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).
CLion provides predefined templates for all supported file types suggested when you create a new file. The set of suggested file types depends on the module and configuration, as well as the properties of your current location in the Project tool window. For example, CLion will not suggest creating a C++ file outside of the C++ source or test directories.
Manage and configure file templates
Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open the IDE settings and select .
For more information, see File and Code Templates.
By default, the list of templates contains only predefined templates provided by CLion. Some of them are internal, which means they cannot be deleted or renamed. CLion 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 .
Using the Scheme list, select the scope to which the file template apply:
Default: configure file templates for the entire application. These templates are available in all projects that you open with the current IDE instance. Use them as your personal templates that you prefer regardless of the specific project. CLion stores global templates in the IDE configuration directory under fileTemplates.
Project: configure file templates specific for the current project. These templates are available to everyone who works on this project. CLion stores them in the project folder under .idea/fileTemplates.
On the Files tab, click
and specify the template name, file extension, name of the resulting file, 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 .
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 .
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.