IntelliJ IDEA 2023.3 Help

Run/Debug Configuration: JBoss Server

Use the JBoss/WildFly Server run/debug configuration to deploy and debug your applications on WildFly. For more information, refer to Application server run configurations.

  • Use a Local configuration to run a local instance of the application server and deploy the artifacts to it.

  • Use a Remote configuration to deploy artifacts to a running application server instance.

Enable the WildFly plugin

This functionality relies on the WildFly plugin, which is bundled and enabled in IntelliJ IDEA by default. If the relevant features aren't available, make sure that you didn't disable the plugin.

  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open the IDE settings and then select Plugins.

  2. Open the Installed tab, find the WildFly plugin, and select the checkbox next to the plugin name.

Server tab for a local configuration

Item

Description

Application server

Select the server configuration to be used.

Click Configure to create a new server configuration or edit an existing one. (The Application Servers dialog will open.)

After launch

Select this checkbox to start a web browser after starting the server and deploying the artifacts.

Select the browser from the list. Click the Browse button Shift+Enter to configure your web browsers.

With JavaScript debugger

If this checkbox is selected, the web browser is started with the JavaScript debugger enabled.

Note that JavaScript debugging is available only for Firefox and Google Chrome. When you debug your JavaScript in Firefox for the first time, the JetBrains Firefox extension is installed.

The field underneath After launch

Specify the URL the browser should go to when started. In most typical cases, this URL corresponds to the root of your Web application or its starting page.

VM options

Specify the options to be passed to the Java virtual machine when launching the application, for example, -mx, -verbose, and so on.

When specifying JVM options, follow these rules:

  • Use spaces to separate individual options.

  • If the value of an option includes spaces, enclose either the value or the actual spaces with double quotes.

  • If an option includes double quotes as part of the value, escape the double quotes using backslashes.

  • You can pass environment variable values to custom Java properties.

-Xmx1024m -Dspaces="some arg" -Dmy.prop=\"quoted_value\" -Dfoo=${MY_ENV_VAR}

Use code completion in this field: start typing the name of a flag, and the IDE suggests a list of available command line options. This works for -XX: and -X options and some standard options that are not configured by IntelliJ IDEA automatically, like -ea, but not for -cp or –release.

The -classpath option specified in this field overrides the classpath of the module.

On 'Update' action

Select the necessary option for the Update application function ( or Ctrl+F10 in the Run or Debug tool window).

The update options are different for exploded and packed artifacts.

For exploded artifacts, the available options are:

  • Update resources. All changed resources are updated (HTML, JSP, JavaScript, CSS and image files).

  • Update classes and resources. Changed resources are updated; changed Java classes (EJBs, servlets, etc.) are recompiled.

    In the debug mode, the updated classes are hot-swapped. In the run mode, IntelliJ IDEA just updates the changed classes in the output folder. Whether such classes are actually reloaded in the running application, depends on the capabilities of the runtime being used.

  • Redeploy. The application artifact is rebuilt and redeployed.

  • Restart server. The server is restarted. The application artifact is rebuilt and redeployed.

For packed artifacts, the available options are:

  • Hot swap classes. Changed classes are recompiled and reloaded at runtime. This option works only in the debug mode.

  • Redeploy. The application artifact is rebuilt and redeployed.

  • Restart server. The server is restarted. The application artifact is rebuilt and redeployed.

Show dialog

Select this checkbox if you want to see the Update dialog every time you use the Update application function.

The Update dialog is used to select the Update option prior to actually updating the application.

On frame deactivation

Specify what IntelliJ IDEA should do when you switch from the IDE to a different application (for example, a web browser). (Frame deactivation means switching to a different application.)

The options other than Do nothing have the same meanings as in the case of the Update action.

JRE

By default, the project JDK is used to run the application. If you want to specify an alternative JDK or JRE here, select it from the drop-down list.

Username

Specify the name of the user on whose behalf IntelliJ IDEA will connect to the server.

Password

The password of the user specified in the Username field.

Operating mode

Select:

  • standalone to start JBoss as a standalone server.

