Boost Your Productivity: Essential IntelliJ IDEA Settings, Tips, and Shortcuts

Common Settings

After reinstalling IntelliJ IDEA, configure:

Theme and font: set to Dark via Settings → Appearance & Behavior → Appearance.

Editor font size via Settings → Editor → Font.

Global and project file encoding via Settings → Editor → File Encoding.

Code templates via Settings → Editor → File and Code Templates.

Keymap customization via Settings → Keymap.

Shortcut Modifications

Copy current line: original Ctrl + D, changed to Ctrl + Alt + ↓ (reason: does not follow operation logic).

Delete current line: original Ctrl + Y, changed to Ctrl + D (reason: does not follow operation logic).

Move line up/down: original Alt + Shift + ↑ / ↓, changed to Alt + ↑ / ↓ (reason: key combination too complex).

Basic code completion: original Ctrl + Space, changed to Alt + / (reason: conflicts with input‑method shortcuts).

Usage Tips

IDEA provides left, middle, and right toolbars; any operation shown there can be used without memorizing a shortcut.

Core navigation is Search Everywhere (double‑press Shift) to search files, classes, actions, and settings.

To locate an action or shortcut, use Search → Action.

When editing MyBatis mapper.xml files and SQL suggestions are missing, add a MySQL data source via Database → Data Source → MySQL.

If certain tags lack suggestions, inject the language or reference MySQL to resolve the issue.

Selecting code shows a floating toolbar with quick actions such as surround, extract variable, and reformat.

Common Shortcuts

Global search (files/classes/actions/settings): Shift + Shift (double‑press) – Navigate → Search Everywhere.

Search class: Ctrl + N – Navigate → Class.

Find action (execute command): Ctrl + Shift + A – Help → Find Action.

Go to declaration: Ctrl + Left‑Click – Navigate → Declaration.

Show implementations: Ctrl + Alt + B – Navigate → Implementation.

Find usages: Alt + F7 – Edit → Find Usages.

Navigate back/forward: Alt + ← / → – Navigate → Back / Forward.

Go to line: Ctrl + G – Navigate → Line….

File structure (current file method list): Ctrl + F12 – Navigate → File Structure.

Basic code completion: Ctrl + Space – Code → Completion → Basic.

Smart code completion (type matching): Ctrl + Shift + Space – Code → Completion → Smart.

Intention actions / import class: Alt + Enter – Right‑click → Show Context Actions.

Reformat code (current file): Ctrl + Alt + L – Code → Reformat Code.

Comment / uncomment line: Ctrl + / – Code → Comment with Line Comment.

Comment / uncomment block: Ctrl + Shift + / – Code → Comment with Block Comment.

Copy current line: Ctrl + D – Edit → Duplicate Line.

Delete current line: Ctrl + Y (no default menu entry).

Move line up/down: Alt + Shift + ↑ / ↓ – Code → Move Line Up / Down.

Undo: Ctrl + Z – Edit → Undo.

Redo: Ctrl + Shift + Z – Edit → Redo.

Rename (variable/class/method): Shift + F6 – Refactor → Rename.

Column (vertical) editing: hold Alt and drag with left mouse button – Right‑click → Column Selection Mode.

Git commit: Ctrl + K – Git → Commit.