IntelliJ IDEA way of editing multiple lines

Question

I've seen this done in TextMate and I was wondering if there's a way to do it in IDEA.

Say I have the following code:

 leaseLabel = "Lease";
 leaseLabelPlural = "Leases";
 portfolioLabel = "Portfolio";
 portfolioLabelPlural = "Portfolios";
 buildingLabel = "Building";

What is the best way to append '+ "foo"' to every line? Column mode won't work since the lines are not correctly aligned on the right side... unless there is an easy way to right justify the text :P

Misdemeanant

This is something that I need to do so infrequently that even if there was a special mode in my editor, I'd never remember how to use it. I'd just use the clipboard if it was only for a few lines (like above). If it's for hundreds of lines, that's when I'd move over to the find/replace gadget. – Jamieson

In column mode, create 5 cursors on the very left. Then use Ctrl-RightArrow to get over to the right. Multiple cursors, macros and search-replace are all awesome ways to get this done! I can't decide which one I like best. – Jeopardize

Its Option + Shift + Click for Macbook. All Intellij Shortcuts: docs.google.com/document/d/… – Wolver

Maybe this answer also helps: https://mcmap.net/q/128288/-how-can-i-expand-multi-line-selection-to-full-lines-in-phpstorm-intellij-idea – Dibri

official docs: jetbrains.com/help/idea/multicursor.html – Backus

Answer 1

Since Idea IntelliJ IDEA 13.1 there is a possibility to edit multiple lines.

Windows

Alt + Shift + Mouse click

macOS

Option + Shift + Mouse click

for selection. More about this new improvement in the IntelliJ blog post here. Very useful feature.

Ale

Thanks for the link. I accidentally hit upon this feature but somehow I couldn't figure out which key combination I accidentally pressed :) – Ssm

As of Feb 2015 Alt-Shift-Insert : Column Selection Mode OR simply Alt-Select. very powerful and easy to use. I'm not sure why people keep telling the OP to use "search and replace" when he's clearly asking about simultaneous line editing - the fact he asks that suggests he's smart enough to be aware of search and replace. – Pd

For Mac, its Alt + Click. – Curzon

And for now, just mouse middle button + drag. – Christyna

Its Option + Shift + Click for Macbook. All Intellij Shortcuts: docs.google.com/document/d/… – Wolver

doesnt work for, Is this still the combo on new versions – Captious

Keyboard-only alternative: Press Ctrl twice, and then without releasing it, press the Up or Down arrow keys. jetbrains.com/webstorm/guide/tips/multi-cursor (works for me in PyCharm + Windows) – Charlton

Still works as of Aug 2022! – Dakota

@BernardoCosta For years I have been wondering what I am doing by mistake every now and then to activate that, and whenever I want to do it for real I don't know how to do it. Thank you. Finally I know what I'm doing and can do it when I want to. – Zwiebel

official documentation: jetbrains.com/help/idea/multicursor.html – Tetrahedron

Answer 2

I use Column Selection Mode (Cmd+Shift+8 on Mac) which allows to create multiple cursors via Shift+Up or Shift+Down then edit all the lines together.

Starting from IntelliJ IDEA 14 there is also Clone Caret Above / Below:

• Windows: Ctrl, Ctrl+Up/Down
• MacOS: Option,Option + Up/Down

(hold the second press of the modifier key, then press the arrow key)

Aleuromancy

I had accidently pressed Cmd+Shift+8 and could not for the life of me figure out why the heck everything was "multi line" selectable. Thanks for the command shortcut! – Unguiculate

Double <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> doesn't work for me on IntelliJ Ultimate 2016.1. I have to use double <kbc>Option</kbd>, hold the second press, then press the arrow keys. – Vidrine

@DaveKennedy You're absolutely right, Jet Brains has changed default shortcut. – Aleuromancy

double ctrl solution is best as it allows to keep my hands on the keyboard – Outrelief

To change the key mapping to actually match any of your other editors that you use, go into Settings -> Keymap, and in the right search box search for "Clone Caret". Right click the action and pick "Add Keyboard Shortcut". If it saves it causes a conflict, click "OK" anyways. Then it'll add another prompt asking if you want to "Remove" the other assignment (probably what you want), or "Leave" it (intentionally triggering two things with one shortcut seems weird...) or "Cancel" (why did you click OK previously then?) – Estimation

