IntelliJ IDEA 2016.2 Help

Run/Debug Configuration: NPM

In this dialog box, create configurations for running npm scripts locally. "Locally" in the current context means that IntelliJ IDEA itself starts the NodeJS runtime environment installed on your computer, whereupon initiates script execution.

On this page:

Getting access to the Run/Debug Configuration: NPM dialog

  1. Install and enable the Node.js plugin. The plugin is not bundled with IntelliJ IDEA, but it can be installed from the JetBrains plugin repository as described in Installing, Updating and Uninstalling Repository Plugins and Enabling and Disabling Plugins.
  2. Download and install the NodeJS runtime environment that contains the Node Package Manager(npm).

Configuration tab

ItemDescription
NameIn this text box, specify the name of the run/debug configuration.
Share Select this check box to make the run/debug configuration available to other team members.

If the directory-based project format is used, the settings for a run/debug configuration are stored in a separate .xml file in the .idea\runConfigurations folder if the run/debug configuration is shared, or in the .idea\workspace.xml file otherwise.

If the file-based format is used, the settings are stored in the .ipr file for shared configurations, or in the .iws file otherwise.

This check box is not available when editing the run/debug configuration defaults.

package.json In this field, specify the package.json file to run the scripts from. Choose the file from the drop-down list which shows all the package.json files detected in the current project or click browseButton.png and choose the required package.json in the dialog box that opens.
Command From this drop-down list, choose the npm CLI command to execute, by default run-script is selected. Learn more at npm documentation, under the section CLI Commands.
Scripts From this drop-down list, choose the script to which the chosen command will be applied. The list contains all the scripts defined within the scripts property in the Package.json file.
Arguments In this field, specify the command line arguments to execute a script with. Learn more at Arguments.
Node Interpreter In this field, specify the NodeJS installation home. Type the path to the NodeJS executable file manually, or click the browseButton.png button and select the location in the dialog box, that opens.

If you have appointed one of the installations as default, the field displays the path to its executable file.

Node Options In this text box, type the NodeJS-specific command line options to be passed to the NodeJS executable file. The acceptable options are:
--debug-brk==<port for connect to debugger remotely>

  • With the --debug-brk option, the execution of the application suspends right after launch. This option allows you to debug the code executed on start.
  • With the --debug option, the code that has to be executed on the application start is executed whereupon the application waits for a debugger to connect to it. This option is useful when you are not going to debug Node.js right now, but you want to debug it later.

Specify this option to enable remote debugging of the application without re-starting the NodeJS server.
-v, --version Print the current version of NodeJS.
-e, --eval script Evaluate script.
--v8-options Print v8 command line options.
--vars Print various compiled-in variables.
--max-stack-size=val Set max v8 stack size (bytes).
--require coffee-script/register Specify this parameter to have CoffeeScript files transpiled into JavaScript on the fly during run. This mode requires that the register.js file, which is a part of the coffee-script package, should be located inside the project. Therefore you need to install the coffee-script package on the Node.js page locally, as described in Installing and Removing External Software Using Node Package Manager.
Environment Variables In this field, specify the environment variables for the NodeJS executable file, if applicable. Click the Browse button browseButton.png to the right of the field and configure a list of variables in the Environment Variables dialog box, that opens:
  • To define a new variable, click the Add toolbar button add.png and specify the variable name and value.
  • To discard a variable definition, select it in the list and click the Delete toolbar button delete.png.
  • Click OK, when ready

The definitions of variables are displayed in the Environment variables read-only field with semicolons as separators. The acceptable variables are:

  • NODE_PATH: A :-separated list of directories prefixed to the module search path.
  • NODE_MODULE_CONTEXTS: Set to 1 to load modules in their own global contexts.
  • NODE_DISABLE_COLORS: Set to 1 to disable colors in the REPL.

Toolbar

ItemShortcutDescription
add Alt+Insert Click this button to add a new configuration to the list.
delete Alt+Delete Click this button to remove the selected configuration from the list.
copy Ctrl+D Click this button to create a copy of the selected configuration.
settings Edit defaultsClick this button to edit the default configuration templates. The defaults are used for newly created configurations.
arrowUp or arrowDown Alt+Up or Alt+Down Use these buttons to move the selected configuration or folder up and down in the list.

The order of configurations or folders in the list defines the order in which configurations appear in the Run/Debug drop-down list on the main toolbar.

folder Move into new folder / Create new folder Use this button to create a new folder.

If one or more run/debug configurations are in focus, the selected run/debug configurations are automatically moved to the newly created folder. If only a category is in focus, an empty folder is created.

