Can IntelliJ convert my old string concatenation to new Text Block feature previewed in Java 14?

Question

I have existing code such as this:

String sql = "CREATE TABLE " + tableName + " (\n" +
        "  id_ UUID DEFAULT random_uuid() PRIMARY KEY ,\n" +
        "  when_ TIMESTAMP WITHOUT TIME ZONE NOT NULL\n" +
        "  duration_ STRING NOT NULL\n" +
        ");";

…in a project in IntelliJ 2020.1.1 (preview) Ultimate edition where the JDK settings are configured for language level 14 (Preview) - Records, patters, text blocks.

So I expected IntelliJ to offer a conversion to text blocks among the items display when I click on the yellow light bulb that appears next to this line of code. But I see no such offer.

I am surprised to not find such an offer, as the JetBrains company claims to support JEP 368: Text Blocks (Second Preview) in their 2020.1 version of IntelliJ, as discussed here and here.

➥ Does IntelliJ offer some way to convert old string concatenation to text blocks?

If they don't yet, I imagine they will soon. – David Conrad Apr 23 '20 at 23:57 — David Conrad, Apr 23 '20 at 23:57

score 10 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 24 '20 at 02:56

Disclosure: IntelliJ IDEA developer is here.

Currently, IntelliJ IDEA only suggests converting the complete literal concatenation into the text block. Here, however, you have a concatenation that involves the tableName variable. This prevents inspection from starting. You can work-around this adding bogus parentheses:

String sql = "CREATE TABLE " + tableName + (" (\n" +
             "  id_ UUID DEFAULT random_uuid() PRIMARY KEY ,\n" +
             "  when_ TIMESTAMP WITHOUT TIME ZONE NOT NULL\n" +
             "  duration_ STRING NOT NULL\n" +
             ");");

After that, the conversion is suggested on the first \n character:

The result after removing parentheses looks like this:

String sql = "CREATE TABLE " + tableName + """
         (
          id_ UUID DEFAULT random_uuid() PRIMARY KEY ,
          when_ TIMESTAMP WITHOUT TIME ZONE NOT NULL
          duration_ STRING NOT NULL
        );""";

I filed an issue to suggest the conversion if only a part of concatenation can be converted to the text block.

An alternative solution, which actually is promoted by JDK, is to use string formatting. First, use intention action "Replace '+' with 'String.format()'" (it's available via Alt+Enter everywhere inside the concatenation). The result looks like this:

String sql = String
    .format("CREATE TABLE %s (\n  id_ UUID DEFAULT random_uuid() PRIMARY KEY ,\n  when_ TIMESTAMP WITHOUT TIME " +
            "ZONE NOT NULL\n  duration_ STRING NOT NULL\n);", tableName);

Now it's immediately suggested to use text block, and the result looks like this:

String sql = String.format("""
        CREATE TABLE %s (
          id_ UUID DEFAULT random_uuid() PRIMARY KEY ,
          when_ TIMESTAMP WITHOUT TIME ZONE NOT NULL
          duration_ STRING NOT NULL
        );""", tableName);

Unfortunately, a new instance method .formatted() is not suggested (filed another issue), so it will require some manual work to convert it:

String sql = """
        CREATE TABLE %s (
          id_ UUID DEFAULT random_uuid() PRIMARY KEY ,
          when_ TIMESTAMP WITHOUT TIME ZONE NOT NULL
          duration_ STRING NOT NULL
        );""".formatted(tableName);

Didn't work for me when trying to convert a json with parameter variables, even after setting parentheses. Issue was that the string directly before the variable did not end with newline (\n). The suggestion only works if all chunks end with \n. For the text block suggestion remove your variables and join the strings left and right of them and it should work. Don't forget to add the variables again. — Phil, Aug 23 '23 at 06:11

Can IntelliJ convert my old string concatenation to new Text Block feature previewed in Java 14?

1 Answers1