How do I "register" a new Module Type in an IntelliJ Plugin?

Question

I am a beginner when it comes to IntelliJ plugin development but i want my plugin to register a new Module Type in the "New Project" / "New Module" windows.

I already searched through the Documentation for plugin developers but wasn't able to find anything useful. I also looked at existing plugins like Kotlin and Scala which also add new Module types but I can't figure out how to get a finished ModuleType to show up in the dialogs mentioned above.

What do I have to change in the plugin.xml file? I already added extensions and created java classes for ModuleType, ModuleBuilder and the ModuleConfigurationExtensionProvider but that doesn't change anything.

I hope you can help me and thanks in advance.

Answer 1

This can be achieved through New Project Wizard feature of IntelliJ IDEA, by providing your Module / Project type implementation class of ModuleBuilder i.e by extending the intelliJ IDEA provided extension point for the same (com.intellij).

You need the below changes to make in your plugin.xml for making appear your new Module / Project type in New Project Wizard project /modules types list.

<extensions defaultExtensionNs="com.intellij">
    <moduleBuilder builderClass="com.yourcompany.wizards.YourModuleBuilder"/>
</extensions>

Provide your ModuleBuilder class with package to buildlerClass attribute, thats enough.

Here is sample ModuleBuilder implementation:

public class AsposeJavaModuleBuilder extends ModuleBuilder implements SourcePathsBuilder {

private Project myProject;
ResourceBundle bundle = ResourceBundle.getBundle("Bundle");

@Override
public String getBuilderId() {
    return getClass().getName();
}

@Override
public String getPresentableName() {
    return "Aspose Application";
}

@Override
public String getDescription() {
    return bundle.getString("AsposeWizardPanel.myMainPanel.description");


}

@Override
public Icon getBigIcon() {
    return AsposeIcons.AsposeMedium;
}

@Override
public Icon getNodeIcon() {
    return AsposeIcons.AsposeLogo;
}


@Override
public ModuleWizardStep[] createWizardSteps(@NotNull WizardContext wizardContext, @NotNull ModulesProvider modulesProvider) {
    return new ModuleWizardStep[]{
            new AsposeAPIsWizardStep(this, wizardContext),
    };
}


@Override
public void setupRootModel(ModifiableRootModel rootModel) throws com.intellij.openapi.options.ConfigurationException {



    setMyProject(rootModel.getProject());
    final CompilerModuleExtension compilerModuleExtension = rootModel.getModuleExtension(CompilerModuleExtension.class);
    compilerModuleExtension.setExcludeOutput(true);

    if (myJdk != null) {
        rootModel.setSdk(myJdk);
    } else {
        rootModel.inheritSdk();
    }

    ContentEntry contentEntry = doAddContentEntry(rootModel);
    if (contentEntry != null) {
        final List<Pair<String, String>> sourcePaths = getSourcePaths();

        if (sourcePaths != null) {
            for (final Pair<String, String> sourcePath : sourcePaths) {
                String first = sourcePath.first;
                new File(first).mkdirs();
                final VirtualFile sourceRoot = LocalFileSystem.getInstance()
                        .refreshAndFindFileByPath(FileUtil.toSystemIndependentName(first));
                if (sourceRoot != null) {
                    contentEntry.addSourceFolder(sourceRoot, false, sourcePath.second);
                }
            }
        }
    }

    if (myCompilerOutputPath != null) {
        // should set only absolute paths
        String canonicalPath;
        try {
            canonicalPath = FileUtil.resolveShortWindowsName(myCompilerOutputPath);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            canonicalPath = myCompilerOutputPath;
        }
        compilerModuleExtension
                .setCompilerOutputPath(VfsUtil.pathToUrl(FileUtil.toSystemIndependentName(canonicalPath)));
    } else {
        compilerModuleExtension.inheritCompilerOutputPath(true);
    }

    LibraryTable libraryTable = rootModel.getModuleLibraryTable();
    for (Pair<String, String> libInfo : myModuleLibraries) {
        final String moduleLibraryPath = libInfo.first;
        final String sourceLibraryPath = libInfo.second;
        Library library = libraryTable.createLibrary();
        Library.ModifiableModel modifiableModel = library.getModifiableModel();
        modifiableModel.addRoot(getUrlByPath(moduleLibraryPath), OrderRootType.CLASSES);
        if (sourceLibraryPath != null) {
            modifiableModel.addRoot(getUrlByPath(sourceLibraryPath), OrderRootType.SOURCES);
        }
        modifiableModel.commit();
    }
    RunnableHelper.runWhenInitialized(getMyProject(), new Runnable() {
        public void run() {
            System.out.println("Hello I came here");
            final LibraryTablesRegistrar libTablesRegistrar = LibraryTablesRegistrar.getInstance();

            final LibraryTable libraryTable = libTablesRegistrar.getLibraryTable(getMyProject());

            final LibraryTable.ModifiableModel libTableModel = libraryTable.getModifiableModel();


