Project tool window

This tool window lets you look at your project from various viewpoints and perform the tasks such as creating new items (nodes, models, modules, and so on), opening nodes or files in the editor, navigating to the code fragment of interest, and more.

Most of the functions in this tool window are accessed as context menu commands in the content pane and via associated shortcuts.

The view also contains the Scratches and Consoles folder that lets you manage created scratch files, query consoles, and extension scripts.

Views

The tool window has several views:

Logical View. In this view, all the project nodes are shown organized logically into their containing modules, models and virtual folders.
File System. In this view, all the project files are shown organized by their physical location on the directory structure.

To switch between views, press Alt+Right/Alt+Left or select the desired view from the list on the header.

You can also display each view in a separate tab: click and disable the Group Tabs option.

To configure a view, use the corresponding options in the header context menu. The necessary options can also be accessed by clicking on the header.

Preview files

There is an option that allows the user to preview files without opening each one in a separate tab:

Enable the preview tab: click and select Behavior | Enable Preview Tab.

Show tree indent guides

In the Project tool window , you can display vertical lines that mark indent levels and help you better understand the hierarchy of the components in your project.

Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open settings and then select Appearance & Behavior | Appearance.
In the Tree Views section, enable the Show indent guides option.

Header context menu

The context menu that appears by right-clicking the header or clicking the Options button () provides settings for project views.

The following table lists and briefly explains the available commands and options.

Item	Shortcut	Description
Open Directories with Single Click		Expand and collapse directories in the Project tool window by clicking them once. Otherwise, you need to double-click a directory to open it or use the icon next to the directory's name.
Members		If this option is on, the nodes in the tree, when unfolded, will show the contained children, properties and references.
Show Descriptor Models		These models are normally hidden. This option makes them visible in the tree.
Show Errors Only		When selected, only errors are highlighted on nodes in the view. Otherwise, errors as well as warnings are highlighted.
Customize Tree Views		Navigate to Settings \| Appearance & Behavour \| Appearance \| Tree Views to configure options for tree views.
Sort by Name		Sort files alphabetically by their names. The option does not affect the order of folders, they are always sorted alphabetically.
Sort by Concept		Root nodes of the same concept will be grouped together inside a model.
Modification Time (Newest First/Oldest First)		Sort files by the time they were modified. To display this information, select View \| Appearance \| Details in Tree View from the main menu. The option does not affect the order of folders, they are always sorted alphabetically.
Folders Always on Top		If the option is on, virtual folders are shown above the root nodes. Otherwise, all items are sorted alphabetically, and root nodes and virtual folders appear intermixed.
Speed Search		Search for an item. Learn more from Speed Search in tool windows
Group Tabs		If this option is on, there is a list in the left-hand part of the header from which you can select the necessary view. If this option is off, the views are represented by tabs which appear in the left-hand part of the header.
View Mode		This option lets you control general appearance and behavior of the tool window.
Move to		To associate the tool window with a different tool window bar, select this command, and then select the destination tool window bar (Top, Left, Bottom or Right). For full information, refer to the Move tool windows chapter.
Resize		To resize the tool window by moving one of its borders, select this command, and then select the necessary Stretch to option. Note that this command is not available for the floating mode.
Remove from Sidebar		This command hides the tool window, removes the button for showing and hiding the tool window, and removes the tool window from the quick access menu ( or ). To open the tool window again (and restore the associated features), use the main menu: View \| Tool Windows \| <Window Name> or press `Alt+1`.
Hide	`Shift+Escape`	Hide the tool window.
Help		This command opens the description of the Project tool window in the MPS online help.

Title bar actions

Item	Shortcut	Description
		Click this icon to navigate from a node open in the editor to the containing root node in the Project tool window `Alt+1`. This icon is not available if the Always Select Opened File option is currently on.
	`Ctrl+NumPad +`	Expand all nodes.
	`Ctrl+NumPad -`	Collapse all nodes.
		Use this button to open a menu whose options are a subset of the header context menu. Show Members Folders Always on Top Sort Roots by Concept Show @descriptor models in generators Pinned Mode, Docked Mode, Floating Mode, Windowed Mode, Split Mode Remove from Sidebar Group Tabs Move to Resize
	`Shift+Escape`	Hide the tool window `Shift+Escape`. To hide all the tool windows, press `Ctrl+Shift+F12`.

Context menu commands for the content pane items

The context menu of an item provides access to all the functions available for this item.

