceSeparated(fooBar)` returns `foo bar`.
`spacesToUnderscores(sParameterWithSpaces)`	Replaces spaces with underscores in the string passed as the parameter. For example, `spacesToUnderscores(foo bar)` returns `foo_bar`.
`substringBefore(String,Delimiter)`	Removes the extension after the specified delimiter and returns only the filename. This is helpful for test file names (for example, `substringBefore($FileName$,".")` returns `component-test` in component-test.js).
`subtypes(sType)`	Returns the subtypes of the type passed as the parameter.
`suggestFirstVariableName(sFirstVariableName)`	Doesn't suggest `true, false, this, super`.
`suggestIndexName()`	Suggests the name of an index variable from most commonly used ones: `i`, `j`, `k`, and so on (first one that is not used in the current scope).
`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 an iteration, IntelliJ IDEA makes a guess on the most reasonable name, taking into account the name of the container being iterated.
`time(sSystemTime)`	Returns the current system time in the specified format. Without a parameter, the current time is returned in the default system format. To use a different format, provide a parameter according to the SimpleDateFormat specification. For example, the function `time("H:m z")` will return the timestamp formatted as `13:10 UTC`.
`typeOfVariable(VAR)`	Returns the type of the variable passed as the parameter.
`underscoresToCamelCase(String)`	Replaces underscores with camelCase letters in the string passed as the parameter. For example, `underscoresToCamelCase(foo_bar)` returns `fooBar`.
`underscoresToSpaces(sParameterWithUnderscores)`	Replaces underscores with spaces in the string passed as the parameter. For example, `underscoresToSpaces(foo_bar)` returns `foo bar`.
`user()`	Returns the name of the current user.
`variableOfType(<type>)`	Suggests all variables that may be assigned to the type passed as the parameter, for example, `variableOfType("java.util.Vector")`. If you pass an empty string `""` as the parameter, the function suggests all variables regardless of their types.

Last modified: 26 April 2020