            Library library = libTableModel.createLibrary(AsposeConstants.LIBRARY_NAME);
            libTableModel.commit();

            @NonNls final String path = getContentEntryPath() + File.separator + AsposeConstants.LIB_FOLDER;
            new File(path).mkdirs();


            for (AsposeJavaAPI api : AsposeProject.getApiList().values()) {
                System.out.println("Hello I came here2");
                if (api.is_selected()) {
                    try {
                        System.out.println("Hello I came here3");
                        AsposeAPIsManager.copyDirectory(AsposeAPIsManager.getLibaryDownloadPath() + api.get_name().toLowerCase(), path + File.separator + api.get_name());
                    } catch (IOException ex) {
                        ex.printStackTrace();
                    }
                    String[] children = new File(path + File.separator + api.get_name().toLowerCase() + File.separator).list();
                    for (String _child : children) {
                        String jarPath = "jar://" + path + File.separator + api.get_name() + File.separator + _child + "!/";

                        Library.ModifiableModel model = library.getModifiableModel();

                        model.addRoot(jarPath, OrderRootType.CLASSES);

                        model.commit();

                    }
                }
            }


            Collection<Module> modules = ModuleUtil.getModulesOfType(getMyProject(), StdModuleTypes.JAVA);
            Iterator itr = modules.iterator();
            Module module = null;
            while (itr.hasNext()) {
                module = (Module) itr.next();
                break;
            }
            final ModuleRootManager moduleRootManager = ModuleRootManager.getInstance(module);

            final ModifiableRootModel moduleRootModel = moduleRootManager.getModifiableModel();

            final Library lib = libraryTable.getLibraryByName(AsposeConstants.LIBRARY_NAME);

            if (moduleRootModel.findLibraryOrderEntry(lib) == null) {

                moduleRootModel.addLibraryEntry(lib);

            }
            moduleRootModel.commit();


        }
    });
}

@Override
public String getGroupName() {
    return JavaModuleType.JAVA_GROUP;
}

public Project getMyProject() {
    return myProject;
}

public void setMyProject(Project myProject) {
    this.myProject = myProject;
}

@Nullable
public ModuleWizardStep getCustomOptionsStep(WizardContext context, Disposable parentDisposable) {
    AsposeIntroWizardStep step = new AsposeIntroWizardStep();
    Disposer.register(parentDisposable, step);
    return step;
}


private String myCompilerOutputPath;
// Pair<Source Path, Package Prefix>
private List<Pair<String, String>> mySourcePaths;
// Pair<Library path, Source path>
private final List<Pair<String, String>> myModuleLibraries = new ArrayList<Pair<String, String>>();

public final void setCompilerOutputPath(String compilerOutputPath) {
    myCompilerOutputPath = acceptParameter(compilerOutputPath);
}

public List<Pair<String, String>> getSourcePaths() {
    if (mySourcePaths == null) {
        final List<Pair<String, String>> paths = new ArrayList<Pair<String, String>>();
        @NonNls final String path = getContentEntryPath() + File.separator + "src";
        new File(path).mkdirs();
        paths.add(Pair.create(path, ""));
        return paths;
    }
    return mySourcePaths;
}

public void setSourcePaths(List<Pair<String, String>> sourcePaths) {
    mySourcePaths = sourcePaths != null ? new ArrayList<Pair<String, String>>(sourcePaths) : null;
}

public void addSourcePath(Pair<String, String> sourcePathInfo) {
    if (mySourcePaths == null) {
        mySourcePaths = new ArrayList<Pair<String, String>>();
    }
    mySourcePaths.add(sourcePathInfo);
}

public ModuleType getModuleType() {
    return StdModuleTypes.JAVA;
}

@Override
public boolean isSuitableSdkType(SdkTypeId sdkType) {
    return sdkType instanceof JavaSdkType;
}

@Nullable
@Override
public ModuleWizardStep modifySettingsStep(@NotNull SettingsStep settingsStep) {
    return StdModuleTypes.JAVA.modifySettingsStep(settingsStep, this);
}

private static String getUrlByPath(final String path) {
    return VfsUtil.getUrlForLibraryRoot(new File(path));
}

public void addModuleLibrary(String moduleLibraryPath, String sourcePath) {
    myModuleLibraries.add(Pair.create(moduleLibraryPath, sourcePath));
}

@Nullable
protected static String getPathForOutputPathStep() {
    return null;
}
}

For complete source code reference for creating new Module / Project Types in IntelliJ IDEA, please see the source code of Aspose Project Wizard (an IntelliJ IDEA Plugin By Aspose pty Ltd)

Source codes can be downloaded from the following URL:

https://asposejetbrains.codeplex.com/