What’s New in IntelliJ IDEA 2024.2

As part of our continuous effort to improve IntelliJ IDEA’s Spring framework support, we have added the capability to run Spring Data JPA methods in the IDE. This new feature allows you to see which query a method will generate without running the application and analyzing log files. You can now use a gutter icon to execute any repository method directly in the JPA console.

Working with cron expressions in your code is now easier than ever. When implementing scheduled services with Spring, Quarkus, or Micronaut, you can easily understand cron expressions thanks to the descriptions that appear right next to them. Additionally, the autocompletion feature provides pre-filled examples that you can instantly add and adjust instead of writing cron expressions from scratch.

We’ve upgraded the JavaScript execution engine used in the HTTP Client to GraalJS. This allows you to use all GraalJS features, including full support for the ECMAScript 2023 specification, when testing endpoints with IntelliJ IDEA’s HTTP Client and using JavaScript in .http files to handle the results.

In the 2024.2 release, we've enhanced the startup experience, enabling you to dive into coding significantly faster. Reduced wait times are possible thanks to upgrades that make the IDE functional with an incomplete project model and enable access to key features during indexing, including code highlighting, code completion, intention actions, test launching, active gutter markers, Lombok support, and more.

In version 2024.2, we’ve made the process of accepting full line code completion suggestions more intuitive and precise. Inline code completion suggestions now include code highlighting, and new shortcuts allow you to accept individual words or entire lines from longer suggestions. We’ve also refined how accepted changes are integrated into your code, eliminating formatting and related issues.

With IntelliJ IDEA 2024.2, the new UI is now the default for all users, leaving the classic one available as a plugin. The new UI is clean and modern, providing bigger, easier-to-use controls, a consistent color palette, light and legible icons, increased contrast, and better accents. As we’ve seen high adoption rates for the new UI and we’ve fixed the main issues based on your feedback, we believe it is ready for everyone. Learn more.

The Search Everywhere dialog now includes an option to preview the codebase elements you’re searching for. Enabling this feature through the Preview icon on the dialog’s toolbar will cause a preview pane to appear under the search results, offering additional context and making it easier to navigate through your project.

IntelliJ IDEA now automatically detects system proxy settings configured on your machine and uses them by default, facilitating seamless interaction with external resources and services.

On Linux, IntelliJ IDEA previously placed window controls on the right-hand side of the IDE. Now it automatically adjusts their placement to match the window control settings specified in your Linux desktop configuration. This small but important change allows you to maintain a layout that suits your personal preferences. Additionally, we have redesigned the window control buttons to provide a look and feel that more closely matches your OS.

We’ve redesigned the layout and behavior of the UI elements in the Customize Main Toolbar dialog, making it more intuitive and organized. It’s now easier to search for, add, and delete actions in the main toolbar.

IntelliJ IDEA 2024.2 includes several improvements to error and syntax highlighting. It now highlights class fields defined in parameter clauses as fields instead of parameters. Named arguments are now highlighted in a distinct color, making them easier to identify in your code. The regex syntax inside Regex("...") is highlighted just as the regex syntax in "...".r is. We fixed some issues causing valid code to be highlighted in red after refactoring or because the type of the symbol couldn't be resolved. In many cases, semantic highlighting is now applied as you type. In addition, the IDE is now more responsive when you fix errors, removing the red code right after the fix.

The new release includes many improvements to Scala 3 support. For-comprehensions are now always handled correctly when used together with the fewer braces syntax. Support for export clauses and extension methods has been improved. Additionally, the IDE now correctly handles constructor annotations, and import suggestions include enum cases.

The IDE can now automatically fill out all named arguments of methods and autocomplete literal values of union types in Scala 3. Enum cases are now suggested whenever an enum type is expected. This feature works with Scala 3 enums and union types, Scala 2 ADTs and enumerations, and Java enums, simplifying your coding experience by providing more relevant suggestions.

