IntelliJ IDEA 2019.2 Help

Run/Debug Configuration: Android Application

Use this dialog box to create configurations used to run or debug Android applications and activities on actual or virtual devices.

This dialog box consists of three tabs:

General Tab

Item

Description

Module

From this drop-down list, select a module to which this configuration will be applied.

Installation Options

Use this area to configure the following settings:
  • Deploy - use this drop-down list to appoint the .apk file that will be deployed to the target virtual or physical device. You can select one of the following options:
    • Default APK - select this option to have IntelliJ IDEA upload the .apk built from the module specified in the Module drop-down list above. The .apk is built automatically, no preliminary artifact configuration is required from your side.

    • Custom Artifact - select this option to have IntelliJ IDEA upload the .apk built from the code and resources appointed in a manually configured artifact. Select an artifact from the drop-down list which shows all manually created artifact definitions for the selected module. See Working with Artifacts for details.

    • Nothing - select this option to suppress uploading data to the device. This approach may be helpful if you have already deployed your application manually outside IntelliJ IDEA.

  • Install Flags - use this field to specify options for the pm install command.
    For more information, see the package manager page.

Launch Options

In this area, appoint the activity that will be launched on the application start.
  • Launch - use this drop-down list to specify the following launch settings:
    • Default Activity - select this option to have IntelliJ IDEA automatically launch the activity marked as start-up.

    • Nothing - select this option to connect to an already running application provided that you have chosen Nothing in the Installation Options area. Executing a run configuration with these settings is the same as clicking the Attach debugger to Android process button addAndroidDebuggerToProcess.png on the toolbar.

    • Specified Activity - select this option to have IntelliJ IDEA launch an activity of your choice upon the application start. This option may be helpful when you want to run or debug a part of your application and have already chosen the Custom Artifact option in the Installation Options area. Type the activity name manually or click Browse the Browse button and select it in the Select Activity Class dialog box that opens.

      The list of available activities is determined by the choice of the module.

    • URL - select this option to launch a browser when you run your application. You can specify the URL address in the URL field.

  • Launch Flags - use this field to specify additional options for the am start command.
    For more information, see the activity manager page.

Deployment Target Options

In this area, select the type of device to run/debug the application on. The available options are:
  • Show Device Chooser Dialog: select this option to have IntelliJ IDEA display the Choose Device dialog box upon the application start.

    If you want to automatically use the device chosen through the Choose Device dialog in the future, select the Use same device for future launches option.

  • USB Device: select this option to have IntelliJ IDEA detect a plugged-in USB device upon the application start.

  • Emulator: select this option to use one of the configured device emulators. From the Prefer Android Virtual Device drop-down list, select a virtual device that will be used to run/debug the specified activity. If you want to add/edit a virtual device configuration, click the Browse button the Browse button to launch the Android Virtual Device (AVD) Manager (see Managing Virtual Devices for details).

Miscellaneous Tab

In this tab, configure the scope of log data shown during a run/debug session.

Item

Description

Logcat

Use this area to configure logcat settings for your Android run/debug configuration:
  • Show logcat automatically: select this checkbox to show logcat automatically every time an application is deployed and launched successfully.

  • Clear log before launch: select this checkbox if you want data from previous sessions to be removed from the log file before starting the application.

Installation Options

Use this area to configure the installation options for running or debugging your Android application:
  • Skip installation if APK has not changed: select this checkbox to skip APK installation when you run your application if the APK has not changed.

  • Force stop running application before launching activity: select this checkbox to stop running an already launched application before you start running the activity from IntelliJ IDEA.

Profiling Tab

In this tab, specify the Graphic Trace options.

Item

Description

Disable precompiled shaders and programs

Select this checkbox if you want to disable precompiled shaders and programs and compile them at the runtime instead.

Common

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

Item

Description

Name

In this field, specify the name for the run/debug configuration. The name will help you identify the created configuration when you choose to edit it later, or when you invoke it, for example, from the Run popup Shift+Alt+F10.

Share through VCS

Select this checkbox to put the run/debug configuration under version control and make it 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.

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 buttonAlt+Insert

Create a run/debug configuration.

the Remove buttonAlt+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.

Edit Templates

View and edit the template (that is, the default settings) for the selected run/debug configuration. The templates are displayed under the Templates node and used for newly created configurations.

Method up/Method down

Alt+Up/Alt+Down

Move the selected run/debug configuration up and down in the list.

The order of configurations in the list defines the order, in which the configurations appear when you choose a run/debug configuration.

Default templates of run/debug configurations are always sorted alphabetically.

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 that must 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 buttonAlt+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, see External tools and External Tools.

  • Run Another Configuration: select to execute another run/debug configuration. In the dialog that opens, select the configuration to be run.

  • 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.
  • Start React Native Bundler: select this option to run the bundler automatically, as part of a running or debugging session. by default, this is done through react-native start. If your application uses Expo, you need to run the development server via the start npm task. To do that, click Add, then in the Configure React Native dialog, choose npm script and select start from the list.

  • 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.

  • Generate CoffeeScript Source Maps: select this option to generate the source maps for your CoffeeScript sources. In the dialog that opens, specify where your CoffeeScript source files are located.

  • 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.

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

  • Run Rake task: add a Rake task to be executed prior to running or debugging. To choose a Rake task, click the browse button the Browse button, and select the desired task from the list of available tasks.

    Note that code completion is available here.

    Code completion for the Rake tasks

  • 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).

the Remove buttonAlt+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 isn't shown. 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: 17 October 2019