Optimal plugins and project to use IntelliJ IDEA for JavaScript?

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Here's the best I've been able to do so far.

There are some crucial IntelliJ plugins to install:

  • .gitignore support
  • AngularJS
  • Base64 for IDEA and Storm
  • BashSupport
  • Bootstrap
  • CSS Support
  • Database Support
  • ddescriber for jasmine
  • Git Integration
  • GitHub
  • HAML
  • Heroku integration
  • HTML Tools
  • Jade
  • JavaScript Debugger
  • JavaScript Intention Power Pack
  • JavaScript Support
  • JS Toolbox
  • JUnit
  • Karma
  • LESS CSS Compiler
  • LESS support
  • Markdown
  • Mongo Plugin
  • NodeJS
  • Require.js plugin
  • REST Client
  • Spy-js
  • SvgViewer 2
  • Terminal
  • W3C Validators
  • YAML

As a peace offering to the mighty IntelliJ, use Java as project SDK:

use Java as project SDK, to keep IntelliJ happy

I prefer to configure four separate modules, to help separate back-end vs. front-end JavaScript dependencies:

I prefer to configure four separate modules, to help separate back-end vs. front-end JavaScript dependencies

Add the bower_components library to the client module, and the node_modules library to the server module:

Add the bower_components library to the client module, and the node_modules library to the server module

And be sure to enable JavaScript libraries in the editor.

Right click in editor and choose JavaScript libraries to use

Per best practices, we do not commit the local IntelliJ IDEA configuration folder (/.idea/) to the repository, instead adding it to the .gitignore file like so:

# IntelliJ IDEA local workspace
.idea

Happy coding!

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Charney Kaye
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Charney Kaye

I’m a lifelong artist, musician, and hacker— the beneficial type, building machines passionately to solve problems, connecting software with media. Media is a portal to comedy, adventure, enlightenment, or propaganda, transmitting an entire ideology, or compelling the audience to take action. As technology integrates with each new surface of our lives, we’re impacted by the quality of its development. At once, I’m obsessional about technical detail and tenacious about capturing value, seeking always to understand software and media in the context of our society, focusing efforts where our impact is greatest. Professionally, I’ve built an arsenal of skills ranging from typography to Java and honed my design thinking over hundreds of projects. I’m both a seasoned veteran and a contemporary student of human-machine interaction, from R&D to implementation. Most excitingly, I invented this entirely new medium for collaborative composition of ambient music. Here’s my resume.

Updated on February 25, 2021

Comments

  • Charney Kaye
    Charney Kaye about 3 years

    I'm building a web application using a MEAN stack: MongoDB, Express, Angular, and Node.js, based on Daftmonk's angular-fullstack Yeoman generator.

    Because most of my work is Java, I'm using IntelliJ IDEA however I'd like optimal introspection and workflow for this JavaScript module.

    In order to achieve to most possible introspection, and least possible confusion, what plugins and project configuration should I use?

  • MrSanchez
    MrSanchez almost 7 years
    Is this still true? AS in are these the only plugins we need/did any change?
  • Charney Kaye
    Charney Kaye almost 7 years
    This is certainly a little out of date. Any edits to the list of plugins are appreciated, thanks!