Advanced completion | IntelliJ IDEA Documentation

Type-matching completion

Smart type-matching code completion filters the suggestion list and shows only the types applicable to the current context.

Type-matching completion is useful in situations when it is possible to determine the appropriate type:

In the right part of assignment statements
In variable initializers
In return statements
In the list of arguments of a method call
After the new keyword in an object declaration
In chained expressions

Invoke type-matching completion

To invoke type-matching completion, start typing and press Ctrl+Shift+Space or select Code | Code Completion | Type-Matching from the main menu.
If necessary, press Ctrl+Shift+Space once again. This lets you complete:
- Collections, lists and arrays. IntelliJ IDEA searches for symbols with the same component type and suggests converting them.
- Static method calls or constant references. IntelliJ IDEA scans for static methods and fields and suggests the ones suitable in the current context.

Statement completion

You can create syntactically correct code constructs by using statement completion. It inserts the necessary syntax elements (parentheses, braces, and semicolons) and gets you in a position where you can start typing the next statement.

To invoke statement completion, start typing a code construct and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter.

Complete a method declaration

Start typing a method declaration and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter after the parenthesis.
public class Converter{ int a = 0; static boolean RepeatConversion(//caret) }
public class Converter{ int a = 0; static boolean RepeatConversion(){ //caret } }

Complete a code construct

Start typing a code construct and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
IntelliJ IDEA automatically completes the construct and adds end. The caret is placed at the next editing position.
} catch (ArithmeticException e) { if(//caret) }
} catch (ArithmeticException e) { if(//caret){ } }

Wrap a method call argument

Type an expression. Then type a method call. When println gets the focus in the suggestion list, select it with Ctrl+Shift+Enter:
System.out.println"Hello, world!"
System.out.println("Hello, world!");

Hippie completion

Hippie completion is a completion engine that analyses your text in the visible scope and generates suggestions from the current context. It helps you complete any word from any of the currently opened files.

Expand a string at caret to an existing word

Type the initial string and do one of the following:
- Press Alt+/ or choose Code | Code Completion | Cyclic Expand Word to search for matching words before the caret.
- Press Alt+Shift+/ or choose Code | Code Completion | Cyclic Expand Word (Backward) to search for matching words after the caret and in other open files.
The first suggested value appears, and the prototype is highlighted in the source code.
Accept the suggestion or hold the Alt key and keep pressing \ until you find the word you need.

Completion of tags and attributes

IntelliJ IDEA automatically completes names and values of tags and attributes in many file types:

HTML/XHTML, including completion for CSS classes and for HTML tags inside JSX.
If Emmet support is enabled, Emmet templates are also completed automatically in the HTML and XML contexts.
XML/XSL
JSP/JSPX
GSP
JSON. For more information, refer to Editing package.json.

Completion of tags and attribute names is based on the DTD or Schema the file is associated with. If there is no schema association, IntelliJ IDEA will use the file content (tag and attribute names and their values) to complete your input.

In XML/XSL and JSP/JSPX files, completion for taglibs and namespaces is available.

Complete tag names

Type the opening < and then start typing the tag name. IntelliJ IDEA displays the list of tag names appropriate in the current context.
Use the Up and Down keys to scroll through the list.
Press Enter to accept a selection from the list. If your file is associated with a schema or a DTD, IntelliJ IDEA automatically inserts the mandatory attributes according to it.

Import a taglib declaration

If you need to use tags declared in a tag library, you need to import this taglib before any custom tag from it can be used.

Start typing a taglib prefix and press Alt+Insert.
Select a taglib from the list and press Enter.
IntelliJ IDEA imports the selected taglib and adds the import statement automatically.

Insert a tag declared in a taglib

Start typing a tag and press Ctrl+Alt+Space.
Select a tag from the list. The uri of the taglib it belongs to is displayed in brackets.
Select a taglib and press Enter. IntelliJ IDEA adds the declaration of the selected taglib.