How to set default value of variable in live template in Intellij IDEA?

Question

There could be a little misunterstanding in live templates in Intellij IDEA. I mean default values for variables in templates.

Suppose we have this live template

enter image description here

What I expect here, that when calling this template (type jqon and press TAB) I will see default values already typed which I can change or leave as it is. Like this

enter image description here

But no. I have empty strings instead of default values

enter image description here

Why?

score 56 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 23 '12 at 22:10

56

I was wrong about Default value field. I don't need this in my case. I need to fill Expression field.

If I want just paste some string as default value I should put this string in quote in Expression. So now my variable settings look this way

enter image description here

And everything works how I want!

answered Dec 23 '12 at 22:10

Vitalii Korsakov

45,737
20
72
90

2

That is the reply I sent you to the support mail =) – CrazyCoder Dec 24 '12 at 06:38
@CrazyCoder Yep, I stole your answer :) – Vitalii Korsakov Dec 24 '12 at 08:50
5

@CrazyCoder what's the use for the "Default value" field then? – Flatline Mar 21 '14 at 18:38
2

@Flatline you can find it in [help](https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/webhelp/edit-template-variables-dialog.html). – CrazyCoder Mar 21 '14 at 18:48
3

Thanks!. imho this is very bad UX. `default value` should behave like this – Jossef Harush Kadouri Jan 07 '16 at 09:34
34

Double quoted string in "Expression" field works as you wanted also but "Default value" field is the right place for that purpose. All you needed were double quotes. – RabbitHole May 19 '16 at 04:08

score 49 · Answer 2 · answered May 23 '15 at 22:07

49

If you want a hardcoded string as the default value field (in the edit variables dialog), it needs to be in double quotes ("ii"). Putting a string there with no quotes (ii) does not result in an error, but also does not work.

answered May 23 '15 at 22:07

aliteralmind

19,847
17
77
108

How to set default value of variable in live template in Intellij IDEA?

2 Answers2

Linked