Item	Available on	Description
New	Project root	Use this command to create new modules in the project.
Make Project	Project root	Makes all modified modules in the project.
Rebuild Project	Project root	Rebuilds all modules in the project.
Rename Project...	Project root	Allows you to rename the project.
Check Project	Project root	Runs a model checker against all modules.
Optimize Imports	Project root	Automatically removes imports that are not necessary.
Fix Module Imports	Project root	Automatically adds imports of modules that are missing.
Compile Java Files	Project root	Compiles Java sources that have changed.
Recompile Java Files	Project root	Re-compiles all Java sources.
Clean Compiled Java Files	Project root	Removes all compiled Java code.
Run 'All Tests in Project'	Project root	Collects all tests in the project and runs them.
Debug 'All Tests in Project'	Project root	Collects all tests in the project and runs them in a debugger.
Create 'All Tests in Project'	Project root	Creates a run configuration for running all tests in the project.
Project Modules	Project root	Allows you to add or remove modules to the project.
New	A Folder of Modules	Allows you to create new modules in the folder.
Make Selected Modules	A Folder of Modules	Allows you to make the modified modules in the folder.
Rebuild Selected Modules	A Folder of Modules	Allows you to rebuild the modules in the folder.
Rename	A Folder of Modules	Renames the folder.
Check Selected Modules	A Folder of Modules	Runs a model checker against the selected modules.
New	Module	Allows you to create new models in the module.
Make	Module	Allows you to make the modified models in the module.
Rebuild	Module	Allows you to rebuild all models in the module.
Check	Module	Runs a model checker against the module.
Optimize Imports	Module	Removes unused imports from the module.
Analyze	Module	Allows you to analyze the structure and dependencies of the module.
Delete	Module	Deletes the module from the project and optionally also from disk.
Copy Module Name	Module	Copies the module name into the clipboard.
Set Virtual Folder	Module	Allows you to organize modules into virtual folders. For hierarchical names use names with dots.
Rename	Module	Allows you to rename the module.
Clone	Module	Creates a clone of the module.
Scripts	Module	Allows you to run arbitrary automated scripts against the code in that module.
Compile Java Files	Module	Compiles Java sources in the module that have changed.
Recompile Java Files	Module	Re-compiles all Java sources in the module.
Clean Compiled Java Files	Module	Removes all compiled Java code from the module.
Local History	Module	Allows you to view, compare and store items in the local history of the module.
Git	Module	Allows you to trigger Git commands on items belonging to the module.
Run 'Tests in ...'	Module	Collects all tests in the module and runs them.
Debug 'Tests in ...'	Module	Collects all tests in the module and runs them in a debugger.
Create 'Tests in ...'	Module	Creates a run configuration for running all tests in the module.
Find Usages	Module	Allows you to search for usages of code of the module.
Find Concepts Usages	Module	Allows you to search for instances of concepts defined in the module (only applicable to languages).
Module Properties	Module	Allows you to view and change dependencies and properties of the module.
Check	DevKit	Runs a model checker against the DevKit.
Analyze Classpath	DevKit	Allows you to analyze classpath as it is set for the DevKit.
Delete DevKit...	DevKit	Deletes the DevKit.
Copy Module Name	DevKit	Copies the module name into the clipboard.
Set Virtual Folder	DevKit	Allows you to organize modules into virtual folders. For hierarchical names use names with dots.
Rename DevKit	DevKit	Allows you to rename the DevKit.
Find Usages	DevKit	Allows you to search for usages of code of the DevKit.
Module Properties	DevKit	Allows you to view and change dependencies and properties of the DevKit, including the included solutions and languages.
New	Model	Allows you to create new root nodes in the model.
Make Model	Model	Allows you to make the model if it has changed.
Rebuild Model	Model	Allows you to unconditionally rebuild all nodes in the model.
Preview Generated Text	Model	Allows you to see the code that gets generated for the nodes in the model.
Show Generation Plan	Model	Allows you to inspect the generation plan outlined by the generator for the model..
Paste	Model	Pastes a root node into the model from the clipboard.
Paste as Java Class	Model	Pastes a root node of ClassConcept into the model using the text from the clipboard as a Java source.
Get Model Contents from Source	Model	Import a Java package as MPS model with BaseLanguage code.
Resolve Stub References to MPS Code	Model	Re-resolve references to point to a newly imported BaseLanguage code instead of to stub models.
Delete Model	Model	Deletes the model from the module.
Safe Delete Model	Model	Deletes the model from the module. If there are some usages of that model present in other models, the user is prompted to review those before deleting the model.
Clone Model	Model	Creates a clone of the model.
Copy Model Name	Model	Copies the model name into the clipboard.
Optimize Imports	Model	Removes unused imports from the model.
Fix Model Imports	Model	Add imports that are missing from the model.
Convert to File-Per-Root format	Model	Changes the persistence format of the model from File-per-model to File-per-root.
Analyze Model Dependencies	Model	Allows you to analyze the dependencies of the model and locate them in the code.
Check Model	Model	Runs a model checker against the model.
Find Usages	Model	Allows you to search for usages of code of the model.
Refactoring	Model	Groups actions that can rename or move the model.
Revert Memory Changes	Model	Allows you to revert back to the version of the model that is stored on disk.
Show Differences with Model on Disk	Model	Allows you to view the differences in code between the memory and the disk versions.
Local History	Model	Allows you to view, compare and store items in the local history of the model.
Git	Model	Allows you to trigger Git commands on items belonging to the model.
Scripts	Model	Allows you to run arbitrary automated scripts against the code in the model.
Run 'Tests in ...'	Model	Collects all tests in the model and runs them.
Debug 'Tests in ...'	Model	Collects all tests in the model and runs them in a debugger.
Create 'Tests in ...'	Model	Creates a run configuration for running all tests in the model.
Help	Model	Shows a help entry for the model, if available.
Model Properties	Model	Allows you to view and change dependencies and properties of the model.
New	Virtual Folder	Allows you to create new nodes in that virtual folder.
Paste	Virtual Folder	Allows you to paste nodes into that virtual folder.
Rename	Virtual Folder	Allows you to rename a virtual folder.
Preview Generated Text	Node	Allows you to see the code that gets generated for the selected node.
Set Virtual Package	Node	Allows you to set a dot-separated string that specifies a virtual folder for the selected nodes.
Expand All	Node	Fully expands all nodes inside the selected root node. This option has no effect if Show Members setting for the Project Tool Window is not selected.
Copy	Node	Use this command to copy the selected node or nodes to the clipboard.
Paste	Node	Use this command to paste a node or nodes from the clipboard into the model.
Cut	Node	Use this command to cut the selected node or nodes to the clipboard.
Copy Reference	Node	Use this command to copy a newly created reference to the selected node or nodes to the clipboard.
Copy Node FQName	Node	Use this command to copy the fully qualified name of the selected node to the clipboard.
Copy Node Reference as URL	Node	Use this command to copy a reference to the selected node as URL to the clipboard. The URL will resolve in a browser to a HTTP request that points to the localhost server running inside MPS. The internal server will return an html-formatted presentation of the original node.
Delete	Node	Deletes the node from the model.
Safe Delete	Node	Deletes the node from the model. If there are some usages of that node present in some models, the user is prompted to review those before deleting the node.
Clone Root	Node	Creates a clone of the root node in the same model.
Show Node in Explorer	Node	Opens the Node Explorer tool window, which shows the tree representing the node.
Language Debug	Node	Groups other functionality, typically used when exploring or debugging language definitions.
Find Usages	Node	Allows you to search for usages of node.
Find Usages Settings	Node	Pops up a dialog that allows you to configure the search for usages.
Refactoring	Node	Groups actions that can rename or move the node.
Show Help for Node	Node	Shows a help entry for the node, if available.
Show Help for Root Node	Node	Shows a help entry for the root node, if available.