The contents of StringBuilder are now displayed as a string in the debugger. IntelliJ IDEA also offers onboarding tips for Scala. Library download progress is now visible while you import sbt projects. Additionally, the Scala support now includes the functionality of Grazie, which provides advanced spelling and grammar checks in Scala comments.

We’ve enhanced the performance of compiler-based error highlighting. Outdated error highlighting information is no longer applied when the file has been modified. Additionally, IntelliJ IDEA now supports Scala compiler diagnostics, making them available as regular quick-fixes for easy application.

You can now choose the languages you want sticky lines to appear for. You can tailor the feature to your preferences either in Settings/Preferences | Editor | General | Sticky Lines or by calling the context menu with a right-click on a sticky line in the editor.

To make performance analysis faster and more efficient, we've implemented the new Performance tab in the Run tool window. It provides real-time CPU and memory charts and allows you to pinpoint performance bottlenecks by capturing your code’s execution time and viewing it directly in the editor. Additionally, you can capture memory snapshots to examine objects and identify the root causes of memory leaks.

Debugging and browsing long string variables with complex data formats is now much easier. The updated debugger offers properly formatted visualizations for string variables with strings encoded in JSON, XML, HTML, JWT, and URL. Simply click the View hyperlink next to a variable – the relevant visualizer is automatically chosen based on the contents of your variable.

IntelliJ IDEA 2024.2 further improves your ability to quickly check and improve test coverage locally without needing to go through the slow process of using the CI/CD pipeline. The Coverage tool window now shows only the classes that have been changed in your current feature branch, allowing you to check the test coverage for your recent changes without browsing the entire project status. To review the entire project’s test coverage and see all classes, disable the Show Only Modified Classes option.

IntelliJ IDEA 2024.2 offers new navigation and highlighting features for Gradle build scripts. First, the IDE now provides smooth and accurate navigation to the Gradle plugins declared in build scripts. Additionally, we’ve implemented navigation between version catalog files and build scripts in the libs.versions.toml file, as well as an option to run registered tasks directly from the gutter.

You can now easily identify and resolve conflicts in import blocks for Java and Kotlin. In the Merge window, click on the gear symbol and select Resolve Conflicts in Import Statements. Additionally, you can set the IDE to resolve conflicts in import statements automatically in Settings/Preferences | Tools | Diff & Merge.

All settings related to the Log tool window have been consolidated into a dedicated settings page, which you can access either through Settings/Preferences | Version Control | Log or via a new drop-down menu on the Log tool window’s toolbar. Additionally, you can now open the Git log as a tab in the editor, providing more workspace and easier navigation through the list of commits and related details. This action is also available through the drop-down menu in the Log tool window’s toolbar.

We've modernized the UI of the Local History dialog. Additionally, when accessed for a directory, the dialog now features a diff view alongside the list of changes, making them easier to understand. To simplify reviewing changes in complex projects, we’ve made the Local History action available for multiple files or directories simultaneously. In the Project tool window, select multiple files or folders and choose Local History | Show History to view a popup with the change history for your selections.

We’ve refined the color encoding and layout of branch lines for the commit graph in the Log tab of the Git tool window. Important branch lines now consistently remain on the left-hand side of the graph and retain their designated colors, making them easier to identify and follow.

We’ve added new Git options to simplify viewing branch histories. Use the First Parent option to focus on the mainline changes by hiding individual commits from merges. Alternatively, you can filter out merge commits entirely with the No Merges option. Both options are now available under the Graph Options icon in the Git tool window, making it easier to track changes in your branches.

IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate now provides bean autocompletion and injection for Quarkus and Micronaut applications. When you need to inject a bean into your code, simply start typing its name and select it from the code completion popup. The IDE will automatically add a constructor parameter or field with the @Inject annotation, depending on your code style.

IntelliJ IDEA 2024.2 provides an easy way to enable Ktor’s development mode in run configurations. This mode is now set by default when creating a new run configuration and can be managed in the updated Run/Debug Configurations dialog. In addition, we’ve made the UI of this dialog cleaner and more user-friendly for Ktor users.