    Port offset. If necessary, specify the port offset: the number by which all the server ports should be shifted. (The ports are specified by using the <socket-binding> elements in the server configuration file standalone.xml.)

    The specified offset is passed to the server as a VM option, e.g.

    -Djboss.socket.binding.port-offset=100

  • domain to start the server as a managed domain.

    Server group. Select the server group to deploy your artifacts to. (The list items correspond to the <server-group> elements in the configuration file domain.xml. The server group doesn't matter if you don't deploy anything using this run configuration.)

    When you select other-server-group, the following message may be shown in the lower part of the dialog: Error: No single server is configured to start for server group 'other-server-group'. If this is the case and you click Fix, the configuration file host.xml is modified. (The auto-start attribute of the first <server> element in the server group is changed from false to true.)

Server tab for a remote configuration

Item

Description

Application server

Select the server configuration to be used. Note that this is a local server configuration. (When working with a remote server, the same server version must be available locally.)

Click Configure to create a new server configuration or edit an existing one. (The Application Servers dialog will open.)

After launch

Select this checkbox to start a web browser after connecting to the server and deploying the artifacts.

Select the browser from the list. Click the Browse button Shift+Enter to configure your web browsers.

With JavaScript debugger

If this checkbox is selected, the web browser is started with the JavaScript debugger enabled.

Note that JavaScript debugging is available only for Firefox and Google Chrome. When you debug your JavaScript in Firefox for the first time, the JetBrains Firefox extension is installed.

The field underneath After launch

Specify the URL the browser should go to when started. In most typical cases, this URL corresponds to the root of your Web application or its starting page.

On 'Update' action

Select the necessary option for the Update application function ( or Ctrl+F10 in the Run or Debug tool window).

The options are:

  • Hot swap classes. Changed classes are recompiled and reloaded at runtime. This option works only in the debug mode.

  • Redeploy. The application artifact is rebuilt and redeployed.

Show dialog

Select this checkbox if you want to see the Update dialog every time you use the Update application function.

The Update dialog is used to select the Update option prior to actually updating the application.

On frame deactivation

Specify what IntelliJ IDEA should do when you switch from the IDE to a different application (for example, a web browser). (Frame deactivation means switching to a different application.)

The options other than Do nothing have the same meanings as in the case of the Update action.

Management port

The native management interface port. (This port is defined in the standalone.xml configuration for a standalone server and in the host.xml configuration for a server within a managed domain.)

Operating mode

The server operating mode: standalone for a standalone server and domain for a managed domain.

For the managed domain mode, specify the server group to deploy your artifacts to, e.g. main-server-group. The server group doesn't matter if you don't deploy anything using this run configuration.

Username

Specify the name of the user on whose behalf IntelliJ IDEA will connect to the server.

Password

The password of the user specified in the Username field.

Use SSL connection

Select this checkbox to connect to the server using SSL.

Remote staging

This section contains the settings related to staging.

Type

Select the way the staging environment or host is accessed for transferring the application artifact or artifacts from your local computer. (In the user interface of IntelliJ IDEA this setting is also referred to as the connection type.)

The available options are:

  • Same file system. Select this option if the target server is installed on your local computer. The artifacts in this case are deployed locally and, thus, don't need to be transferred to a remote host.

  • ftp. The File Transfer Protocol or Secure FTP is used.

  • Local or mounted folder. The staging environment is a local folder or is accessed as a mounted folder.

If the list is empty, you have to enable the FTP/SFTP Connectivity plugin which supports the corresponding functionality.

Host

If Same file system is selected for Type, the only available option for Host is also Same file system.

In all other cases, the list contains the existing configurations of the selected type. So each configuration corresponds to an individual (S)FTP connection, or a local or mounted folder.

Select an existing configuration or create a new one.

To create a new configuration:

  1. Click the Browse button to the right of the list.

  2. In the Deployment dialog, click .

  3. In the Add Server dialog, specify the configuration name, select the type, and click OK.

  4. On the Connection tab, specify the settings in the Upload/download project files section.

    The rest of the settings don't matter.

