Properties files are used to store localization strings. IntelliJ IDEA enables you to create new properties files, and detects the existing ones.

To create properties files
  1. Right-click a directory where you would like to create a properties file.
  2. On the context menu of the target directory, choose New | File.
  3. In the New File dialog box, type the file name with the corresponding extension, and click OK. Note that you can also create nested directories under locales, and add new properties files there.

If you create several files with the same name and different locale suffixes (for example, myProperty_en, myProperty_fr etc.), such properties files will be recognized as a resource bundle.

While editing properties files, use the following techniques:

  • Syntax highlighting: Keywords, delimiters, values and comments are highlighted. You can configure the color scheme in the Colors and Fonts page of the Preferences dialog.
  • Code inspection detects duplicate or unused properties, and suggests to fix the problem immediately:

    i18n_duplicatePropertyInspection.png

  • Expand word: Start typing, and press ⌥/ or ⌥/⌥/ or ⌥/⌃. or ⌃.⌥ Slash, ⌥/ or ⌥/⌥ Slash, ⌥/ or ⌥/ to go through the existing strings.