After around seven years of exclusively using Eclipse for Java development I recently got the chance to work on a project where IntelliJ IDEA is the standard editor. All of a sudden my tried and tested Eclipse keyboard shortcuts didn’t work any more. I’m still in the process of learning the IntelliJ Shortcuts but here are my favourites up to now (with equivalent Eclipse shortcuts). This may be of help to anyone else switching over from Eclipse to IntelliJ. Of course, there is an IntelliJ Plugin available which makes IntelliJ IDEA behave like Eclipse (same shortcuts and compiler behaviour) but why do that?
In the table below, in some cases, the shortcuts do not map 1:1 but they achieve the same effect.
| Eclipse | IntelliJ IDEA | Description |
| F4 | ctrl+h | show the type hierarchy |
| ctrl+alt+g | ctrl+alt+F7 | find usages |
| ctrl+shift+u | ctrl+f7 | finds the usages in the same file |
| alt+shift+r | shift+F6 | rename |
| ctrl+shift+r | ctrl+shift+N | find file / open resource |
| ctrl+shift+x, j | ctrl+shift+F10 | run (java program) |
| ctrl+shift+o | ctrl+alt+o | organize imports |
| ctrl+o | ctrl+F12 | show current file structure / outline |
| ctrl+shift+m | ctrl+alt+V | create local variable refactoring |
| syso ctrl+space | sout ctrj+j | System.out.println(“”) |
| alt + up/down | ctrl + shift + up/down | move lines |
| ctrl + d | ctrl + y | delete current line |
| ??? | alt + h | show subversion history |
| ctrl + h | ctrl + shift + f | search (find in path) |
| “semi” set in window-> preferences | ctrl + shift + enter | if I want to add the semi-colon at the end of a statement |
| ctrl + 1 or ctrl + shift + l | ctrl + alt + v | introduce local variable |
| alt + shift + s | alt + insert | generate getters / setters |
| ctrl + shift + f | ctrl + alt + l | format code |
| ctrl + y | ctrl + shift + z | redo |
| ctrl + shift + c | ctrl + / | comment out lines (my own IDEA shortcut definition for comment/uncomment on german keyboard layout on laptop: ctrl + shift + y) |
| ctrl + alt + h | ctrl + alt + h (same!) | show call hierarchy |
| none ? | ctrl + alt + f7 | to jump to one of the callers of a method |
| ctrl + shift + i | alt + f8 | evaluate expression (in debugger) |
| F3 | ctrl + b | go to declaration (e.g. go to method) |
One other thing I didn’t realise at first is that the ‘Scroll to Source’ button in IntelliJ IDEA is basically the same as the ‘Link with Editor’ button in Eclipse.
Very useful
Thanks a lot, very useful post especially for me who has to work on Intellij after working on eclipse for few years.
Ctl+alt+L Locks the system on my Ubuntu OS. Its quite annoying. Is there an alternative?
regards
Josh
Joshua, you can redefine the shortcut under File -> Settings -> Keymap -> Main menu -> Code -> Reformat Code…
This is extremely useful… extremely!
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/746109/intellij-idea-equivalent-of-eclipse-link-with-editor
This is a good one too, but apparently not a keyboard shortcut
So, Which IDE you prefer; Eclipse or Intellij ?
Hi Leonard. In the meantime I’m back working with Eclipse on a different project. I think I prefer IntelliJ overall as an IDE because it’s slicker than eclipse i.e. all the parts work very well together out of the box.
very useful shortcutss..
Hey,
You can use this plugin in Eclipse if you are used with the IntelliJ IDEA shortcuts. I found it very useful.
http://www.jroller.com/santhosh/entry/intellij_idea_key_scheme_for
Eclipse Ctrl + T in IntelliJ IDEA is Ctrl + Alt + B
Hey Rey,
users that comes from eclipse corner can import a KeyMap with all shortcuts from eclipse. You needn’t install a plugin. And to your rethoric question:
“Of course, there is an IntelliJ Plugin available which makes IntelliJ IDEA behave like Eclipse (same shortcuts and compiler behaviour) but why do that?”
To save a lot of time. Tell me how much time you have spend to learn all intellij shortcuts, than you have the true answer of your question!
My personal oppinion is that eclipse is better than intellij and its free(no charge) to use. I have used both in different projects. eclipse can do much more than intellij.
Cheers
Asterios