How to use Intellij IDEA to its full functionality? [closed]

Question

Ok. I need to use Intellij to its full functionality and I want to buy this book: IntelliJ IDEA in Action

http://www.amazon.com/IntelliJ-IDEA-Action-Stephen-Saunders/dp/1932394443/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254945349&sr=8-1

The last version of Intellij is v8 (v9 very soon), but the book presents the v5. Is it a good idea to buy the book?

What are my alternatives (beside the Help feature)?

Answer 1

Unless you are new to software development, I wouldn't buy an IDE book. I would go to the help menu and walk through the tips, and also print out the default key map (also found on the help menu) and try the various keystrokes. I would pay attention most to the keystrokes for items on the GoTo, Code, and Refactor menus, as I use those all the time. Also, learning the various "live templates" is useful. You should also tie IntelliJ into your version control tool, having buttons and shortcuts to it inside your IDE saves time.

If you buy the book, most of the tips and keystrokes should be the same. I've used IntelliJ since v4 and the most-used ones have pretty much stayed constant. Unfortunately (for book buyers) much of the configuration of IntelliJ and of IntelliJ projects has changed significantly so the book might show screens that no longer exist.

Answer 2

There is a great 7-page ref card with lots of tips on how to use Intellij IDEA here.

Browsing questions tagged with "intellij-idea" here at StackOverflow can also be helpful. For example the following questions:

What are the most useful Intellij IDEA keyboard shortcuts?

What is the best IntelliJ IDEA plugin?

Answer 3

One of the greatest features for helping you get the most out of IntelliJ IDEA is Help|Productivity Guide

This lets you know what features you use the most, and what features you are missing out on.

It is a great indicator of what features you might need to look into.