@AlexanderBogushov thanks this helped me. It might be worth mentioning, just for completeness, that you also have to turn-off Column Selection Mode, by selecting the same keys again, Cmd+Shift+8 (on Mac) – Philosophize

Okey, Cmd+Shift+8 = ALT + SHIFT + INSERT – Gales

For years I have been wondering what I am doing by mistake every now and then to activate that, and whenever I want to do it for real I don't know how to do it. Thank you. Finally I know what I'm doing and can do it when I want to. – Zwiebel

Official Documentation: jetbrains.com/help/idea/multicursor.html – Tetrahedron

The Windows version also works for Linux – Calutron

Answer 3

Another keyboard-only approach. It's possible (since 13.1 version) to use Alt+J / Shift+Alt+J (Ctrl+G for OS X) shortcuts for creating multiple carets. Alt+J selects the next occurrence of the currently selected text and adds another caret.

1. Select the first semicolon

2. Then press Alt+J four times

3. Edit what you want to

4. Press Esc to return to the first line.

Tarriance

Answer 4

Place caret at end

Windows: CTRL + CTRL(Hold) + ↑ / ↓

Mac: option + option(Hold) + ↑ / ↓.

To place caret at the end of rows: move caret to top row, clone down to bottom, and click END.

Change Multi-caret Hotkey

To add a custom Keymap, CTRL+SHIFT+A, type keymap and click on the one with Settings as subtext. Search for Clone Caret Above and Clone Caret Below.

I mapped mine to ALT+SHIFT+↑ / ↓ on Windows and ⌘+↑ / ↓ on Mac.

Bonus

Try holding combinations of CTRL, SHIFT, and arrows for improved selection power.

Libnah

Thanks for the 'END' comment, great for common assignments into variables with different lengths. – Weddle

This should be the answer as it's the most complete and to-the-point response. +1. – Enteric

another way is to hold "alt" and keep pressing "j", it will keep adding lines to the multi-line select. – Peeper

There is another tip like 'END', which is 'HOME', it puts the cursors at the beginning of the text on each line, if you press it more than once, it alternates between beginning of line and beginning of text (after leading whitespaces) – Phalanger

Thank you! option + option (Hold) + ↑ / ↓ worked for me on a Mac. – Shalne

Answer 5

Column mode works just fine: first select all the lines in column mode, then press END: each cursor will jump to the end of respective line.

On Linux (NO MOUSE NEEDED):

1. ALT + SHIFT + INSERT to enter block-mode

2. SHIFT + UP or SHIFT + DOWN to select multiple lines

3. END to jump to the end of each line

4. now type foo, it will append it to each line:

5. Now deselect everything with ESCAPE and switch back to normal selection mode with ALT + SHIFT + INSERT.

Profane

delighted with this... thanks @AndreyTyukin – Faunie

This is the way it works on Linux for me (Ubuntu 2021.04). But its sad, because it used to work with Ctrl+Ctrl before, something must have changed, Wayland may be interfering with that action. – Botha

finally, the definitive answer! – Brigadier

"no mouse needed" sounds like an advantage. but in fact, the alt+shift+mouse shortcut is hijacked by the UI which wants to move the window. - a very nice UI feature actually which I miss in windows, but this time it badly conflicts with intellij, like the code format hotkey too.. – Samovar

Answer 6

Since WebStorm 2020.2 you can use AltShiftG to add carets at the end of each selected line.

The new action for working with multiple carets (Alt+Shift+G) lets you quickly place carets at the end of each selected line and removes the selection as soon as all carets are added.

What’s new in WebStorm 2020.2

Smithsonite

I've been looking for this for a long time. Thank you! Is there a hotkey to do the reverse as well? – Ridotto

Works in IntelliJ – Wellbalanced

Answer 7

You could also do a vertical code block selection by clicking mouse wheel and dragging:

Corinthians

Answer 8

Select Next Occurrence:

      Alt+J on Windows, Ctrl-G on Mac OS X

Unselect Occurrence:

      Alt+Shift+J on Windows, Ctrl-Shift-G on Mac OS X

Select All Occurrences:

      Ctrl+Alt+Shift+J on Windows, Ctrl-Cmd-G on Mac OS X

for more reference: link

Se

The point with (left) Alt + J is you have to select code first. – Apomixis

Answer 9

It took me a while to find out, but on a Mac you can double-press Option (press it once, release, press it again, keep it pressed) and use Up/Down keys to create/remove carets as you wish.