Root node status highlights

If VCS integration is enabled for the current project, MPS uses colors to denote VCS file status in the Project tool window.

You can configure VCS file status colors on the Version Control | File Status Colors settings page Ctrl+Alt+S.

The table below lists default file status colors and their meanings in some of the color schemes.

Color	File Status	Description
#0A7700	Added	The file in the active changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository.
#0EAA00	Added in not active changelist	The file in an inactive changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Changelists.
#FF0000	Changelist conflict	The file in an inactive changelist has been modified in the active changelist. In this case, a new dialog will open, prompting you to resolve the changelist conflict. This file status is available if all options are enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Changelists.
#0A7700	Copied	If a file is a copy of another file, its metadata is tracked, and such a file is marked as copied.
#616161	Deleted	The file is scheduled for deletion from the repository.
#773895	Deleted from file system	The file has been deleted locally but hasn't been scheduled for deletion, and it still exists in the repository.
#8AA4C8	Have changed descendants	If a file is modified, the IDE will recursively highlight all directories containing that file. This status is available if the Highlight directories that contain modified files in the Project tree option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Confirmation.
#3264B4	Have immediate changed children	If a file is modified, the IDE will highlight its parent directory. This status is available if the Highlight directories that contain modified files in the Project tree option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Confirmation.
#727238	Ignored	A file is intentionally untracked by VCS.
#7503DC	Merged	The file is merged by your VCS as a result of an update.
#FF0000	Merged with conflicts	During the last update, the file has been merged with conflicts.
#FF0000	Merged with property conflicts	During the last update, the IDE has detected differences between the properties of the local file and its server version.
#FF0000	Merged with text and property conflicts	Text and property conflicts happen when two or more developers modify the same lines of a file and the same file properties.
#0032A0	Modified	The file has changed since the last synchronization.
#0047E4	Modified in not active changelist	The file in an inactive changelist has been modified. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Changelists.
#7C7C00	Obsolete	The file should no longer be in your working copy of the repository.
#007C7C	Renamed	Since the last update, the file has been renamed.
#08978F	Switched	[SVN] The file is taken from a different branch than the whole project.
#993300	(Unknown) Unversioned	The file exists locally but is not in the repository and is not scheduled for addition.
None (default color)	Up to date	The file hasn't been changed.