  5. Click OK in the Deployment dialog.

Staging

When deploying to the remote host, the application artifact or artifacts are placed into a staging folder which should be accessible to JBoss Server. The settings in this section define the location of this staging folder.

Note that if Same file system is selected for Type and Host, no settings in this section need to be specified.

Path from root

The path to the staging folder relative to the local or mounted folder, or the root of the (S)FTP host.

You can use the Browse button to select the folder in the Choose target path dialog.

Mapped as

The absolute path to the staging folder in the local file system of the remote host.

Remote connection settings

The settings for accessing deployed applications.

Host

The fully qualified domain name or the IP address of the JBoss Server host. When the target server operates in the managed domain mode, this is the Domain Controller host.

Port

The server HTTP port.

Example: remote staging for a mounted folder

Assuming that:

  • C:\shared is a shared folder on the remote host, which is mounted to the local computer as the drive X:.

  • The folder that you are going to use for staging is C:\shared\staging.

Here are the corresponding remote staging settings:

  • Type: Local or mounted folder.

  • Host: The configuration should be selected in which the value in the Folder field is X:\ (the Upload/download project files section on the Connection tab of the Deployment dialog).

  • Staging/Path from root: staging

  • Staging/Mapped as: C:\shared\staging

Deployment tab

Specify which artifacts or external resources to deploy. An external resource is a deployable web component, such as a .war file, which is not represented by a project artifact. Usually, such components are stored outside of the project scope.

Item

Description

The Add button or Alt+Insert

Add an artifact or an external resource to the list.

For a Web Application Exploded artifact, the following message may be shown in the lower part of the dialog:

Error: Artifact '<name>' has invalid extension.

If this is the case, click Fix and add .war at the end of the output directory name.

The Remove button or Alt+Delete

Remove the selected artifacts and external resources from the list.

The Up button or Alt+Up

Move the selected item one line up in the list.

The Down button or Alt+Down

Move the selected item one line down in the list.

Edit Artifact or F4

Configure the selected artifact. The Artifacts page of the Project Structure dialog will open.

Logs tab

Use this tab to specify which log files generated while running or debugging should be displayed in the console, that is, on the dedicated tabs of the Run or Debug tool window.

Item

Description

Is Active

Select checkboxes in this column to have the log entries displayed in the corresponding tabs in the Run tool window or Debug tool window.

Log File Entry

The read-only fields in this column list the log files to show. The list can contain:

  • Full paths to specific files.

  • Ant patterns that define the range of files to be displayed.

  • Aliases to substitute for full paths or patterns. These aliases are also displayed in the headers of the tabs where the corresponding log files are shown.

    If a log entry pattern defines more than one file, the tab header shows the name of the file instead of the log entry alias.

Skip Content

Select this checkbox to have the previous content of the selected log skipped.

Save console output to file

Select this checkbox to save the console output to the specified location. Type the path manually, or click the browse button and point to the desired location in the dialog that opens.

Show console when a message is printed to standard output stream

Select this checkbox to activate the output console and bring it forward if an associated process writes to Standard.out.

Show console when a message is printed to standard error stream

Select this checkbox to activate the output console and bring it forward if an associated process writes to Standard.err.

the Add button

Click this button to open the Edit Log Files Aliases dialog where you can select a new log entry and specify an alias for it.

the Edit button

Click this button to edit the properties of the selected log file entry in the Edit Log Files Aliases dialog.

the Delete button

Click this button to remove the selected log entry from the list.

Code Coverage tab

Use this tab to configure code coverage monitoring options.

Note that this tab is not available for remote servers.

Item

Description

Choose code coverage runner

Select the desired code coverage runner.

Sampling

Select this option to measure code coverage with minimal slow-down.

Tracing

Select this option to collect accurate branch coverage. This mode is available for the IntelliJ IDEA code coverage runner only.

Track per test coverage

Select this checkbox to detect lines covered by one test and all tests covering line.

Packages and classes to record code coverage data

If necessary, specify the classes and packages to be measured.

Use the Add Class button or the Add Package button to add classes or packages to the list.

To remove the classes or packages from the list, select the corresponding list items and click the Remove button.

