Before you start, install and enable the PHP and Command Line Tool Support repository plugins on the Plugins page of the Settings / Preferences Dialog.

On this page:

Editing command definitions

  1. Open the Command Line Tool Support page (File | Settings | Tools | Command Line Tool Support for Windows and Linux or IntelliJ IDEA | Preferences | Tools | Command Line Tool Support for macOS) .
  2. Select the desired tool in the list and click images/edit.png on the toolbar. The .xml tool descriptor opens in the editor.
  3. Update the definitions of the commands as necessary. As you type, .xml tool descriptor is checked for well-formedness on the fly.

Reloading command definitions

You can add new commands to the .xml tool descriptor and use them without removing the tool from the list and configuring it anew.

To reload command definitions:

  1. Open the Command Line Tool Support page (File | Settings | Tools | Command Line Tool Support for Windows and Linux or IntelliJ IDEA | Preferences | Tools | Command Line Tool Support for macOS) .
  2. Select the desired tool in the list and click images/refresh.png on the toolbar.

Validating the tool descriptor for structure consistence

When you edit command definition in an .xml tool descriptor, the file is checked for well-formedness on the fly.

Full validation is performed every time you invoke a command. If any inconsistencies are detected, the tool is marked with the Invalid description icon images/icon_incorrect_description.png in the Command Line Tool Support page.

To validate a tool descriptor for structure consistence:

  1. On the main menu, choose Tools | Run Command. Depending on the Show console in setting in the Command Line Tool Support page, the Input pane opens either as a pop-up window or as a text box at the bottom of the Command Line Tools Console tool window.
  2. In the Input tab of the Command Line Tools Console tool window that opens, type the call of a command.
  3. In the Tool definition file errors tab, analyze the notifications on detected structure inconsistencies. Each notification shows a brief description of the problem, the file and the line number where the problem is detected.

    By default, the tab is hidden and opens when you click More in the Command Line Tool pop-up window with a notification on validation failure. To close the tab, click the cross on its header. To re-open it, click More once again.

The Command Line Tool pop-up window remains on the screen until you close it manually.