Boost Your Java Development: Essential IntelliJ IDEA Settings & Tips

File Modification Indicators

In SVN, after modifying a file only the current file shows a change and parent directories are not highlighted. To display changed directories, go to File → Settings → Version Control and enable Show directories with changed descendants .

Open Multiple Projects in New Windows in IDEA

Fix Tomcat Chinese Garbled Characters

Set the environment variable:

JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8

Prevent Import Paths from Turning into Asterisks

Navigate to Settings → Editor → Code Style → Java → Imports and increase the values for “Class count to use import with *” and “Names count to use import with *”.

IDEA Slow Compilation

Modify the additional build process VM options:

File → Settings → Compiler → Additional build process VM options

Use the following configuration:

-ea -Xms2048m -Xmx2048m

Set Global File Encoding in IDEA

Global encoding settings:

File → Other Settings → Default Settings → Editor → File Encodings

Editor → File Encodings

Fix UTF‑8 Display for .properties Files

Go to File → Settings → Editor → File Encodings and enable Transparent native-to-ascii conversion .

Fix Tomcat Console Garbled Output in IDEA

Open Run → Edit Configurations (or click the small arrow next to the run button), select the problematic Tomcat service, go to VM options, and add -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8.

Generate serialVersionUID with Shortcut

After a class implements Serializable, press Alt+Enter to generate a serialVersionUID. Enable the inspection via Settings → Inspections → Serialization issues → "Serializable class without ‘serialVersionUID’".

Configure SVN

Configure Maven

Configure Tomcat Container

Globally Exclude Specific Directories or Files from Compilation

Set Unified Compiler and Language Level

Recommended to use the Javac compiler.

Class Comment Template

/**
 * @Package ${PACKAGE_NAME}
 * @author 侯文远
 * @date ${DATE} ${TIME}
 * @version V1.0
 * @Copyright © 2016-2017 奥琦玮信息科技（北京）有限公司
 */

Method Comment Template

Create a custom live template with the following content (omit the leading asterisk on the first line):

@author 侯文远
* @date $date$ $time$

Usage steps:

Type /** and press Enter at the top of a method.

Fill in the required information.

Press your custom shortcut (e.g., @aut + Tab) to insert the template.

Exclude .idea Folder and .iml Files

Language Injection for Regex or JSON Validation

Place the cursor on a string literal, press Alt+Enter and choose "Inject Language or Reference" to enable regex or JSON validation.

Add Quotes Around Selected Text

Enable the feature via Settings → Editor → General → Smart Keys → "Surround selection on typing quote or brace".

Settings - Editor - General - Smart Keys - 选中 Surround selection on typing quote or brace

After enabling, select the code and press the double‑quote key (Shift+\") to wrap it in double quotes. The same works for single quotes, brackets, braces, etc.