# Inline Help Text UI guidelines on using inline help texts. Inline help texts provide useful information about settings:

Follow the rules for context help.

Show no more than five lines of help text to not clutter the screen. Text width is limited to 70 characters. ![](inline_text_height.png){width=706} Show more than five lines only when a text cannot be shortened for legal purposes. ![](inline_text_legal.png){width=706} ```kotlin panel { row { checkBox("Send usage statistics when using EAP versions") .comment("""

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""".trimIndent() ) } } ``` Provide a [link](link.md) to the corresponding help article or to a place in the IDE where the related settings can be found. Place the link at the end of the text where possible so that it does not disrupt reading.

Internal link

External link

Avoid text highlighting. Usually, the help text is short, and no highlighting in bold or italics is needed:

Correct

Incorrect

[//]: # (* Use formatting for code, console commands, or parameters. Use HTML tags. Enclosing text in `` tags is not needed.) [//]: # ( ![](inline_text_parameter_styling.png){width=213}) Avoid using brackets in control labels and place this information in the inline text instead:

Correct

Incorrect

- Make help text [short and descriptive](writing_short.md). - Do not repeat the setting name in the help text:

Correct

Incorrect

Place the help text to the right of labeled inputs (fields, combo boxes, or text areas), checkboxes, buttons, or radio buttons if all the following applies: * The space to the right is empty. * The help text has 1–5 words, not counting articles and prepositions. * The control label has 1–5 words. Input fields with inline texts on the right

Input fields with inline texts on the right

```kotlin panel { row("Plugin update policy:") { comboBox(listOf("Default", "Non default")) comment("Ignore by Maven 3+") } row("Thread count:") { textField() comment("-T option") } } ``` Checkboxes with inline texts on the right

Checkboxes with inline texts on the right

```kotlin panel { row { checkBox("Build project automatically") comment("Works while not running / debugging") } row { checkBox("Compile independent modules in parallel") comment("May require larger heap size") } } ``` Button with inline texts on the right

In other cases, place the help text under the UI controls: Input filed with inline text on the bottom

```kotlin panel { row("Default directory:") { textFieldWithBrowseButton() .comment( "Preselected in Open and New | Project dialogs" ) } } ``` If there is no space under the UI control, use the [help tooltip](tooltip.md#question-mark-icon-for-help-tooltips) with the question mark icon for labeled inputs, checkboxes, and radio buttons. For buttons, use the help tooltip without the icon. If the help text applies to a whole list, tree, or table, place it below the control. Inline text under the table

```kotlin import javax.swing.JTable panel { row { cell(createTable()) // Actual table creation .align(Align.FILL) .comment(""" <Project> is content roots of all modules, all immediate descendants
of the projects base directory, and .idea directory contents """.trimIndent() ) }.resizableRow() } ``` If the help text applies to a single list, tree, or table item, its location will depend on its length. Place short texts (1–10 words) to the right of the item: Inline text under the table

* Place longer texts (more than 10 words) into the detail part of master-detail layouts: Inline text on the bottom of the master detail layout

* For other cases, use the [help tooltip](tooltip.md#question-mark-icon-for-help-tooltips) with the question mark icon: Inline text on the bottom of the master detail layout

If the help text applies to several UI controls, place it at the bottom of the group. Inline text for a group of controls

Use [`Panel.group()`](%gh-ic%/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ui/dsl/builder/Panel.kt) as the border for panels that need title and possibly the gray line on the right of the title: ```kotlin panel { group("Build and Run") { row("Build and run with:") { comboBox(listOf("IntelliJ IDEA", "Gradle")) } row("Run tests with:") { comboBox(listOf("IntelliJ IDEA", "Gradle")) } row { comment("""

By default IntelliJ IDEA uses Gradle to build the project and run the tasks.

In a pure Java/Kotlin project, building and running by means of IDE might be faster, thanks to optimizations. Note, that the IDE doesn't support all Gradle plugins and the project might not be built correctly with some of them.

""".trimIndent() ) } } group("Gradle") { row("Use Gradle from:") { comboBox(gradleModel) } } } ``` You can find more examples by invoking the **Tools | Internal Actions | UI | Kotlin UI DSL | UI DSL Showcase** action (available in [internal mode](enabling_internal.md) and clicking the **View source** links on specific pages.