IntelliJ IDEA 2024.1 Help

Run/Debug Configuration: RSpec

Use this dialog to define run/debug configuration for a RSpec test.

Prerequisites

Before you start working with Ruby, make sure that Ruby plugin is installed and enabled. Press Ctrl+Alt+S, go to Plugins and inspect the Installed tab to ensure the plugin is enabled.

Also make sure that the following prerequisites are met:

  • Ruby SDK is downloaded and installed on your machine.

  • The required framework SDKs are downloaded and installed on your machine.

For more information, refer to their respective download and installation pages:

Configuration tab

Item

Description

Name

Specify the name of the current run/debug configuration.

Mode

Define the scope of tests to run:

  • All specs in a folder: Select this option to run all tests in a particular directory.

  • Spec script: Select this option to run a specific test.

  • Multiple specs: Select this option to run tests from multiple spec files.

Specs folder

Specify the fully qualified path to the directory that contains the desired specs. Alternatively, click the Browse button and select the specs directory in the dialog that opens.

This field is only available, when the All specs in folder option is selected.

File name mask

Specify the mask of the spec file name, for example, **/*_spec.rb.

This field is only available, when the All specs in folder option is selected.

Spec script

Specify the name of the script to be executed.

This field is only available, when the Spec script option is selected.

Specs

Specify the names of the desired specs. Alternatively, click the Browse button and select the specs in the dialog that opens.

This field is only available, when the Multiple specs option is selected.

Example names

Specify one or several names of the examples within the script to be executed. Use || to separate example names.

If no example is specified, all examples will be executed.

This field is only available, if either the Spec script or Multiple specs option is selected.

Example IDs/line number

Specify the Unique ID of an example or example group to run or, alternatively, specify the line number with the desired example or example group.

An example ID consists of a combination of the example number and the numbers of example groups that contain it, separated by colons. For instance, if you have a test file with three example groups, the second group contains three examples, and you want to run the first example, its example ID will be [2:1].

Use square brackets when specifying example IDs and separate multiple IDs with commas, such as [1:2:1],[2:3]. To run all examples of a particular group at once, specify the example group number in square brackets, for instance, [2].

To run an example or example group using its line number, specify it without using square brackets.

Runner options

Provide additional options to customize RSpec's behavior. Learn more about the available options from Command line.

'rspec' gem

Use this list to select the desired gem version, which will be used to run the tests. The list shows the versions that are available in the Ruby SDK. By default, the latest available version is taken.

Use custom RSpec runner script

Select this checkbox if you want to use an alternative spec runner. You can type the fully qualified path to the spec runner in the text field, or click the Browse button, and select the desired runner in the dialog that opens.

Use pre-load server

From the list, select the server to be used for executing scripts or examples.

Select None if you want to execute a script or example locally, without any server.

Output full backtrace

Select this checkbox to enable the --trace option.

Working directory

Specify the working directory used by the running task. For example, this option is in effect when the running script loads other scripts by relative paths.

Environment variables

Specify the list of environment variables as the name-value pairs, separated with semi-colons. Alternatively, click the Browse button to create variables and specify their values in the Environment Variables dialog.

Ruby arguments

Specify the command-line arguments to be passed to the Ruby interpreter.

Ruby SDK

Specify the desired Ruby interpreter. You can choose the project default Ruby SDK, or select a different one from the list of configured Ruby SDKs.

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 checkboxes 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 checkbox to have the previous content of the selected log skipped.

Save console output to file

Select this checkbox 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 checkbox 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 checkbox to activate the output console and bring it forward if an associated process writes to Standard.err.

the Add button

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.

the Edit button

Click this button to edit the properties of the selected log file entry in the Edit Log Files Aliases dialog.

the Delete button

Click this button to remove the selected log entry from the list.

Bundler tab

Item

Description

Run the script in the context of the bundle ('bundle exec')

Running the script with Bundler ensures that the gem versions specified in the Gemfile will be used. Select one of the options:

  • Auto-detection: select this option to run your code with bundle exec when it is possible.

  • Disabled: select this option to disable the use of bundle exec.

Code Coverage tab

Use this tab to configure code coverage monitoring options.

Item

Description

Packages and classes to record code coverage data

Click the Add button and select the Add Class button Add Class or the Add Package button Add Package 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 remove the package button.

Common settings

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

Item

Description

Name

Specify a name for the run configuration to quickly identify it among others when editing or running.

Allow multiple instances

Allow running multiple instances of this run configuration in parallel.

By default, it is disabled, and when you start this configuration while another instance is still running, IntelliJ IDEA suggests stopping the running instance and starting another one. This is helpful when a run configuration consumes a lot of resources and there is no good reason to run multiple instances.

Store as project file

Save the file with the run configuration settings to share it with other team members. The default location is .idea/runConfigurations. However, if you do not want to share the .idea directory, you can save the configuration to any other directory within the project.

By default, it is disabled, and IntelliJ IDEA stores run configuration settings in .idea/workspace.xml.

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 button

Alt+Insert

Create a run/debug configuration.

the Remove button

Alt+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.

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 to 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 button

Alt+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, refer to External tools and External tools settings.

  • Run Another Configuration: select to execute another run/debug configuration and wait until it finishes before starting the current configuration. If you want to run several configurations in parallel, use a compound run/debug configuration.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Disconnect Data Source: select this option if you want to disrupt the connection to a data source before the run/debug configuration is run.

the Remove button

Alt+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 is hidden. 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: 28 June 2024