IntelliJ IDEA · Extract a variable
Refactoring
Windows · Linux
Ctrl+Alt+VMac
Cmd+Option+VGives the expression under the caret a name and pulls it into a variable. Where several expressions overlap at that spot it first asks which one you meant, and skipping past that question with Enter is how people end up extracting the wrong range.
- Group
- Refactoring
- Keys held
- 3
IntelliJ IDEA ships a different default keymap per platform, and two of them on macOS — "macOS" and "macOS System Shortcuts" — so when nothing works, look at Keymap in Settings first; whichever you pick then serves PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand and Android Studio unchanged.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Extract a variable in IntelliJ IDEA?
Gives the expression under the caret a name and pulls it into a variable. Where several expressions overlap at that spot it first asks which one you meant, and skipping past that question with Enter is how people end up extracting the wrong range. It is Ctrl+Alt+V on Windows and Cmd+Option+V on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Ctrl+Alt+V on Windows, Cmd+Option+V on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
3 pressed together. The combination sits under Refactoring in IntelliJ IDEA.