Move run/debug configurations to a folder using drag-and-drop, or the arrowUp arrowDown buttons.

sortAlphabetically Sort configurations Click this button to sort configurations in alphabetical order.

Common options

ItemDescription
NameIn this text box, specify the name of the current run/debug configuration. This field does not appear for the default run/debug configurations.
Defaults This node in the left-hand pane of the dialog box contains the default run/debug configuration settings. Select the desired configuration to change its default settings in the right-hand pane. The defaults are applied to all newly created run/debug configurations.
Share Select this check box to make the run/debug configuration available to other team members.

If the directory-based project format is used, the settings for a run/debug configuration are stored in a separate .xml file in the .idea\runConfigurations folder if the run/debug configuration is shared, or in the .idea\workspace.xml file otherwise.

If the file-based format is used, the settings are stored in the .ipr file for shared configurations, or in the .iws file otherwise.

This check box is not available when editing the run/debug configuration defaults.

Single instance onlyIf this check box is selected, this run/debug configuration cannot be launched more than once.

Every time a new run/debug configuration is launched, IntelliJ IDEA checks the presence of the other instances of the same run/debug configuration, and displays a confirmation dialog box. If you click OK in the confirmation dialog box, the first instance of the runner will be stopped, and the next one will take its place.

This makes sense when the usage of certain resources can cause conflicts, or when launching two run/debug configurations of the same type consumes too much of the CPU and memory resources.

If this check box is not selected, it is possible to launch as many instances of the runner as required. So doing, each runner will start in its own tab of the Run tool window.

Before launchSpecify which tasks must be performed before applying the run/debug configuration. The specified tasks are performed in the order they appear in the list.
ItemKeyboard shortcutDescription
add Alt+Insert Click this icon to add a task to the list. Select the task to be added:
  • Run External tool. Select this option to run an application which is external to IntelliJ IDEA. In the dialog that opens, select the application or applications that should be run. If the necessary application is not defined in IntelliJ IDEA yet, add its definition. For more information, see Configuring Third-Party Tools and External Tools.
  • Make. Select this option to have the project or module compiled. The Make Module command will be carried out if a particular module is specified in the run/debug configuration, and the Make Project command otherwise.

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

  • Make, no error check. The same as the Make option but IntelliJ IDEA will try to start the run/debug configuration irrespective of the compilation result.
  • Build Artifacts. Select this option to have an artifact or artifacts built. In the dialog that opens, select the artifact or artifacts that should be built.

    See also, Working with Artifacts.

  • Run Another Configuration. Select this option to have another run/debug configuration executed. In the dialog that opens, select the configuration to run.

    This option is available only if you have already at least one run/debug configuration in the current project.

  • Run Ant target. Select this option to have an Ant target run. In the dialog that opens, select the target to be run. For more information, see Ant.
  • Run Grunt task. Select this option to run a Grunt task. In the Grunt task dialog box 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 Grunt task. In the Gulp task dialog box 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 npm Script. Select this check box to execute an npm script. In the NPM Script dialog box that opens, specify the package.json file where the required script is defined, select the script to execute, choose the command to apply to it, and specify the arguments to execute the script with.

    Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter and the parameters to pass to it.

  • Compile TypeScript. Select this option 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 check box to configure the behaviour of the compiler in case any errors are detected:
    • If the Check errors check box is selected, the compiler will show all the errors and the run configuration will not start.
    • If the Check errors check box is cleared, the compiler will show all the detected errors but the run configuration still will be launched.
  • Generate CoffeeScript Source Maps. Select this option to have the source maps for your CoffeeScript sources generated. In the dialog that opens, specify where your CoffeeScript source files are located. For more information, see CoffeeScript Support.
  • Run Maven Goal. Select this option to have a Maven goal run. In the dialog that opens, select the goal to be run.

    For more information, see Maven.

  • Run Remote External tool: Add a remote SSH external tool. Refer to the section Remote SSH External Tools for details.
  • Upload files to Remote Host. Select this option to have the application files automatically uploaded to the server according to the default server access configuration. For more information, see Configuring Synchronization with a Web Server and Uploading and Downloading Files.
delete Alt+Delete Click this icon to remove the selected task from the list.
edit1 Enter Click this icon to edit the selected task. Make the necessary changes in the dialog that opens.
arrowUp Alt+Up Click this icon to move the selected task one line up in the list.
arrowDown Alt+Down Click this icon to move the selected task one line down in the list.
Show this page Select this check box to have the run/debug configuration settings shown prior to actually starting the run/debug configuration.
Active tool windowSelect this option if you want the Run/Debug tool windows to be activated automatically when you run/debug your application. This option is enabled by default.

See Also

Last modified: 23 November 2016