How enable auto-format code for Intellij IDEA?

Question

Is it possible in Intellij IDEA after typing ; or at any event formatting of this string happens automatically?

For instance, to:

a+b=10;

after:

a + b = 10;

Or only possible option: Code > Reformat Code...?

Thank you!

Traject

Alt + c + r – Lathy

if you would like for this feature to be included in IntelliJ itself (not in any plugin), please vote here: youtrack.jetbrains.net/issue/IDEABKL-5806 – Pardon

Answer 1

The formatting shortcuts in Intellij IDEA are :

• For Windows : Ctrl + Alt + L
• For Ubuntu : Ctrl + Alt + Windows + L
• For Mac : ⌥ (Option) + ⌘ (Command) + L

Jaret

Yes, but I would like this to happen automatically without any of pressing a hotkey. – Traject

Macro? ctrl+alt+l becomes ctrl+alt+l+enter – Brocky

The question expressly state "auto-format" after each line is written. – Roadside

To simplify reformatting on Ctrl+Alt+L, you can open Settings - Editor - General and remove check mark from "Show 'Reformat Code' dialoog" check box in the Formatting section. – Selfconfidence

@Jaret is there a way to do this automatically when saving or compiling the code – Amylaceous

That does not answer the question. The answer by Nafiur Rahman Khadem does. – Gaultiero

This answer links to a plugin that allows such function #947493 – Wray

Answer 2

You can do this with Save Actions plugin Refer This article on how to configure the plugin.

Save Actions plugin Supports configurable, Eclipse like, save actions, including "optimize imports", "reformat code", "rearrange code", "compile file" and some quick fixes for Java like "add / remove 'this' qualifier", etc. The plugin executes the configured actions when the file is synchronised (or saved) on disk.

1. Install the plugin
2. Go to Settings > Other settings > Save actions
3. Tick Activate save actions on save
4. Tick Reformat file
5. Apply > OK

I prefer the hot-keys though, For Mac,

To format the code : Ctrl+Alt(Option)+L

And additionally I do,: Ctrl+Alt(Option)+O , This will remove unused imports and format the import list as well.

Stiver

Answer 3

I have found two ways to do this:

1. Go to Settings> Keymap.In the right portion go to Editor Actions> complete current statement.Click on it and select add keyboard shortcut. Press ; and select ok.

2. Use macro. Go to

Edit> Macros> Start Macro Recording.

Now press semicolon and keyboard shortcut to reformat code (you can find the keyboard shortcut from other answers or from settings > keymap).

After doing reformat go to

Edit> Macros> Stop Macro Recording

Save the macro with a name (auto format or something else). Then go to

Settings> Keymap> Macros> auto format (the macro name).

Click there and select add keyboard shortcut, then press semicolon and click ok. Now whenever you will press semicolon it will write semicolon and do auto format.

Tessi

Nice. I also added Shift+[ using the first method to format the line when writing if statements and methods and such. For some reason, Enter didn't seem to work, though. – Devious

This was very helpful, it's weird that Intellij doesn't have auto-reformat option at all – Ankney

Answer 4

Eclipse has an option to format automatically when saving the file. There is no option for this in IntelliJ although you can configure a macro for the Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac) keys to format the code and save it.

Intellij reformat on file save

Postfree

Answer 5

File-> Settings -> Keymap-> Complete Current Statement

I added ; key in there. When typing ';' at the end of the line, it is auto-formatting.

UPDATE

I realized that this will cause some problems in some situations. Use Ctrl+Shift+Enter instead. This key can be used in any position of cursor in a line. It will add ; at the end of the line. Also this shortcut have some other useful features.

like:

public void someMethod()

after shortcut:

public void someMethod() {
    // The cursor is here
}

so formatting on inserting ; is not necessary.

Maduro

Smart, but not for Kotlin – Shortridge

Answer 6

This can also be achieved by Ctrl+WindowsBtn+Alt+L. This will be important to some people,because in some Virtual Machines, Ctrl+Alt+L can log you out.

Gilmore

Answer 7

Default one is Ctrl+Alt+L There is a key-mapping dialog box where you can configure/overwride all keyboard shortcuts.

Navigate File->Settings->KeyMap

Bellboy

Answer 8

Ctrl+Shift+Enter combination (Complete Statement) also does the job and makes some more handy stuff with functions, cycles, etc.

JetBrains docs: https://www.jetbrains.com/help/idea/2016.3/completing-statements.html

Dordogne

Answer 9

This is now available starting with IntelliJ IDEA 2021.2
check Trigger actions when saving changes
File > Settings ... > Tools > Actions on Save and select Reformat code, you can configure it to be applied to the whole file or just the changed lines.

P.S. you have to apply this to each project you have, it doesn't get applied to all projects.

Cattail

Answer 10

None of the solutions in Intellij is as elegant (or useful) as in Eclipse. What we need is feature request to the intellij so that we can add a hook (what actions to perform) when the IDE autosaves.

In Eclipse we can add "post-save" actions, such as organize imports and format the class. Yes you have to do a "save" or ctrl-s but the hook is very convenient.

Clifton

is there any contact to intellij about htis so far? If so please post link here :) – Fonteyn

@RuthiRuth found it ;) youtrack.jetbrains.net/issue/IDEABKL-5806 – Pardon

Answer 11

if you want, you can use a saveActions plugin. You can reformat file, optimized the imports and more things, it's really customizable and easy to setup.

Adermin

Answer 12

Well that's not possible, but in intellij 13, how about adding a mouse gesture, something like single left mouse click to reformat the code? Or if you don't use the mouse much then add a very simple keyboard hotkey that you use all the time (possibly the "enter"? not sure if intellij would be happy with that to be honest)

Mcmaster

Why the downvote? I am saying that what you want is not possible, and trying to provide with the closest possible thing.. – Mcmaster

The downvote is easy to explain: Mouse click. One big advantage of IntelliJ is the shortcuts and that you don't need the mouse often. If you code much, you don't want to use the mouse much, because you are faster with the keyboard. There is a shortcut for formating already. – Trull

Answer 13

In Mac it is Alt+Command+L(assuming you haven't changed any of your modifier keys or Intellij keyboard shortcuts from it's default state)

Burgener

Answer 14

Per the comment of Larson, this is now possible with the save-actions plugin.

Alsacelorraine

Thank you but the question is about automatic reformat, not reformat on save. – Charmeuse

Answer 15

I know this question is quite old but there is actually a Save Actions plugin for IntelliJ that can be configured to format the code automatically.

Unbated

Answer 16

The way I implemented automatical reformating like in Microsoft Visual Studio (It doesn't work perfect):

1. Edit > Macros > Start Macro Recording
2. Press continuously: Enter + Ctrl+Alt+I
3. Edit > Macros > Stop Macro Recording (Name it for example ReformatingByEnter)

Now we need to perform same actions but for Ctrl+Alt+L+;

4. Edit > Macros > Start Macro Recording
5. Press continuously: ; + Ctrl+Alt+I
6. Edit > Macros > Stop Macro Recording (Name it for example ReformatingBy;)

Now we need to assign HotKeys to these macros:

7. File > Settings > Keymap > press on a gear button > Duplicate...
8. Unfold a macro button (beneath) and by right clicking on two 
ours macros assign HotKeys for them: "Enter" and ";" correspondingly.

Weil

Might be a limitation of my keyboard, but I can only seem to record 3 keys at a time. – Devious