IntelliJ Plugin Verifier
IntelliJ Plugin Verifier is an official tool from JetBrains aimed at ensuring compatibility between IntelliJ-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) builds and the plugins that extend their functionality. This tool is crafted to address and prevent issues related to binary incompatibilities that can occur when a plugin is not compatible with the version of the IDE that a user has installed.
Why IntelliJ Plugin Verifier is Important
Plugin developers often declare a range of IntelliJ Platform versions their plugins support. However, they usually develop and test the plugin with just one specific IDE version within that range. This can lead to runtime errors when the plugin is used with other versions, due to changes in the API. The IntelliJ Plugin Verifier ensures that such issues are caught early by verifying binaries for compatibility and potential runtime errors such as NoClassDefFoundError or NoSuchMethodError.
Features and Problems Detected
The IntelliJ Plugin Verifier is capable of detecting a wide array of issues that might affect the compatibility of your plugins, such as:
- Missing classes or methods in the referenced IDE version.
- Changes or removals in the IntelliJ API across different IDE versions.
- Missing plugin dependencies, which prevent the installation of certain plugins if the necessary dependencies are not present.
Installation
Installing the IntelliJ Plugin Verifier is straightforward. The latest version of the tool can be downloaded as a JAR file from the JetBrains Package Repository or Maven Central. Alternatively, users can employ the curl tool to download the JAR directly from the command line by using the GitHub API to find the most recent release.
Options and Commands
The Verifier can be run from the command line using Java, with several commands and options available to tailor its operations:
check-ide: Verify a specific IDE against a selection of plugins.check-plugin: Validate one or more plugins for compatibility against specified IDE versions.check-trunk-api: Compare API changes between two IDE versions, identifying potential compatibility issues for plugins.
Each command is designed to address specific verification needs, and includes options to fine-tune the process, for instance, reporting output format or whether to suppress certain types of warnings.
Result Outputs
Results are meticulously recorded and organized in directories. They can be specified for human readability and can also be presented in formats suitable for integration with build tools like TeamCity, providing comprehensive feedback on compatibility checks.
Integration and Technical Details
The Plugin Verifier can be integrated into automation and continuous integration pipelines, often being invoked via Gradle tasks. This ensures that compatibility checks are a regular part of the development lifecycle, minimizing the risk of compatibility problems post-release.
Feedback and Support
JetBrains encourages feedback and provides several avenues for support and communication, including Slack channels and social media, ensuring developers can leverage community support and official channels for the best use of the IntelliJ Plugin Verifier.
IntelliJ Plugin Verifier represents an essential tool for developers seeking to maintain compatibility and quality assurance for their plugins across different versions of IntelliJ-based IDEs, ensuring robust and error-free user experiences.