IntelliJ IDEA Shortcuts Every Java Dev Should Know

IntelliJ IDEA is dense with features, and most of them are a keystroke away if you know the binding. Investing an afternoon in these pays back for years of Java development.

Search everywhere

The single most useful shortcut is Search Everywhere — double-tap Shift. It finds classes, files, actions, and settings from one box.

Shift Shift          Search everywhere
Ctrl/Cmd + N         Go to class
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N Go to file
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + A Find any action by name
Ctrl/Cmd + E         Recent files

Navigate code structure

Jumping between definitions, usages, and implementations keeps you in flow.

Ctrl/Cmd + B         Go to declaration
Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + B   Go to implementation
Alt + F7             Find usages
Ctrl/Cmd + F12       File structure popup
Ctrl/Cmd + G         Go to line

Write less, generate more

IntelliJ can generate boilerplate and complete statements for you.

Alt + Insert         Generate (constructor, getters, equals...)
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Enter   Complete current statement
Ctrl/Cmd + P         Show parameter info
Ctrl/Cmd + Space     Basic code completion

Takeaways

• Double-Shift Search Everywhere replaces most menu navigation.
• Ctrl/Cmd + B and Alt + F7 make reading unfamiliar code fast.
• Alt + Insert generates the boilerplate you'd otherwise type by hand.

Open Help → Keymap Reference to print the full cheat sheet, and consider the "Key Promoter X" plugin to learn bindings as you work.