Live Templates

Use this page to create, manage, and edit live templates.

Main settings

Item	Description
By default expand with		Specifies the default invocation key for all templates. Individual expansion keys for the particular templates are defined in the editing area. If the standard expansion keys (`Tab`, `Enter`, or `Space`) are not desirable, select the Custom option from this list. When Custom is selected, the Change link appears next to the drop-down, leading you to the Keymap page.
Live Templates		Displays all currently available template abbreviations with their descriptions. The abbreviations are grouped below nodes and sorted alphabetically within each group. To activate a template or an entire group, select the checkbox near the template or the group. Only active templates are displayed in the editor. If a template is active, the editor is sensitive to its abbreviation. Otherwise, the abbreviation is considered a set of characters.
	Add `Alt+Insert`	Adds a new template item to the current group of template. You can define the template abbreviation, description, text, variables, expansion key, and context in the editing area below.
	Remove `Delete`	Removes the selected live template from the list.
	Duplicate	Click this button to create a new template based on the selected template. A new template item is added to the current node and the fields in the Template Text area show the definition of the selected template.
	Restore deleted defaults	Click this button to restore the deleted live templates. This button is only enabled when the changes are applied.

Context menu of a live template

Item	Description
Move	Moves the selected template to a specified group.
Change context	Changes context or contexts where the current template is enabled. When you select this command, a list of supported language contexts is displayed. To make IntelliJ IDEA consider a context sensitive to the template, select a checkbox next to the context name. The available context types depend on the enabled plugins.
Copy	Creates a serialized template XML in the system clipboard.
Paste	Pastes an XML representation of the copied templates to the selected group of templates.
Restore defaults	This command only appears on the context menus of the modified templates, marked blue. Choose this command to restore the default template settings.

Template editing area

The focus is moved to this area in the following cases:

When you click the Add or Copy button.
When you select a live template in the list.
When you select a fragment of code in the editor and choose Tools | Save as Live Template.

Use controls of this area to create new live templates and edit the settings for the existing ones.

You can navigate through the Template Text Area using the hot keys that are marked in the field labels.

Item	Description
Abbreviation	In this field, specify the template abbreviation, i.e a sequence of characters that identify the template in the editor.
Description	In this field, provide optional description of a template or an example of its usage.
Template Text	In this field, type the template body that may contain plain text and variables in the format $<variable name>$ . If necessary, click Edit Variables and configure the variables as required. To escape a dollar sign `$` in the template text, just duplicate it `$$`.
Applicable in:	This read-only field shows the languages and/or pieces of code where the editor should be sensitive to the template. Upon pressing `Ctrl+J` in such context, IntelliJ IDEA displays a list of templates that are valid for this context.
Change	Click this link to modify the set of contexts where the current template is enabled. Upon clicking the link, a list of supported language contexts is displayed. To make IntelliJ IDEA consider a context sensitive to the template, select a checkbox next to the context name. The available context types depend on the enabled plugins.
Edit Variables	Open the Edit Template Variables dialog, where you can define how IntelliJ IDEA should process template variables upon template expansion. For more information, see Live template variables.
Options	In this area, define the behavior of the editor when a template is expanded. Expand with- from this list, choose the key to invoke the template. Reformat according to style- select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA automatically reformat the expanded text according to the current style settings, defined on the Code Style page. Use static import if possible- select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA add static import statements instead of inserting `Class.methodName()`. Shorten FQ names- select this checkbox to have IntelliJ IDEA truncate fully qualified names in the expanded template and add the corresponding import statements.

Last modified: 29 June 2021