Using Macros and Abbreviations

Macros and abbreviations provide shortcuts for typing frequently used keystroke combinations and strings.

The Source Editor has a set of customizable abbreviations that can expand from a few predefined characters into a full word or phrase. This feature is particularly useful for long and frequently used Java keywords. For example, you can type Psfb, followed by the spacebar, to automatically generate "public static final boolean" in Java files.

You can also define and run more complex macros in the Source Editor. Macros use a specific keyboard shortcut to generate a frequently used series of keystrokes. For example, you can type Ctrl-J, D in Java files to run a macro that selects the identifier under the caret and inserts debugging code on the previous line to print the value of that identifier.

For information about using abbreviations and macros in the Source Editor, see:

Using Abbreviations
Recording a Macro
Editing a Macro
Running a Macro
Sharing Source Editor Settings

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