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Overview

Navigate commands enable you to quickly jump to the desired classes, files, or symbols specified by names. IntelliJ IDEA suggests a look-up list of matching names, from which you can select the desired one, and open it in the editor. This navigation honors CamelCase and snake_case capitalization . Refer to the tips for detailed list of available techniques.

Navigating by name

To navigate to a class, file, or symbol with the specified name:

  1. On the main menu, point to Navigate, and then choose Class, File, or Symbol respectively, or use the following shortcuts:
    • Class: ⌘O⌘N⇧⌘T⌃,⌥⇧G
    • File (directory): ⇧⌘O⇧⌘N⇧⌘R⌃⇧N⌃X, ⌃F
    • Symbol: ⌥⌘O⌥⇧⌘N⌥⌘O⌃⌥⇧N⌃⌥⇧N
  2. In the pop-up window, start typing the desired name.

    So doing, you can enter characters located anywhere inside the desired name. As you type, the suggestion list shrinks, displaying the matching names only.

    • Class:

      ../../Shared/gotoClass.png

      It is also possible to navigate directly to the specified anonymous class. It is enough to specify class name and the anonymous class number, delimited with $ character:

      ../../Shared/gotoAnonymousClass.png
    • File:

      gotoFile.png

    • Directory: use the same ⇧⌘O⇧⌘N⇧⌘R⌃⇧N⌃X, ⌃F shortcut as for file navigation, and type the name of the directory you are looking for, the pattern name ending with / or \:

      ij_goto_dir

    • Symbol:

      gotoSymbol.png

  3. Click the desired entry in the suggestion list, or select it using the arrow keys, and press ⏎⏎⏎⏎⏎.

Tips and tricks

While working in the navigation pop-up window, use the following helpful techniques:

  • Narrow down the search scope by selecting the file types to search in. Just click the filter ../../Shared/filter.png, and clear the check boxes next to the file types you are not interested in.
  • Include non-project files in the look-up list and thus make available matching files from SDKs and libraries.
  • If the look-up list is too long, type more characters to shrink it, or click the ellipsis sign at the end of the list, to reveal its next portion.
  • Type the initial letters of the CamelHumps names, for example:

    gotoFileCamelCaseNoShift.png

    Note that IntelliJ IDEA automatically recognizes CamelHumps and matches them to the lower case letters.

  • Type any letters separated with spaces for snake_case names, for example:

    gotoFileSnakeCase.png

  • In the navigation to file pop-up window, type letters delimited with slashes to denote nested directories:

    gotoFileNestedDirectory.png

  • Type line number after a file name, delimited with a colon, to navigate to the specified line:

    ../../Shared/gotoFileLineNumber.png

  • Use * wildcard to represent any number of characters, though it is quite enough to type characters located in the middle of the desired name.
  • If while typing in one of the Navigate to Class/File/Symbol pop-up windows you notice that you need another one, just invoke the necessary dialog box. The text you have already entered will not disappear.
  • Press ⌥F1⌥F1⌥⌘W⌥F1⌥F1 to invoke the Select Target pop-up window, and choose the desired IDE component.
  • Note that for the projects under version control, the entries in the look-up list are color coded according to their status:

    gotoFileVCS.png

  • When there is a detached editor frame with a certain file, you can opt to open this file in the main IntelliJ IDEA frame by pressing ⏎⏎⏎⏎⏎, or activate the detached frame by pressing ⇧⏎⇧⏎⇧⏎⇧⏎⇧⏎.