My favorite features of IntelliJ-based IDEs — and reasons not to use them
Since the beginning of my career, I loved creating and using tools that synergize.
Investing time in integrating powerful tools in my toolkit helped my skyrocket my skills and efficiency.
In this post I’m going to show you my favorite ones built into IntelliJ-based IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio, WebStorm, etc.) - and give you reasons not to use them.
1. Tasks and Contexts
Never get lost juggling between tasks again.
Switch Task — ⌥⇧T / Alt+Shift+T
2. Commit and VCS Tool Windows
Know your commits.
Commit — ⌘0 / Alt+0
VCS — ⌘9 / Alt+9
3. Recent Files and Locations
Back and forth — faster.
Recent locations — ⇧⌘E / Ctrl+Shift+E
Recent files — ⌘E / Ctrl+E
4. Search and Custom Scopes
Find what you’re looking for.
Search Everywhere — 2x⇧ / 2xShift
5. Refactor This
Make the code more enjoyable to read.
Refactor This — ⌃T / Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T
6. Run Anything and Custom Run Configurations
You don’t have to do everything from the Terminal.
Run Anything — 2x⌃ / 2xCtrl
7. Quick Documentation, Type Info, Inlay Hints
Dig into how other people’s code works.
Quick Documentation — F1 / Ctrl+Q
Type Info — ⌃⇧P / Ctrl+Shit+P
8. Enhanced Breakpoints
Debugging doesn’t have to waste your time.
Left click on the gutter to set breakpoint, right click on it to see options.
Reasons not to use these features
Using fancy tools doesn’t necessarily make you a better developer —in fact, it might actually decrease your productivity. Let me explain.
You are always using a set of tools — think of it as your toolbox.
Maybe you’re only navigating using the Project Tool Window. Maybe you are only using the mouse instead of key combinations. Maybe you’re even using an IDE that doesn’t support these features.
The thing is, it works for you NOW. You’ve become accustomed to using these tools together, and jumping into using other tools will break your synergy until you integrate them properly.
The upgrade process takes mental energy from your part, and you might want to distribute it somewhere else. Maybe learning a new framework, eating healthier, improving team communication or spending quality time with your family.
Thank you for reading!
I encourage you to reach out to me and let me know if you discovered something interesting.
