Add a properties file to IntelliJ's classpath

Question

I'm running a simple Java program from the IntelliJ IDE using the Run->Run menu. It works fine. Now I want to add log4j logging.

I added a resources folder under my project root. I added a log4j.properties file in that folder. I changed the code to log something.

What is the right way to tell IntelliJ to include the resources folder in the classpath so the properties file is seen?

With IntelliJ 8 I could guess like a drunk monkey and eventually get it to work. I have 9 now and I am wholly unsuccessful. I've been trying for an hour. How about an "Add to classpath" option somewhere? /fume /vent /rant

Solution 1

Try this:

• Go to Project Structure.
• Select your module.
• Find the folder in the tree on the right and select it.
• Click the Sources button above that tree (with the blue folder) to make that folder a sources folder.

Solution 2

Actually, you have at least 2 ways to do it, the first way is described by ColinD, you just configure the "resources" folder as Sources folder in IDEA. If the Resource Patterns contains the extension of your resource, then it will be copied to the output directory when you Make the project and output directory is automatically a classpath of your application.

Another common way is to add the "resources" folder to the classpath directly. Go to Project Structure | Modules | Your Module | Dependencies, click Add, Single-Entry Module Library, specify the path to the "resources" folder.

Yet another solution would be to put the log4j.properties file directly under the Source root of your project (in the default package directory). It's the same as the first way except you don't need to add another Source root in the Module Paths settings, the file will be copied to the output directory on Make.

If you want to test with different log4j configurations, it may be easier to specify a custom configuration file directly in the Run/Debug configuration, VM parameters filed like:

-Dlog4j.configuration=file:/c:/log4j.properties.

Solution 3

I have the same problem and it annoys me tremendously!!

I have always thought I was surposed to do as answer 2. That used to work in Intellij 9 (now using 10).

However I figured out that by adding these line to my maven pom file helps:

<build>
  ...
  <resources>
    <resource>
      <directory>src/main/resources</directory>
    </resource>
  </resources>
  ...
</build>

Solution 4

I spent quite a lot of time figuring out how to do this in Intellij 13x. I apparently never added the properties files to the artifacts that required them, which is a separate step in Intellij. The setup below also works when you have a properties file that is shared by multiple modules.

• Go to your project setup (CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + S)
• In the list, select the module that you want to add one or more properties files to.
• On the right, select the Dependencies tab.
• Click the green plus and select "Jars or directories".
• Now select the folder that contains the property file(s). (I haven't tried including an individual file)
• Intellij will now ask you what the "category" of the selected file is. Choose "classes" (even though they are not).
• Now you must add the properties files to the artifact. Intellij will give you the shortcut shown below. It will show errors in the red part at the bottom and a 'red lightbulb' that when clicked shows you an option to add the files to the artifact. You can also go to the 'artifacts' section and add the files to the artifacts manually.

Solution 5

Faced a similar challenge adding files with .ini extensions to the classpath. Found this answer, which is to add it to Preferences -> Compiler -> Resource Patterns -> [...] ;*.ini

View more solutions

Comments

[Tony Ennis]

I've done that about 50 times, I just did it again. My output isn't changing even though I changed the layout conversion pattern to something that would have been obvious. I'm wondering if another log4j.properties is in my classpath.

[ColinD]

Check the Resource patterns in the Compiler settings. Check that "?*.properties" is in there. It's there by default, but that's the only other thing I can think of off the top of my head.

[Tony Ennis]

I have done your paragraph 2 and 3 to no effect. I'm sure the suggestions work it's just that they had no effect - it behaves like there's another log4j.properties file in the classpath. But I can't see it anywhere. If I remove my log4j properties file altogether I don't get the "you must configure log4j warning" in the console. I'm using the free IntelliJ (and version 9.x) for the first time, so maybe it has something to do with that.

[Tony Ennis]

Using the explicit -D VM parameter also had no effect. At this point I can only surmise I have fallen from the top of the 'stupid tree' and hit every branch on the way down! I think I'll go trawl around at JetBrains and ask around...

[CrazyCoder]

Could you please send the sample project with the exact steps to reproduce the problem to [email protected]?

[James]

this was the exact problem I was having with .conf files

[artjomka]

That was exact problem I was having, now resource files are copied to output folder successfully.

[mschr]

Alternative to Sourcesbutton - right click whatever Directory youve created and select "Mark Directory As": "Source Root"

[lreeder]

Note that if you created your project from a Maven POM, instead of an ad-hoc source structure, this solution will not work. Instead you need to add that directory as a resource to the POM. See Peter Thygesen's answer.

[Jason D]

Can also be done programatically via PropertyConfigurator.configure("../conf/log4j.properties")

[Admin]

This answer really works. I have done what colinD has suggested in his comments too. Thank you.

[Julius]

This works, but not if you need a particular properties file in two different modules, because you will bump into the 'two modules cannot share the same content root' error. In this case you shoudl use the "depedencies tab of module" way.

[Shoaib Chikate]

I thought what is hell wrong with my code? Thanks for this solution

[Russ Bateman]

Yes, logging.properties, unlike log4j2.xml or log4j.properties, must be found in the IntelliJ module root. Also unlike Log4j, which just works, I had found I still had to jury-rig to run inside IntelliJ (Eclipse would be the same story, this is Java logging's fault), see stackoverflow.com/questions/960099/…. One alternative would be to fix the run/debug configuration up with -Djava.util.logging.config.file=, which I find rather inconvenient as I'd rather have configuration in code or in an expected property file.

[Ajak6]

I was passing -Dlog4j.configuration=file:/c:/log4j.properties in program arguments. VM parameters did the trick for me.

[Minh Thiện]

Thank you, this is the only solution that worked out for me.

[avp]

Thank you so much :)

[asifaftab87]

thank you so much, it solves my problem.