Run/Debug Configuration: Application

The application run/debug configuration enables you running or debugging applications via the main() method .

The dialog box consists of the following tabs:

Configuration tab
Code Coverage tab
Logs tab

Click here for the description of the options that are common for all run/debug configurations.

Configuration tab

Item	Description
Main class	In this text box, specify the fully qualified name of the class to be executed (passed to the JRE). Type the class name manually or click the Browse button to open the Choose Main Class dialog box, where you can find the desired class by name or search through the project.
VM options	In this text box, specify the string to be passed to the VM for launching an application. Usually this string contains the options such as `-mx`, `-verbose`, etc. If necessary, click and type the desired string in the VM Options dialog. When specifying the options, follow these rules: Use spaces to separate individual options, for example, `-client -ea -Xmx1024m`. If 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 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\"`. The `-classpath` option specified in this field overrides the classpath of the module.
Program arguments	In this text box, type a list of arguments to be passed to the program in the format you would use in the command line. If necessary, click the button and type the desired arguments in the Program Parameters dialog box. Use the same rules as for specifying the VM options.
Working directory	In this text box, specify the current directory to be used by the running application. This directory is the starting point for all relative input and output paths. By default, the field contains the directory where the project file resides. To specify another directory, click the Browse button select the directory in the dialog that opens. Click this icon to view the list of available path variables that you can use as a path to your working directory. The list of the path variables may vary depending on the enabled plugins.
Environment variables	Click the Browse button to open the Environment Variables dialog box, where you can create variables and specify their values. Note that you can copy-paste the contents of the Environment variables field without having to open the Environment Variables dialog box.
Use classpath of module	Select the module whose classpath should be used to run the application.
JRE	By default, the newest JDK from the module dependencies is used to run the application. If you want to specify an alternative JDK or JRE here, select it from the drop-down list.
Enable capturing form snapshots	Select this check box to enable the GUI Designer to take snapshots of the GUI components, that can be afterwards converted into a form.

Code Coverage tab

Use this tab to configure code coverage monitoring options.

Item	Description
Choose code coverage runner	Select the desired code coverage runner. By default, IntelliJ IDEA uses its own coverage engine with the Sampling mode. You can also choose JaCoCo or Emma for calculating coverage.
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 check box to detect lines covered by one test and all tests covering line. If this check box is selected, becomes available on the toolbar of the coverage statistic pop-up window. This option is only available for the Tracing mode of code coverage measurement for the testing run/debug configurations. Refer to the section Viewing Code Coverage Results.
Merge data with previous results	When you run your unit testing or application configuration several times, use this item to calculate statistics in the Project View, taking into account the statistics of each time you have run the configuration. Finally, the line is considered covered if it is covered at least once.
Packages and classes to record code coverage data	Click and buttons to specify classes and packages to be measured. You can also remove classes and packages from the list by selecting them in the list and clicking the button.
	Click this button to define the scope of code coverage analysis. In the Add Pattern dialog box that opens, type the comma-delimited list of Ruby regular expressions, and specify whether the matching files should be included into or excluded from code coverage analysis. The patterns defining files to be included into code coverage analysis, are marked with +; the ones to be excluded are marked with -. Each pattern can be enabled or disabled. To do that, select or clear the check box next to a pattern. By default, all newly created patterns are enabled.
	Click this button to delete the selected pattern from the list.
	Click this button to change the selected code coverage pattern.
Do not use the optimized C runtime	Select this check box to enable the option `--no-rcovrt`. Use this option with discretion, since it significantly slows down performance.
Enable coverage in test folders.	If this check box is selected, the folders marked as test are included in the code coverage analysis.

Use bundled coverage.py If this check box is selected, IntelliJ IDEA will use the bundled coverage.py.
If this check box is not selected, IntelliJ IDEA will use the coverage tool included in the selected Python interpreter.

Refer to the section Code Coverage for details.

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 check boxes 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 check box to have the previous content of the selected log skipped.
Save console output to file	Select this check box 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 check box 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 check box to activate the output console and bring it forward if an associated process writes to Standard.err.
	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.
	Click this button to edit the properties of the selected log file entry in the Edit Log Files Aliases dialog.
	Click this button to remove the selected log entry from the list.
	Click this button to edit the select log file entry. The button is available only when an entry is selected.

Toolbar

Item	Shortcut	Description
	`Alt+Insert`	Click this button to add a new configuration to the list.
	`Alt+Delete`	Click this button to remove the selected configuration from the list.
	`Ctrl+D`	Click this button to create a copy of the selected configuration.
	Edit defaults	Click this button to edit the default configuration templates. The defaults are used for newly created configurations.
or	`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.
	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 buttons.
	Sort configurations	Click this button to sort configurations in alphabetical order.

Common options

Item Description

Name In 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.

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 only

If 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 launch

Specify which tasks must be performed before applying the run/debug configuration. The specified tasks are performed in the order they appear in the list.

Item	Keyboard shortcut	Description
	`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 andExternal Tools. 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 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. 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. 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. Run Rake task:Add a Rake task to be executed prior to running or debugging. To choose a Rake task, click the browse button , and select the desired task from the list of available tasks. Note that code completion is available here. To learn more about Rake support, refer to Rake Support section. Run JRuby compiler: choose this option to execute JRuby compiler with the specified target path, compiler process heap size, and command line parameters (if any).
	`Alt+Delete`	Click this icon to remove the selected task from the list.
	`Enter`	Click this icon to edit the selected task. Make the necessary changes in the dialog that opens.
	`Alt+Up`	Click this icon to move the selected task one line up in the list.
	`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 window		Select 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.

Last modified: 29 November 2017

Procedures:

Creating and Editing Run/Debug Configurations

Reference:

Concepts:

Working with Run/Debug Configurations

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