JetBrains' VS Code Plugin Adds IntelliJ IDEA Features for Java/Kotlin

Introduction

JetBrains has released an official VS Code plugin named Java and Kotlin by IntelliJ IDEA. It supports VS Code, Cursor, and other VS Code-based editors. The plugin runs IntelliJ's language service in the background and communicates with the editor via the Language Server Protocol (LSP) to analyze projects and provide coding assistance.

Core capabilities include:

Language support for Java, Kotlin, and mixed projects.

Project import for Gradle, Maven, and Bazel builds.

Coding assistance: code completion, signature hints, code inspections, and quick fixes.

Navigation and refactoring: go-to-definition, view documentation and library sources, common refactorings, and code formatting.

Run and debug support for Java and Kotlin applications.

Installation

Installation is straightforward: search for Java and Kotlin by IntelliJ IDEA in the VS Code extensions marketplace and install it.

After installation, a Java and Kotlin status indicator appears in the bottom-right corner of VS Code showing running, confirming the plugin is active.

Usage

Project Import

In the Explorer, right-click and choose Add Folder to Workspace. The plugin detects the build system and imports the project, supporting both Gradle and Maven.

Coding Assistance

As you type, the plugin shows method completions with parameter and return type hints, familiar to IntelliJ IDEA users.

Syntax errors are highlighted in real time with automatic suggestions.

Selecting a local variable brings up context actions such as extract field, extract constant, and inline variable.

Refactoring

Familiar IntelliJ refactorings — rename, extract, inline, and code formatting — are available via the right-click context menu.

Navigation and Search

Standard navigation shortcuts work: F12 jumps from usage to declaration, Ctrl+F12 jumps from interface or method to implementation.

Hovering over an implementing method shows the corresponding interface method and documentation; Go to Super Method navigates to the interface declaration.

File search is available via the top search bar.

Run and Debug

Open the application's main class; run and debug buttons appear directly above the main method. Clicking run shows a toolbar with restart and stop controls.

When debugging with breakpoints, the debug toolbar buttons activate, and the left panel displays variable values and call stack.

Summary

The demonstration shows that IntelliJ IDEA's common features — code completion, navigation, refactoring, and breakpoint debugging — are now usable in VS Code. However, the plugin currently lacks test discovery and test execution, so it cannot fully replace IntelliJ IDEA. If your organization prohibits IntelliJ IDEA but you rely on its features, this plugin is worth evaluating for daily development needs.