You can also hold Shift+Option and click to create/remove carets at specific points.

Lindesnes

This is great but is there a way to do this and select all the way down to the end of the file? Otherwise I have to scroll through the entire thing using arrow and we have some massive files. – Definiens

Answer 10

ALT + CTRL + SHIFT + CLICK on linux

Rhizocarpous

Answer 11

I just use the macros for this sort of thing. I start recording the macro, do it once, then play back the macro on each line I want to modify. You'd be amazed at how fancy you can get with the macro record/playback feature.

Tanah

Throw away macros can be very handy for do these sorts of changes. How you descibe it is exactly what I would do if I was making these changes inside the Zeus editor. – Dunleavy

If the lines are all grouped together like that, then record the macro to also move the cursor to the next line, then you just have to start running the macro on the first line and repeat however many times you want. – Biophysics

How do you mean you can "repeat however many times you want"? Is there a way to automatically repeat a macro? – Adolfoadolph

Edit->Macros->Playback Last Macro. I've got that mapped to F12, but I have a non-standard key binding. I do the macro once and start whacking F12 over and over. – Tanah

macros is good,but if i use ideavim on intellij, the macros cannot resolve shortcut of vim – Calling

Answer 12

Hold ALT and use the mouse for click and drag

Brunhilda

Answer 13

I hold (Shift + option + command) then click where ever I want the extra cursor to go. Using Webstorm and on a Mac

Captious

Answer 14

It's Option + Shift + Click for Macbook.

All Important Intellij Shortcuts: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KagEr4hDmTugMJJLsYUgc122zXEnbj4A2vHoe8PtKpo/edit?usp=sharing

Wolver

Link in answer is dead - "410 Gone". – Holms

Answer 15

In this case you can also just select the piece of code in which you want to do this and perform a replace on it. Replace:

";

with:

" + "foo";

So in case you didn't know: If you have text selected while you perform a replace (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R) it will only apply to the selected piece of text.

Tutankhamen

Answer 16

For newer versions use: Alt + Shift + Insert

Quadrille

another way is to hold "alt" and keep pressing "j", it will keep adding lines to the multi-line select. – Peeper

Answer 17

You can set multiple carets from the search and replace tool.

1. Ctrl + R to open Search & Replace tool
2. Write the character or word identifying the beginning of each recurrence to edit
3. Clic on 'Select all occurence' in the Search & Replace tool, IntelliJ will put a caret for each occurence

Live the magic

Lorri

Answer 18

For Mac:

Option + Shift + Click & Drag

Negrito

Answer 19

All the above answer are great, but if you want multiline edit at the end of lines then you have press "End" key while your multiline selection is active.

For Mac Sequence of command will be:

shift option click # select a set of lines

command right arrow # go to the end of lines

This will do multiline select at the end of the line and you can edit it as required

Ensure

Answer 20

What I usually use (NetBeans, but I believe it is simple to use in any IDE) is find&replace.

You just find ;\n and replace it with + $foo;\n then you don't apply to ALL lines but you place cursor on the first line and you just hit "replace" button (depends on your IDE I suppose) 7 times to change 7 lines in no time. Easy and simple and it should be done with the most basic and the most advanced IDE you can find.

EDIT: In IntelliJ (don't know if it works in other IDEs too) you can use your regexp search&replace to selection only so you can actually use "replace all"

Emersen

Ofc there are cases where you can't apply this method, when lines are totaly different or something, but I think theres not much you can do about this situations even with advanced methods. – Emersen

So why -1? I answered the question he asked. -1 the question if you think its stupid, not the correct answer. Accepted answer with macro is in my opinion slower method to be honest. – Emersen

Answer 21

For mac users it's : ALT + SHIFT + Click

Pythagorean