Live Templates in Android Studio

Live templates helps you to write more code with less efforts. Live templates contain predefined code structure. What if you will get whole for loop with just one word? Seems interesting, let’s see how live template can help to increase your productivity.

Live templates are code snippet which can be inserted in your code with their abbreviation and pressing tab. You can find all pre-defined live templates in Editor section of your Android Studio.

Let’s understand it with simple example, you have used this line so many times in your code.

Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,"Your message",Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

1	Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this,"Your message",Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

but what if we can get this whole line with just one keyword? just write Toast in your code, press tab and whole code will be available for you in your editor.

you don’t even need to write your class name also, now let’s take a look at Live Template syntax of Toast.

$className$ will return current class name.
“$text$” will be replaced by your given string.

Custom Live Templates

Step 1 : Go to File > Settings > Editor > Live Templates. Click the Android group, and press the plus button to add a new Live Template.

Step 2 : Write your abbreviations and descriptions for Live Template.

Step 3 : Write below code in Template text area :

Intent intent=new Intent($className$.this,$destinationClass$.class);
startActivity(intent);

1 2	Intent intent=new Intent($className$.this,$destinationClass$.class); startActivity(intent);

Step 4 : Click on Edit variable and you will see following screen, assign className() expression to className variable.

Step 5 : In bottom of your Template text you will find Define, just click on that and define coding language.

Step 6 : Click on Apply and you are done with your custom template, just use that abbreviation while you are coding and all the code snippets will we there in your code.

I know you all are having your own live templates and own coding styles, so feel free to share those templates in comment and help your fellow developers to increase their productivity.

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Ravi Rupareliya

He is author of Android Gig. He loves to explore new technologies and have worked on Android, React Native, Action on Google and Flutter.

Live Templates in Android Studio

Custom Live Templates

Ravi Rupareliya

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