IntelliJ IDEA MCP Skill

Critical Requirements

• IDEA MUST be running with MCP server connected
• Permission dialogs in IDEA must be accepted for commands to execute

Path Rules (Most Common Error Source)

Parameter	Path Type	Example
projectPath	ABSOLUTE	/Users/huangli/dt/dongting
filePath, pathInProject, directoryPath	RELATIVE	server/src/main/java/...

Key Workflows

Check Compilation Errors

Tool: IntelliJ-IDEA_get_file_problems
Parameters:
  projectPath: "/Users/huangli/dt/dongting"
  filePath: "server/src/main/java/.../SomeFile.java"
  errorsOnly: true

More accurate than LSP for multi-module Maven projects.

Run Tests

Tool: IntelliJ-IDEA_execute_run_configuration
Parameters:
  projectPath: "/Users/huangli/dt/dongting"
  configurationName: "TtlManagerTest"
  timeout: 120000  # 2 minutes for tests

Search Code

Tool: IntelliJ-IDEA_search_in_files_by_text
Parameters:
  projectPath: "/Users/huangli/dt/dongting"
  searchText: "DtLog.getLogger"
  caseSensitive: true

Safe Refactoring

1. Search first: search_in_files_by_text to understand scope
2. Rename: rename_refactoring with symbolName and newName
3. Verify: get_file_problems to check for errors

Tool Selection Guide

Task	Best Tool	Why
Java errors/warnings	IDEA get_file_problems	More accurate than LSP
Run tests	IDEA execute_run_configuration	Proper test environment
Rename refactoring	IDEA rename_refactoring	Semantic, cross-file updates
Search code	IDEA search_in_files_by_*	Fast indexed search
Find files	IDEA find_files_by_*	Fast indexed search
Read files	LSP read or IDEA get_file_text_by_path	Either works
Build/compile	Bash mvn	More control, reproducible
Git operations	Bash git	IDEA MCP lacks git tools

Timeout Recommendations

Operation	Timeout
File/text search	30000-60000
Get file problems	15000
Run configuration	120000-300000
Build project	300000
Refactoring	60000

High-Risk Operations

• execute_terminal_command: Runs ANY shell command with full system permissions
• rename_refactoring & replace_text_in_file: Modifies code globally
• create_new_file: Creates files immediately
• reformat_file: Modifies formatting without confirmation

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Connection refused	Verify IDEA running with MCP plugin
Request timed out	Accept permission dialog in IDEA
File not found	Check absolute vs relative path
No occurrences found	Verify projectPath and file paths