Intellij Idea - Migrating from Eclipse


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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 Compiler

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.
Eclipse Keymap

Code formatting

To import your Eclipse formatter settings −

  • Navigate to File → Settings → Editor → Code Style → Java.

  • Select the Eclipse XML profile.

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.

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