Any important replace to the UI and UX of knowledgeable device is prone to pose challenges for its customers. We acknowledge that the brand new UI of JetBrains IDEs represents a significant change and perceive how unsettling it may be when the software program you depend on for productiveness is considerably reworked. Nevertheless, to ensure that us to evolve and innovate consistent with world traits and rising insights, change is crucial.
On this publish, we are going to let you know extra concerning the motivation behind the brand new UI and the way it was developed. We’ll additionally present some helpful ideas for configuring it in case you are used to the traditional one.
Evolution of the UI and UX
In model 2024.2, the brand new UI grew to become the default in JetBrains IDEs after being optionally available for a number of releases. Nonetheless, time flies and this may increasingly have occurred ahead of anticipated. The traditional UI was moved to an unbundled plugin, and our in-IDE ideas and onboarding tour weren’t at all times sufficient for many who needed to regulate throughout their busy workdays. Nevertheless, this important change was the pure remaining step within the lengthy technique of the UI’s evolution.
The thought for the brand new UI was born over 4 years in the past, across the twentieth anniversary of JetBrains in 2020. Our aim was to create a contemporary, light-weight interface that follows present business traits whereas sustaining the highly effective options our instruments are identified for.
We began engaged on this new interface in 2022 with a restricted preview program joined by over 5000 customers. We gathered suggestions from Reddit, X, and a devoted Slack channel, which allowed us to repair key usability points raised by program contributors. By the top of the 12 months, with model 2022.3, the brand new UI was accessible in Beta for everybody to attempt.
Ten months later, in model 2023.2, we made the brand new UI the default for brand spanking new customers, and its adoption charge has steadily elevated. We carried out a number of UX research to grasp person perceptions and handle any remaining usability points. Working with all of the suggestions, we improved the brand new UI to its remaining kind and launched it because the default for everybody in model 2024.2.
Whereas we admire the largely constructive suggestions we obtained through the improvement of the brand new UI, we all know that some customers could also be disillusioned. We perceive that adapting to important adjustments in your trusted instruments will be difficult. Nevertheless, all of the highly effective options you depend on are nonetheless there, and you’ll configure the brand new UI to fit your preferences.
Dogfooding the brand new UI inside JetBrains
At JetBrains, builders create instruments for builders. That’s why we concerned our personal improvement groups within the analysis technique of the brand new UI from the very starting. We gathered in depth inside suggestions and engaged in spirited discussions, permitting us to evaluate the impression of every change and rapidly handle any ache factors.
Initially, lots of our colleagues had been skeptical concerning the new UI. Nevertheless, the present inside adoption charges for the most recent main IntelliJ IDEA model (2024.2) present a major desire for it, with 98.8% of our group utilizing it in comparison with simply 1.2% utilizing the traditional UI.
What’s subsequent for the traditional UI?
Beginning with model 2024.2, the traditional UI is out there as a plugin you could obtain from JetBrains Market. We’re dedicated to sustaining it till not less than July 2025. Because of this it will likely be examined and supported for all IDE variations we launch till then.
Sustaining two totally different UIs locations a major load on our improvement and testing sources that we can’t proceed to bear indefinitely. We plan to judge your suggestions, repair extra points, and implement assist for lacking use instances within the new UI, however in some unspecified time in the future, the traditional UI can be deprecated.
configure acquainted conduct within the new UI
Whereas we wish to transfer ahead with this new UI, we acknowledge persons are nonetheless adapting to it. To ease the transition, we’ve made certain it’s potential to configure the brand new UI to behave extra just like the traditional one. Let’s have a look at some configuration tweaks it’s possible you’ll wish to make.
Along with outlining configuration choices which are already accessible, we’ve additionally offered hyperlinks to a number of tickets the place you’ll be able to vote for choices you prefer to us to implement.
Use Compact mode
Allow Compact mode to cut back the heights of toolbars and gear window headers, scale down spacings and paddings, and make icons and buttons smaller. Simply go to the primary menu and choose View | Look | Compact Mode.
Present the primary menu in a separate toolbar (Home windows and Linux)
To show the horizontally expanded important menu on the high of the window, go to View | Look in the primary menu and allow the corresponding choice. Alternatively, you’ll be able to right-click on the primary toolbar and allow Present Predominant Menu in Separate Toolbar.
Observe: There’s a request to at all times present the expanded menu in the primary toolbar – IJPL-43725.
Native OS window title (Linux)
To revive the native window title, go to Settings | Look & Habits | Look, and disable the Merge important menu with window title choice.
Add lacking motion buttons to the primary toolbar
So as to add motion buttons to the primary toolbar, merely right-click on the toolbar, level to Add to Predominant Toolbar, and choose the actions you wish to add. If your required motion shouldn’t be on the record, you need to use the Customise Predominant Toolbar dialog so as to add it.
Transfer the navigation bar to the highest of the window
To place the navigation bar containing challenge breadcrumbs on the high of the window, from the primary menu, go to View | Look | Navigation Bar, then choose High.
Present device window names on sidebars
So as to add labels to the device window buttons, right-click the device window bar and choose Present Software Window Names.
Observe: There’s a request to revive vertical device window names – IJPL-158776.
All the time present folding arrows and gear window header icons
Within the new UI, device window header icons and code folding arrows within the editor gutter seem on hover and disappear if you transfer the mouse away.
To make them at all times seen:
- In Settings | Superior settings | Software home windows, allow All the time present device window header icons.
- In Settings | Editor | Common | Code Folding, choose All the time subsequent to the Present code folding arrows.
Choose a line within the editor by clicking the road quantity
Within the new UI, clicking on a line quantity units a breakpoint as an alternative of choosing the road. To revert to the earlier conduct, right-click the gutter and disable Look | Breakpoints Over Line Numbers.
Add actions to the Debug window toolbar
Some actions, like Consider Expression and Present Execution Level, have been moved into the three-dot menu. To make them seen on the toolbar, right-click the header of the Debug device window and choose Add Actions…, then merely choose the motion you wish to add from the record.
Observe: There’s a request to revive the Present Execution Level and Consider Expression buttons to the toolbar by default – IJPL-83483.
Return device home windows to the sidebar
Some device home windows are not proven by default. To deliver the lacking device home windows again, right-click the Extra device home windows button within the sidebar and choose the device home windows you want. Alternatively, in the primary menu, go to View | Software Home windows and choose those you need there.
Observe: There are presently unsupported configurations for device home windows that we’re accumulating votes for and should contemplate implementing sooner or later:
- Horizontal device window bar on the backside of the window – IJPL-43772.
- Software home windows positioned horizontally on the high of the window – IJPL-59816.
Is one thing nonetheless lacking?
There may be configurations that aren’t simple to arrange or that aren’t supported in any respect within the new UI. When you’re struggling to configure the IDE to fit your specific state of affairs, we encourage you to contact JetBrains assist or file a new situation in our tracker.
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