IntelliJ IDEA 2024.2 Ultimate features debugging capabilities for asynchronous @Scheduled methods in Spring Boot. This update eliminates the need to manually adjust a method’s schedule and wait for it to start. Simply set a breakpoint and trigger the method’s execution directly from the IDE whenever you need.

With IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate 2024.2, we are introducing support for Jakarta Data. The IDE now provides coding assistance and inspections for repositories, including method name completion and validation based on the data model as well as parameter validation based on the method name. Jakarta Data repositories are displayed in the Beans tool window to simplify navigation. Additionally, Jakarta query language support is now available, offering syntax highlighting, statement validation, and statement autocompletion based on the data model.

We’ve significantly extended IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate’s coding assistance for Terraform by making full line code completion available for it. Additionally, essential code insight features such as context-aware code completion, refined syntax highlighting, and the error detection system with quick-fix suggestions have been improved for Terraform. We've also added a quick documentation feature that displays tooltips when you hover over elements, providing instant information to help you use Terraform resources more effectively without interrupting your workflow.

We've added reverse port forwarding for remote development workflows. This new feature allows the remote IDE to connect to ports available on the client machine. It is particularly useful for mobile development and connecting to local databases.

Screen sharing in Code With Me calls is now redirected to the browser, allowing you to specify the sharing source – either a specific window or the entire screen. Previously, all screens and windows were shared by default, with no option to choose a specific source.

The Code With Me session startup popup has been redesigned to streamline the process. It now includes all permission settings, reducing the steps required to start a new session, and permissions are preserved, allowing every session to start with just two clicks. Additionally, permissions can be changed during the session directly from the popup.

In this release, we’re introducing new AI Assistant features for databases. With the text-to-SQL feature, you can generate SQL code directly in the editor by clicking Generate Code with AI and entering your prompt. You can accept, recreate, or refine the code, and take it to the AI chat if you have further questions. Additionally, AI Assistant can help with modifying tables, allowing you to request changes like switching all VARCHAR data types to CHAR. It can also help you understand and fix SQL problems, suggesting explanations and fixes. In addition, you can attach your database schema to the AI chat by typing # followed by the name of the database schema you want to add to the prompt.

You can now import data from tabular files using customizable scripted loaders for the Excel, JSON, Parquet, and shapefile formats. Drag your file from the Project tool window to the schema in the database explorer and configure the settings in the Import dialog. In addition, you can view these files in the data editor with a single click in the Project tool window. To disable this behavior, go to Settings/Preferences | Advanced Settings | Open file as table if detected by scripted loader. You can also create custom loaders by placing them in Scratches and Consoles | Extensions | Database Tools and SQL | data | loaders.

You can now easily access rows related to a given cell by selecting the cell and then clicking the Related Rows icon. You can specify whether this feature appears in the floating toolbar via the Customize This Toolbar option in the kebab (three vertical dots) menu. We’ve also moved the settings for the Related Rows action into Settings/Preferences | Advanced Settings. The Navigate and select first option shows all rows, highlighting the first ones referenced, while the Navigate and filter all option shows only the referenced rows.

We've made value completion – a long-standing feature – automatic, and our performance tests show promising results. Keep in mind that this feature operates entirely locally, so completion variants are based on the other values already loaded in the current column.

You can now run and debug TypeScript files without any additional setup. You can execute them from different entry points, including the file context menu, the Run widget, and the Current File configuration.

In IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate 2024.2, Prettier integration is enabled in new projects with a direct prettier dependency in their root package.json and a Prettier configuration file at the same level. This feature simplifies the setup process, ensuring that Prettier integration is enabled out of the box.

We’re transitioning from JetBrains Runtime 17 (JBR17) to JetBrains Runtime 21 (JBR21). Starting with IntelliJ IDEA 2024.2, all IDE updates will come with JBR21, offering enhanced security and performance as well as Wayland rendering support for Linux.

To improve the IDE experience for native speakers of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, we’ve bundled the support for these languages. The language settings are available in Settings/Preferences | Appearance & Behavior | System Settings | Language & Region.