WebStorm 2019.3 Help

Creating live templates

The following example procedure illustrates how to create a template for a TODO comment with the current date, user name, and two user-defined variables that expand into input fields.

  1. In the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, go to Editor | Live Templates.

  2. Select the template group where you want to create a new live template (for example, other). If you do not select a template group, the live template will be added to the user group.

  3. Click the Add button and select Live Template.

  4. In the Abbreviation field, specify the characters that will be used to expand the template. For example: todo.

  5. (Optional) In the Description field, describe the template for reference in the future. For example: Insert TODO comment with the current date, user, and two input fields for the TODO suggestion and for the name of the project where it is relevant.

  6. In the Template text field, specify the body of the template with variables. For example: //TODO added on $DATE$ by $USER$: consider $todo$ for project $project$

Depending on the current system date and username, the newly created todo template will expand as follows:

Create a new template from a fragment of code

  1. In the editor, select the text fragment to create a live template from.

  2. Select Tools | Save as Live Template from the main menu. The list of the live templates opens. In this list, the newly created template has been added to the user group.

  3. Specify an abbreviation for the template, an optional description (to identify what the template is for) and modify the template body. If the template has variables defined, click Edit Variables to configure them.

  4. Click OK to apply the changes.

Copy an existing template

If you want to reuse the same template in multiple groups, or you want to create a new template based on another one, you can duplicate an existing template.

  1. On the Editor | Live Templates page of the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, select the template you want to copy.

  2. Click Duplicate The Duplicate button on the toolbar. A new template item is added to the same group as the original, and selected.

  3. Specify a new abbreviation for the template, an optional description (to identify what the template is for), and modify the template body if necessary. If the template has variables defined, click Edit Variables to configure them.

  4. Click OK to apply the changes.

Last modified: 4 April 2020