IntelliJ IDEA 2021.2 Help

Gradle dependencies

IntelliJ IDEA lets you add and manage dependencies in your Gradle project. You can add dependencies, and view them in the diagram.

Generate Gradle dependencies

Any dependency added to the project is managed by Gradle. The best way to add or manage a dependency is in the build.gradle file. Dependencies that you set up manually inside IntelliJ IDEA module settings will be discarded on the next Gradle project reload.

Add a Gradle dependency

  1. Open the build.gradle file in the editor.

  2. Press Alt+Insert to open the Generate context menu.

  3. From the context menu, select Add Maven artifact dependency.

    Add Maven artifact dependency
  4. In the dialog that opens either search for artifacts or for classes if you switch to the Search for class tab.

    The syntax for searching Gradle artifacts is as follows:

    group-id:artifact-id:version
    Search Artifact
  5. Click Add and reload your project.

    IntelliJ IDEA adds a dependency to the build.gradle file.

    Build script: added dependency

    IntelliJ IDEA also adds the dependency to the Dependencies node in the Gradle tool window and to the External Libraries in the Project tool window.

    Gradle tool window and Project tool window

    If the added dependency has its own transitive dependencies, IntelliJ IDEA displays them in both tool windows. Besides the transitive dependencies, IntelliJ IDEA also indicates cyclic dependencies in the Gradle tool window.

    Gradle tool window: cyclyc dependencies

    If you add a dependency configuration of the source set, it will be displayed in the Gradle tool window as well.

    Source set dependency

View dependencies as a diagram

You can work with Gradle dependencies in the diagram format. It might be helpful when you have a large project and want to see the whole picture of how dependencies (including the transitive ones) are connected inside the project.

  1. In the Gradle tool window, select a project, on the toolbar, click the Show Dependencies icon or select the Show Dependencies option from the context menu.

    the Show Dependencies option

    You can select the Show Dependecies Popup(Ctrl+Alt+U) option to open the graph in a separate window. To close the popup, pressEscape.

  2. In the diagram window, IntelliJ IDEA displays all project dependencies including the transitive ones.

    Gradle dependencies diagram

    When you navigate to a dependency in a graph, IntelliJ IDEA displays its version, group and artifact IDs.

    Show dependency information

Use the diagram window toolbar to manage the diagram. You can change the size of a diagram, export it to a file, see only a part of the diagram you are interested in, and so on.

Change the visibility level

You can change the visibility level and, for example, view dependencies that have a specific scope (compile, test, and so on).

  1. In the diagram window, select the project and click the Change Visibility Level icon.

  2. From the list, select the dependency scope you want to see. IntelliJ IDEA displays only the specified dependency scope.

    Changing visibility level

Show path from selection to root

You can select dependencies and see how they are connected to the root.

  1. In the diagram window, select a dependency for which you want to see the connection to a project. If you want to select several dependencies at once, hold down Shift and make the selection.

  2. On the toolbar, clickthe Show Path Root Selection icon.

Show Paths Root Selection

Show neighbors of the selected nodes

You can select dependencies and see what other dependencies are connected to the selected nodes. It might be helpful if you have a large diagram and want to focus on just a part of it.

  1. In the diagram window, select a dependency you need. If you want to select several dependencies at once, hold down Shift and make the selection.

  2. On the toolbar, clickthe Show Neighbors of Selected Nodes.

Show Neighbors of Selected Nodes

Search for a specific dependency in the graph

  1. In the diagram window, press Ctrl+F to open the Diagram Elements popup.

    Search for dependency
  2. Start typing a name of a dependency you want to find, select the one you need from the list of search results and pressEnter. IntelliJ IDEA locates the needed dependency in the graph.

    Found dependency

View the diagram structure

  1. Generate a diagram.

  2. Click Structure in the left toolbar. IntelliJ IDEA opens the Structure tool window that displays a map of your diagram with a small preview of the selected block and its neighbors.

    the Structure view

    Use the context menu to zoom in and out, move canvas, change layout, and export part of the diagram into an image.

    the context menu
Last modified: 02 August 2022