Enable coverage in test folders.

Select this checkbox to include the test source folders in code coverage analysis.

Startup/Connection tab for a local configuration

Item

Description

 Run /

 Debug /

 Coverage

Use to switch between the settings for the run, debug and code coverage modes.

Startup script

Specify the script to be used to start the server.

Use default:

  • If this checkbox is selected, the default script is used.

     in this case opens the Default Startup Script dialog which shows the contents of the Startup script field (readonly).

  • Clear this checkbox to change the parameters passed to the script or to specify a different script:

    • To specify the script, click the Browse button and select the desired script in the dialog that opens.

    • To specify the parameters, click and specify the script parameters and VM options in the Configure VM and Program Parameters dialog.

      When specifying the parameters and options, follow these rules:

      • Use spaces to separate individual parameters and options, for example, -client -ea -Xmx1024m.

      • If a parameter or an option includes spaces, enclose the spaces or the argument that contains the spaces in double quotes, for example, some" "arg or "some arg".

      • If a parameter or an option includes double quotes (e.g. as part of the argument), escape the double quotes by means of the backslashes, for example, -Dmy.prop=\"quoted_value\".

Shutdown script

Specify the script to be used to stop the server.

Use default:

  • If this checkbox is selected, the default script is used. (For certain JBoss versions, there is no default script and the server is stopped through its management API.)

     in this case opens the Default Shutdown Script dialog which shows the contents of the Shutdown script field (readonly).

  • Clear this checkbox to change the parameters passed to the script or to specify a different script:

    • To specify the script, click the Browse button and select the desired script in the dialog that opens.

    • To specify the parameters, click and specify the script parameters and VM options in the Configure VM and Program Parameters dialog.

      When specifying the parameters and options, follow these rules:

      • Use spaces to separate individual parameters and options, for example, -client -ea -Xmx1024m.

      • If a parameter or an option includes spaces, enclose the spaces or the argument that contains the spaces in double quotes, for example, some" "arg or "some arg".

      • If a parameter or an option includes double quotes (e.g. as part of the argument), escape the double quotes by means of the backslashes, for example, -Dmy.prop=\"quoted_value\".

Pass environment variables

To pass specific variables to the server environment, select this checkbox and specify the variables:

  • To add a variable, click and specify the variable name and value in the Name and Value fields respectively.

  • To remove a variable from the list, select the variable and click .

Port

Use this field to change the debugger port.

Debugger Settings

Click this button to edit the debugger options on the Debugger page of the Settings dialog.

Startup/Connection tab for a remote configuration

This tab shows command-line options for starting the server JVM in the run and debug modes.

Item

Description

 Run /

 Debug

Use to switch between the settings for the run and debug modes. The settings are shown in the area under To run/debug...

To run/debug remote server JVM...

The command-line options for starting the server JVM. These are shown just for copying elsewhere.

Transport (and all that follows)

The GUI for generating the remote debug command-line options shown in the area under To run/debug...

Common settings

When you edit a run configuration (but not a run configuration template), you can specify the following options:

Item

Description

Name

Specify a name for the run configuration to quickly identify it among others when editing or running.

Allow multiple instances

Allow running multiple instances of this run configuration in parallel.

By default, it is disabled, and when you start this configuration while another instance is still running, IntelliJ IDEA suggests stopping the running instance and starting another one. This is helpful when a run configuration consumes a lot of resources and there is no good reason to run multiple instances.

Store as project file

Save the file with the run configuration settings to share it with other team members. The default location is .idea/runConfigurations. However, if you do not want to share the .idea directory, you can save the configuration to any other directory within the project.

By default, it is disabled, and IntelliJ IDEA stores run configuration settings in .idea/workspace.xml.

Toolbar

The tree view of run/debug configurations has a toolbar that helps you manage configurations available in your project as well as adjust default configurations templates.

Item

Shortcut

Description

the Add button

Alt+Insert

Create a run/debug configuration.

the Remove button

Alt+Delete

Delete the selected run/debug configuration. Note that you cannot delete default configurations.

