IntellijIDEA lets you add different intentions for strings and perform different actions with strings in Scala. IntellijIDEA also supports a Scala multi-line strings feature. This feature lets you format literals and helps your code to look more orderly.

1. How to Insert Gap with Concatenation into a String

IntellijIDEA lets you insert a gap with concatenation intention. To do that, in your editor enter a string and press

Alt
+
Enter
. The list of appropriate intentions opens.

Select Insert gap with concatenation ("+ +") and press

Enter
.



Now you can insert a value into your string. You can evaluate the result in the Scala Console window.

2. How to Convert a String Concatenation into Interpolated String

For the Scala version 2.10 and later you have the ability to convert a string concatenation into the interpolated string.
To do that, select a value with concatenation in your string and press

Alt
+
Enter
. The list of appropriate intentions opens.

Select Convert to interpolated string, press
Enter
and view the result.


You can also choose an option Convert to formatted string and get your basic Java formatted string.

3. How to Convert a String into a Multi-line String and Vice Versa

You can convert your string into a multi-line string. Simply enter your string, press

Alt
+
Enter
and select Convert to """string""" option in the drop-down list of intentions.


Converting to multi-line strings removes escaped sequences such as '\\' or '\n'.

You also can convert the multi-line string into the regular string.
Press

Alt
+
Enter
to open the drop-down list of intentions. Select Convert to "string" and press
Enter
.


View the result.


To start entering a multi-line string, simply type triple quotes in your editor.

If you press

Enter
, it will automatically envoke stripMargin method. The stripMargin method removes the left-hand part of a multi-line string up to a specified delimiter.



The white spaces are also preserved. Please see the following example:


4. How to Insert a Replace Intention

The .replace("\r"," ") intention lets you keep the carret in the correct place on the next line in the multi-line strings regardless of what operating system you have at the moment.
Enter a multi-line string, press

Alt
+
Enter
and select the appropriate intention from the drop-down list.



5. How to Insert Inject Language/Reference Intention

You can inject language or a reference into your multi-line string literals.
Enter a multi-line string, press

Alt
+
Enter
and select Inject Language/Reference intention from the drop-down list.


The list of available languages opens. Choose the appropriate one and press

Enter
.


To cancel the language injection, simply choose the Un-Inject Language/Reference intention.

6. How to Edit Multi-line Strings Settings

You can set a different format for multi-line strings' options such as Margin char indent or Margin Char. You can also disable a multi-line strings support.
To open the Multi-line strings settings, in the main menu select

File
→
Setting
→
Project Settings
→
Code Style
→
Scala
. On the Scala page select the Multi-line strings tab.