File templates

File templates are specifications of the default contents for new files that you create. Depending on the type of file you are creating, templates provide initial code and formatting expected in all files of that type (according to industry or language standards, your corporate policy, or for other reasons).

WebStorm provides predefined templates for all supported file types suggested when you create a new file.

Manage and configure file templates

Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open the IDE settings and select Editor | File and Code Templates.

For more information, see File and Code Templates.

By default, the list of templates contains only predefined templates provided by WebStorm. Some of them are internal, which means they cannot be deleted or renamed. WebStorm shows the names of internal templates in bold. The names of templates that you modified, as well as custom templates that you created manually, are shown in blue.

The following procedures describe how to create file templates. Similar procedures can be used for creating include templates.

Create a new file template

Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open the IDE settings and select Editor | File and Code Templates.
On the Files tab, click and specify the name, file extension, and body of the template.
Apply the changes and close the dialog.

Copy an existing file template

Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open the IDE settings and select Editor | File and Code Templates.
On the Files tab, click and modify the name, file extension, and body of the template as necessary.
Apply the changes and close the dialog.

Save a file as a template

Open a file in the editor.
From the main menu, select File | Save File as Template.
In the Save File as Template dialog, specify the new template name and edit the body, if necessary.
Apply the changes and close the dialog.

Syntax

File templates use the Velocity Template Language (VTL), which includes the following constructs:

Plain text rendered as is.
Variables that are replaced by their values. For example, ${NAME} inserts the name provided by the user when adding the file.
Various directives, including #parse, #set, #if, and others.

Start typing $ or # to see completion suggestions for available variables and directives.

For more information, see the VTL reference guide.

The following example shows the default template for creating a JavaScript class in WebStorm:

                /**
                 * Created by ${USER} on ${DATE}
                 */
            

In this template, ${USER} and ${DATE} are template variables.

When you create a new JavaScript file, this template generates a file with contents similar to the following:

                /**
                 * Created by John.Smith on 6/7/11
                 */
            

The following example shows the default template for creating a Gherkin features file in WebStorm:

            # Created by ${USER} at ${DATE}

            Feature: #Enter feature name here
            # Enter feature description here

            Scenario: # Enter scenario name here
            # Enter steps here
            

In this template, ${USER} and ${DATE} are template variables. When you create a new Gherkin file, this template generates a feature file with contents similar to the following:

                # Created by jetbrains at 25.06.2018

                Feature: #Enter feature name here
                # Enter feature description here

                Scenario: # Enter scenario name here
                # Enter steps here
            

Last modified: 19 November 2021