Refactor actions

Refactor menu commands:

Name

Description

Rename

Renames the selected element and (if enabled) corrects all references to the elements (also in other files).
Available: Methods, method parameters, fields, local variables, types, type parameters, enum constants, compilation units, packages, source folders, projects and on a text selection resolving to one of these element types
Shortcut: Alt + Shift + R
Options: Renaming a type does allow to rename similarly named variables and methods. Enable 'Update similarly named variables and methods' in the Rename Type dialog. Select 'Configure...' to configure the strategy for matching type names.

Renaming a package does allow to rename its subpackages. Enable 'Rename subpackages' in the Rename Package dialog.

Move

Moves the selected elements and (if enabled) corrects all references to the elements (also in other files).
Available: Instance method (which can be moved to a component), one or more static methods, static fields, types, compilation units, packages, source folders and projects and on a text selection resolving to one of these element types
Shortcut: Alt + Shift + V
Options: You can use Drag & Drop in the Package Explorer to start this refactoring.
Change Method Signature Changes parameter names, parameter types, parameter order and updates all references to the corresponding method. Additionally, parameters can be removed or added and method return type as well as its visibility can be changed.
Available: Methods or on text selection resolving to a method
Options: Enable 'Keep original method as delegate to changed method' in the Change Method Signature dialog to keep the original method.
Extract Method Creates a new method containing the statements or expression currently selected and replaces the selection with a reference to the new method. This feature is useful for cleaning up lengthy, cluttered, or overly-complicated methods.
Available: You can use Expand Selection to from the Edit menu to get a valid selection range.
Shortcut: Alt + Shift + M
Extract Local Variable Creates a new variable assigned to the expression currently selected and replaces the selection with a reference to the new variable.
Available: Text selections that resolve to local variables. You can use Expand Selection to from the Edit menu to get a valid selection range.
Shortcut: Alt + Shift + L
Extract Constant Creates a static final field from the selected expression and substitutes a field reference, and optionally rewrites other places where the same expression occurs.
Available: Constant expressions or text selections which resolve to constant expressions
Inline Inlines local variables, methods or constants.
Available: Methods, static final fields and text selections that resolve to methods, static final fields or local variables
Shortcut: Alt + Shift + I
Convert Anonymous Class to Nested Converts an anonymous inner class to a member class.
Available: Anonymous inner classes
Convert Member Type to Top Level Creates a new Java compilation unit for the selected member type, updating all references as needed. For non-static member types, a field is added to allow access to the former enclosing instance, if necessary.
Available: Member types or text resolving to a member type
Convert Local Variable to Field Turn a local variable into a field. If the variable is initialized on creation, then the operation moves the initialization to the new field's declaration or to the class's constructors.
Available: Text selections that resolve to local variables
Extract Superclass Extracts a common superclass from a set of sibling types. The selected sibling types become direct subclasses of the extracted superclass after applying the refactoring.
Available: Types
Options: Enable 'Use the extracted class where possible' to use the newly created class wherever possible. See Use Supertype Where Possible.
Extract Interface Creates a new interface with a set of methods and makes the selected class implement the interface.
Available: Types
Options: Enable 'Use the extracted interface type where possible' to use the newly created interface wherever possible. See Use Supertype Where Possible.
Use Supertype Where Possible Replaces occurrences of a type with one of its supertypes after identifying all places where this replacement is possible.
Available: Types
Push Down Moves a set of methods and fields from a class to its subclasses.
Available: One or more methods and fields declared in the same type or on a text selection inside a field or method
Pull Up Moves a field or method to a superclass of its declaring class or (in the case of methods) declares the method as abstract in the superclass.
Available: One or more methods, fields and member types declared in the same type or on a text selection inside a field, method or member type
Introduce Indirection Creates a static indirection method delegating to the selected method.
Available: Methods or on text selection resolving to a method
Options: Enable 'Redirect all method invocations' to replace all calls to the original method by calls to the indirection method.
Introduce Factory Creates a new factory method, which will call a selected constructor and return the created object. All references to the constructor will be replaced by calls to the new factory method.
Available: Constructor declarations
Introduce Parameter Replaces an expression with a reference to a new method parameter, and updates all callers of the method to pass the expression as the value of that parameter.
Available: Text selections that resolve to expressions
Encapsulate Field Replaces all references to a field with getting and setting methods.
Available: Field or a text selection resolving to a field
Generalize Declared Type Allows the user to choose a supertype of the reference's current type. If the reference can be safely changed to the new type, it is.
Available: Type references and declarations of fields, local variables, and parameters with reference types
Infer Generic Type Arguments Replaces raw type occurrences of generic types by parameterized types after identifying all places where this replacement is possible.
Available: Projects, packages, and types
Options: 'Assume clone() returns an instance of the receiver type'. Well-behaved classes generally respect this rule, but if you know that your code violates it, uncheck the box.

'Leave unconstrained type arguments raw (rather than inferring <?>)'. If there are no constraints on the elements of e.g. ArrayList a, unchecking this box will cause Eclipse to still provide a wildcard parameter, replacing the reference with ArrayList<?>.
Migrate JAR File Migrates a JAR File on the build path of a project in your workspace to a newer version, possibly using refactoring information stored in the new JAR File to avoid breaking changes.
Available: JAR Files on build path
Create Script Creates a script of the refactorings that have been applied in the workspace. Refactoring scripts can either be saved to a file or copied to the clipboard. See Apply Script.
Available: Always
Apply Script Applies a refactoring script to projects in your workspace. Refactoring scripts can either be loaded from a file or from the clipboard. See Create Script.
Available: Always
History Browses the workspace refactoring history and offers the option to delete refactorings from the refactoring history.
Available: Always

Refactoring commands are also available from the context menus in many views and the Java editor.

Related concepts

Refactoring support

Related reference

Refactoring dialogs
Java preferences