IntelliJ IDEA 2021.3 Help

Scopes

A scope is a set of files to which various operations apply. Using this dialog, you can define scopes for the various IntelliJ IDEA actions, for example, Find Usages or Code Inspections.

The Scopes page in Settings/Preferences

Main toolbar

Item

Tooltip

Description

the Add button

Add scope

Alt+Insert

Add a new local or shared scope.

the Remove button

Delete

Alt+Delete

Delete the selected scope from the list.

the Copy configuration button

Copy configuration

Ctrl+D

Create a copy of the selected scope.

the Save as button

Save as

Save the selected local scope as shared or the selected shared scope as local.

the Move up button   the Move down button

Move Up / Move Down

Move the scopes up and down in the list.

Scope configuration controls

Item

Description

Name

Specify the scope name.

Pattern

Specify the pattern that defines the current scope. The following elements and structures can be used:

  1. The file: modifier. The element is mandatory.

  2. The * asterisk to denote any symbol in a filename or file extension.

  3. Logical operators AND (&&), OR (||), and NOT (!).

For more information, see Scope language syntax reference.

Storing empty or incorrect patterns is not allowed. In such cases, IntelliJ IDEA shows a Syntax Error warning.

Include

Included the selected item. If the current item is a folder, the nested subfolders are ignored.

Include Recursively

Include the selected folder and all nested subfolders with their contents.

Exclude

Exclude the selected item. If the current item is a folder, the nested subfolders remain in the scope.

Exclude Recursively

Exclude the selected folder and all nested subfolders with their contents.

Scope toolbar

Item

Tooltip

Description

Project tree view

The tree view contains all the files available in your project. In the view, select the desired files to be included in the current scope and have the scope definition pattern generated automatically.

the Flatten Packages button

Flatten Packages

When this option is enabled, all the packages are displayed as a single-level tree view. This enables you to find a package somewhere deep within the project by its name without going through the entire tree hierarchy.

the Group by Scopes Type button

Group by Scopes Type

When this button is pressed, the items in the tree-view are grouped below three nodes:

  • Library Classes

  • Production Classes

  • Test Classes

This button is only available for the Package presentation of scopes.

the Compact Middle Packages button

Compact Middle Packages

This option lets you specify how or whether empty packages are to be shown. (Empty packages are ones that contain nothing but other packages.)

the Show Modules button

Show Modules

When this option is enabled, items in the tree-view are shown below the corresponding module nodes. Otherwise, the project items are shown below the corresponding package (like a source path with packages).

the Show Module Groups button

Show Module Groups

When this option is enabled, modules in module groups are shown on the same level with other modules.

Show files

Show Files

When this option is enabled, source files are displayed explicitly in the tree view. When the files are shown, they can be selected for exclusion/inclusion into a pattern.

If this option is not disabled, all files are hidden from the tree.

Show included only

Show Included Only

When this option is enabled, the tree shows only the elements that are included in the scope.

  • Packages

  • Project

Define how you want the project files to be displayed in the tree view.

The project tree view presentation, scopes language syntax and the available toolbar buttons differ depending on the selection.

Legend of the project tree view

Item

Description

the green color sample

Folders and files included in a scope are marked with green.

Black

Folders and files excluded from a scope.

the dark blue color sample

Folders that contain both excluded and included files and subfolders are marked with dark blue.

Last modified: 01 August 2022