Color	File Status	Description
#629755	Added	The file in the active changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository.
#629755	Added in not active changelist	The file in an inactive changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Changelists.
#D5756C	Changelist conflict	The file in an inactive changelist has been modified in the active changelist. In this case, a new dialog will open, prompting you to resolve the changelist conflict. This file status is available if all options are enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Changelists.
#0A7700	Copied	If a file is a copy of another file, its metadata is tracked, and such a file is marked as copied.
#6C6C6C	Deleted	The file is scheduled for deletion from the repository.
#6C6C6C	Deleted from file system	The file has been deleted locally but hasn't been scheduled for deletion, and it still exists in the repository.
#6897BB	Have changed descendants	If a file is modified, the IDE will recursively highlight all directories containing that file. This status is available if the Highlight directories that contain modified files in the Project tree option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Confirmation.
#6897BB	Have immediate changed children	If a file is modified, the IDE will highlight its parent directory. This status is available if the Highlight directories that contain modified files in the Project tree option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Confirmation.
#848504	Ignored	A file is intentionally untracked by VCS.
#9876AA	Merged	The file is merged by your VCS as a result of an update.
#D5756C	Merged with conflicts	During the last update, the file has been merged with conflicts.
#D5756C	Merged with property conflicts	During the last update, the IDE has detected differences between the properties of the local file and its server version.
#D5756C	Merged with text and property conflicts	Text and property conflicts happen when two or more developers modify the same lines of a file and the same file properties.
#6897BB	Modified	The file has changed since the last synchronization.
#6897BB	Modified in not active changelist	The file in an inactive changelist has been modified. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Changelists.
None (default color)	Obsolete	The file should no longer be in your working copy of the repository.
#3A8484	Renamed	Since the last update, the file has been renamed.
None (default color)	Switched	[SVN] The file is taken from a different branch than the whole project.
#D1675A	(Unknown) Unversioned	The file exists locally but is not in the repository and is not scheduled for addition.
None (default color)	Up to date	The file hasn't been changed.

Color	File Status	Description
#62CC47	Added	The file in the active changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository.
#62CC47	Added in not active changelist	The file in an inactive changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Changelists.
#FF6666	Changelist conflict	The file in an inactive changelist has been modified in the active changelist. In this case, a new dialog will open, prompting you to resolve the changelist conflict. This file status is available if all options are enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Changelists.
#62CC47	Copied	If a file is a copy of another file, its metadata is tracked, and such a file is marked as copied.
#ED864A	Deleted	The file is scheduled for deletion from the repository.
#ED864A	Deleted from file system	The file has been deleted locally but hasn't been scheduled for deletion, and it still exists in the repository.
#4FF0FF	Have changed descendants	If a file is modified, the IDE will recursively highlight all directories containing that file. This status is available if the Highlight directories that contain modified files in the Project tree option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Confirmation.
#4FF0FF	Have immediate changed children	If a file is modified, the IDE will highlight its parent directory. This status is available if the Highlight directories that contain modified files in the Project tree option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Confirmation.
#A9B837	Ignored	A file is intentionally untracked by VCS.
#ED94FF	Merged	The file is merged by your VCS as a result of an update.
#FF6666	Merged with conflicts	During the last update, the file has been merged with conflicts.
#FF6666	Merged with property conflicts	During the last update, the IDE has detected differences between the properties of the local file and its server version.
#FF6666	Merged with text and property conflicts	Text and property conflicts happen when two or more developers modify the same lines of a file and the same file properties.
#4FF0FF	Modified	The file has changed since the last synchronization.
#4FF0FF	Modified in not active changelist	The file in an inactive changelist has been modified. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in Settings \| Version Control \| Changelists.
None (default color)	Obsolete	The file should no longer be in your working copy of the repository.
#4FF0FF	Renamed	Since the last update, the file has been renamed.
None (default color)	Switched	[SVN] The file is taken from a different branch than the whole project.
D1675A	(Unknown) Unversioned	The file exists locally but is not in the repository and is not scheduled for addition.
None (default color)	Up to date	The file hasn't been changed.

File colors

Files that belong to different scopes (production files or test files, for example) can be highlighted in different colors in the Project tool window , search results, and editor tabs.

To each scope, you can assign its own color.

Last modified: 13 January 2025