Go run/debug configurations

List of fields in run/debug configurations

The fields that appear in the right-hand pane display the default settings for the selected configuration type.

Name	Description
Run kind	A building scope for your application. File and Package scopes work similarly in tests and compilation/running configurations (in terms of the scope they cover). Directory: build an application in the specified directory as a package, without processing any subdirectories. For test configurations, IntelliJ IDEA runs all the tests in the specified directory and all its subdirectories. File: build an application from files specified in the Files field. To pass multiple file paths, use the vertical bar (`\|`) as a delimiter. This configuration is automatically selected when you run your program from scratch files. Package: build a single package with all its dependencies. Specify a full import path to the package that you want to build in the Package path field (for example, `github.com/gorilla/mux`). This configuration is automatically selected when you run the `main` function or a separate test by using the Run icon () in the gutter.
Package path	A full import path of the package that you want to compile (for example, `github.com/gorilla/mux`). This field is available only when you select the Package run kind. You can press `Ctrl+Space` to see a list of available packages.
Output directory	A directory for the executable file.
Run after build	Execute the application after the build.
Working directory	Directory that is used for the built application. If you have any code that creates relative files or directories, they will be relative to this directory.
Environment	Environment variables for your application. To edit environment variables, click the Browse button at the end of the field. In the Environment Variables dialog, click the Add button and add the environment variables that you need.
Go tool arguments	Arguments for the go tool (for example, `-o`). Also, you can use macros in this field.
Use all custom build tags	All tags that are applied during the build. Tags are listed in settings `Ctrl+Alt+S` under Languages & Frameworks \| Go \| Build Tags. For more information, refer to Build constraints and vendoring.
Program arguments	Arguments for the built application. Also, you can use macros in this field.
Run with sudo	Grant sudo privileges for the application.
Module	Name of the current module.
Before launch	Add tasks that you want to launch before the launch of the selected run/debug configuration. To add a task click the Add button `Alt+Insert` and select the tool that you want to add.
Store as project file	Enable this option to save your configuration as a project file and share it with team members through VCS.

Using macros

Macros are used to make a sequence of computing instructions available to the programmer as a single program statement. In IntelliJ IDEA, you can use macros in Go tool arguments and Program arguments fields.

Navigate to Run | Edit configurations.
Select or create a run/debug configuration in which you plan to use macros.
In Go tool arguments and Program arguments fields, click the Insert Macros icon ().
In the Macros window, select a macro from the Macros list (for example, ClipboardContent - The clipboard content). In the Macro preview pane, you can see the output of the macro if the output is available.
Click Insert.
See the following animation, that shows the usage of the ClipboardContent macro. You can copy the code snippet from GitHub. Before running the run/debug configuration, copy one positive number to the clipboard.

Last modified: 11 February 2024