Copy

Ctrl+D

Create a copy of the selected run/debug configuration. Note that you create copies of default configurations.

Save configuration

The button is displayed only when you select a temporary configuration. Click this button to save a temporary configuration as permanent.

Move into new folder / Create new folder

Move into new folder / Create new folder. You can group run/debug configurations by placing them into folders.

To create a folder, select the configurations within a category, click Folder, and specify the folder name. If only a category is in focus, an empty folder is created.

Then, to move a configuration into a folder, between the folders or out of a folder, use drag or Move Up and Move Down buttons.

To remove grouping, select a folder and click Remove Configuration.

Sort configurations

Click this button to sort configurations in the alphabetical order.

Before launch

In this area, you can specify tasks to be performed before starting the selected run/debug configuration. The tasks are performed in the order they appear in the list.

Item

Shortcut

Description

the Add button

Alt+Insert

Click this icon to add one of the following available tasks:

  • Run External tool: select to run an external application. In the dialog that opens, select one or multiple applications you want to run. If it is not defined in IntelliJ IDEA yet, add its definition. For more information, refer to External tools and External tools settings.

  • Run Another Configuration: select to execute another run/debug configuration and wait until it finishes before starting the current configuration. If you want to run several configurations in parallel, use a compound run/debug configuration.

  • Build: select to compile the specified module. The Build Module command will be executed.

    If an error occurs during compilation, IntelliJ IDEA won't attempt to start the run/debug configuration.

  • Build Project: select to compile the entire project. The Build Project command will be executed.

    If an error occurs during compilation, IntelliJ IDEA won't attempt to start the run/debug configuration.

  • Build, no error check: the same as the Build option, but IntelliJ IDEA will try to start the run/debug configuration irrespective of the compilation results.

  • Build Artifacts: select this option to build an artifact or artifacts. In the dialog that opens, select the artifact or artifacts that should be built.

  • Launch Web Browser: select this option to have a browser started. In the dialog that opens, select the type of the browser and provide the start URL. Also, specify if you want the browser be launched with JavaScript debugger.

  • Run Ant target: select this option to run an Ant target. In the dialog that opens, select the target to be run.

  • Run Grunt task: select this option to run a Grunt task.

    In the Grunt task dialog that opens, specify the Gruntfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Grunt tool.

    Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the grunt-cli package.

  • Run gulp task: select this option to run a Gulp task.

    In the Gulp task dialog that opens, specify the Gulpfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Gulp tool.

    Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the gulp package.

  • Run Maven Goal: select this option to run a Maven goal. In the dialog that opens, select the goal to be run.

  • Run npm script: select this option to execute an npm script.

    In the NPM Script dialog that opens, specify the npm run/debug configuration settings.

  • Compile TypeScript: select to run the built-in TypeScript compiler and thus make sure that all the changes you made to your TypeScript code are reflected in the generated JavaScript files. In the TypeScript Compile Settings dialog that opens, select or clear the Check errors checkbox to configure the behaviour of the compiler in case any errors are detected:

    • If the Check errors checkbox is selected, the compiler will show all the errors and the run configuration will not start.

    • If the Check errors checkbox is cleared, the compiler will show all the detected errors but the run configuration still will be launched.

  • Run Remote External Tool: adds a remote SSH external tool.

  • Disconnect Data Source: select this option if you want to disrupt the connection to a data source before the run/debug configuration is run.

the Remove button

Alt+Delete

Click this icon to remove the selected task from the list.

Edit

Enter

Click this icon to edit the selected task. Make the necessary changes in the dialog that opens.

Method up

Method down

Alt+Up

Alt+Down

Click these icons to move the selected task one line up or down in the list. The tasks are performed in the order that they appear in the list.

Show this page

Select this checkbox to show the run/debug configuration settings prior to actually starting the run/debug configuration.

Activate tool window

By default this checkbox is selected and the Run or the Debug tool window opens when you start the run/debug configuration.

Otherwise, if the checkbox is cleared, the tool window is hidden. However, when the configuration is running, you can open the corresponding tool window for it yourself by pressing Alt+4 or Alt+5.

Last modified: 15 March 2024