I designed this course to be short and to the point so that you can build a foundation of skills. Windows, Linux, and Mac shortcuts are shown on the screen so that students can pick whichever shortcut combination applies to them. With repetition, you will be able to use these to learn more features and develop tricks of your own. Also keep in mind that JetBrains develops IDEs for other programming languages as well, and a lot of them share features and shortcuts. Therefore, you could even leverage some of these tips in other JetBrains IDEs.
Why do you need this course?
Being able to navigate your IDE efficiently is one of the most overlooked skills in programming. As developers, we spend the majority of our time editing, reading, and searching through code in our IDEs. Getting the most out of your IDE will not only allow you to implement features faster, but it will have other positive side effects as well:
Faster troubleshooting: finding configuration files, classes, and methods quickly and being able to navigate through your project smoothly will allow you to focus on the problem at hand without other distractions.
Ability to help other developers and mentor them: the stereotype of isolated developers working on their own could not be further from the truth. In reality, you're constantly collaborating, pair programming, helping your coworkers with problems on their machines, sharing your screen, and doing demos with stakeholders. The more you can teach others to be productive in their IDEs, the better your team will become, and the easier it will be for you to start shifting to the role of a mentor.
Personal brand: have you ever worked with someone who moves around their IDE masterfully? Your perception of that person's abilities definitely receives a boost regardless of their actual programming skills. As software engineers, we put our personal brand on display regularly during pair programming sessions, presentations, and demos. Managing IntelliJ proficiently not only makes you more productive and a better programmer, but it also improves your personal brand at your workplace.