Intellij Idea - Migrating from Eclipse
Eclipse is yet another popular Java IDE. If you are a current user of Eclipse and want to
migrate from it to IntelliJ, then this is a good starting point.
This chapter discusses how to import Eclipse projects in IntelliJ, its terminologies
equivalent to Eclipse, popular shortcuts and frequently asked questions.
Import existing project
In this section, we will discuss how to import an existing project. Follow these steps to
import the project −
Navigate to File → New → Project from Existing Sources.
Select your NetBeans project directory.
When the Import Project wizard opens, select the Create project from existing
sources option.
Follow the on-screen instructions to continue.
IntelliJ vsEclipse terminology
The following table compares IntelliJ and NetBeans terminologies −
| IntelliJ |
Eclipse |
| Project |
Workspace |
| Module |
Project |
| Facet |
Facet |
| Library |
Library |
| SDK |
JRE |
| Path variable |
Classpath variable |
Popular shortcuts
IntelliJ is a keyboard-centric IDE. It provides shortcuts for most of the actions. The
following table lists a few popular shortcuts −
| Action |
Shortcut |
| Run java program |
ctrl+shift+F10 |
| Organize imports |
ctrl+alt+o |
| System.out.println() |
Type sout and Press ctrj+j |
| Delete current line |
ctrl + y |
| Search |
ctrl + shift + f |
| Generate getter and setter |
alt + insert |
| Format code |
ctrl + alt + l |
| Comment out code |
ctrl + / |
| Go to line |
ctrl + g |
| Go to declaration |
ctrl + b |
| Rename |
shift+F6 |
| Move lines |
ctrl + shift + up/down |
Debugger shortcuts
The following table lists down commonly used debugger shortcuts −
| Debug action |
Shortcut |
| Debug a program |
Shift + F9 |
| Choose configuration and debug |
Shift+Alt+F9 |
| Step over |
F8 |
| Step into |
F7 |
| Smart step into |
Shift + F7 |
| Step out |
Shift + F8 |
| Force step over |
Shift+Alt+F8 |
| Force step into |
Shift+Alt+F7 |
| Resume program |
F9 |
| Evaluate expression |
Alt+F8 |
| Toggle breakpoints |
Ctrl+F8 |
| View breakpoints |
Ctrl+Shift+F8 |
FAQsand Tips
In this section, we will see a few Frequently Answered Questions and tips. The FAQs and
tips are as follows −
Use Eclipse Compiler
While Eclipse uses its own compiler, IntelliJ IDEA uses the javac compiler bundled with the
project JDK. If you want to use the Eclipse compiler −
Navigate to File → Settings → Build, Execution, Deployment → Compiler → Java Compiler.
Select the required compiler from User compiler dropdown.
Eclipse Keymap
For Eclipse users who prefer not to learn new shortcuts, IntelliJ IDEA provides the Eclipse
keymap that closely mimics its shortcuts −
- Navigate to File → Settings → Keymap option.
- Select Eclipse from Keymap dropdown.
Code formatting
To import your Eclipse formatter settings −
Working with Build Tools
Like Eclipse, IntelliJ does not provide visual forms for editing Maven/Gradle configuration
files.
Once you have imported/created your Maven/Gradle project, you are free to edit its
pom.xml/build.gradle files directly in the text editor.
