PyCharm supports several ways of creating file templates:
- Creating a file template from scratch
- Creating a file template from an existing one
- Creating a file template from a file
- Creating and referencing include templates
- Open the IDE Settings and select File and Code Templates page.
- Switch to the Templates tab.
-
Click the Add button
on the toolbar and specify the template name, the file extension, and the body of the template, which can contain:
- Plain text.
- #parse directives to work with includes.
-
Predefined variables to be expanded into corresponding values in the format ${<variable_name>}.
The available predefined file template variables are:
- ${PROJECT_NAME} - the name of the current project.
- ${NAME} - the name of the new file which you specify in the New File dialog box during the file creation.
- ${USER} - the login name of the current user.
- ${DATE} - the current system date.
- ${TIME} - the current system time.
- ${YEAR} - the current year.
- ${MONTH} - the current month.
- ${DAY} - the current day of the month.
- ${HOUR} - the current hour.
- ${MINUTE} - the current minute.
- ${PRODUCT_NAME} - the name of the IDE in which the file will be created.
- ${MONTH_NAME_SHORT} - the first 3 letters of the month name. Example: Jan, Feb, etc.
- ${MONTH_NAME_FULL} - full name of a month. Example: January, February, etc.
- Custom variables. Their names can be defined right in the template through the #set directive or will be defined during the file creation.
- To have the dollar character ($) in a variable rendered "as is", use the ${DS} variable instead. This variable evaluates to a plain dollar character ($).
- Apply the changes and close the dialog box.
- Open the File Templates settings page and switch to the Templates tab.
-
Click
Copy
on the toolbar and change the template name, extension, and source code as required.
- Apply the changes and close the dialog box.
- Open the desired file in the editor.
- On the main menu, choose .
- In the File and Code Templates dialog box that opens specify the new template name and edit the source code, if necessary.
- Apply the changes and close the dialog box.
Include templates are used to define reusable pieces of code to be inserted in file templates through #parse directives.
- In the File and Code Templates settings page, switch to the Includes tab.
-
Click Add
on the toolbar and specify the template name, extension, and the source code. Do one of the following:
- Use the predefined file template variables.
-
Create custom template variables and define their values right in the include template using the
#set VTL directive.
For example, if you want to your full name inserted in the file header instead of your login name defined through the ${USER}, write the following construct:
#set( $MyName = "John Smith" )
If, when applying a template, the values of certain template variable are not known, PyCharm will ask you to specify them.
You can prevent treating dollar characters ($) in template variables as prefixes. If you need a dollar character ($ inserted as is, use the ${DS} file template variable instead. When the template is applied, this variable evaluates to a plain dollar character ($).
- To use the include template, switch to the Templates tab, select the desired template and click Edit.
- To include a template, insert the #parse directive in the source code.