IntelliJ: Maven projects need to be imported: Import Changes Enable Auto-Import

Question

upon creating a new maven project I get the popup box saying

     "Maven projects need to be imported: Import Changes Enable Auto-Import"

The links for import changes and enable auto-import are "NOT" enabled but taking a look into the Event Log, I see the link enabled so I can click on Enable Auto-Import.

But I really don't understand the difference between Auto-Import and non Auto-Import

I have noticed that an option is checked in the preferences called "Import Maven projects automatically" when you check the Auto-Import in the event log... otherwise it remains un-checked.

Remembering this is a new maven project created from the intellij ide...

I wonder if anyone can help me with the confusion ??

I hate doing something unless I understand why I am doing it, is this normal practice in intellij and maven ??

Should it not be checked by default... what is the difference between it being checked or not checked?

Thanks again

Answer 1

Select this check box, if you want IntelliJ IDEA to perform reimport automatically each time you change your pom.xml.

From the documentation.

In other words it just automatically updates project details upon POM change. Generally it tells IDEA that, for example, dependencies for those new external classes you started using in your code can be found in updated version of POM.

Here is some information about it as well.