[//]: # (title: Live Templates)

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*Live Templates* are customizable rules that allow developers to abbreviate repetitive patterns of text in the editor.
When a user types the designated abbreviation followed by a configurable *expansion key* (usually `Tab`), the IDE transforms the preceding input sequence to its full-length output, and update the cursor position.

For example, consider a `for` loop.
Typically, the end user would need to type `for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {<Enter><Tab><Enter><Enter>}<Up>`.
This pattern may be shortened to `fori<Tab>` and the remaining contents will be expanded, leaving the following structure:

```java
for (int i = [|]; i < []; i++) {
    []
}
```

As the user completes each section of the `for` loop and presses `Tab`, the cursor advances to the next position in the editor.
For more information about creating Custom Live Templates, refer to the [corresponding documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/help/creating-and-editing-live-templates.html).

These sections describe how to add Live Templates, and their associated building blocks, to plugins.
 * [Adding Live Templates to a Plugin](template_support.md)
 * [Creating New Functions for Live Templates](new_macros.md)
 * Surround Templates