What’s New in IntelliJ IDEA 2021.2? Top Features You Shouldn’t Miss

Icon Changed

The IDEA icon has been updated to a more three‑dimensional design, though it still feels like something is missing.

Actions on Save

IDEA 2021.2 allows configuring actions triggered on auto‑save, such as reformatting code or optimizing Java imports. Settings are under Preferences/Settings → Tools → Actions on Save.

For example, setting reformatting to “Changed lines” will format only the modified code on save, avoiding the need to remember manual formatting.

It is recommended not to use “Whole file” for reformatting in multi‑developer environments to prevent merge conflicts.

Package Search for Maven/Gradle

A powerful Package Search page lets you manage Maven and Gradle dependencies, easily find and add new libraries, and view existing ones.

The underlying service uses JetBrains’ package‑search website (https://package-search.jetbrains.com/), which aggregates several repositories.

Searching for “Apache Commons” shows both Maven coordinates and a link to the library’s homepage. The feature is useful, though the external site may load slowly.

Diagram Structure View

IDEA 2021.2 improves the diagram feature with a left‑side thumbnail, allowing zoom and canvas navigation.

Automatic Cache and Log Cleanup

The new version automatically removes cache and log directories older than 180 days without affecting system settings or plugins.

You can also manually trigger cleanup via Help → Delete Leftover IDE Directories.

Microservice Diagram

IDEA now displays microservice diagrams, showing service interaction relationships. Use the Endpoints tool window to generate the diagram.