mahabdalla Debugging
Documentation
- Logger FAQ - Frequently asked questions about logging
- How to Investigate Freezes - Diagnosing IDE freezes
- Exception Analyzing FAQ - Analyzing and categorizing exceptions
Searching idea.log
When debugging IntelliJ code, search idea.log using these patterns:
Log Levels:
FINE= debug level (fromLOG.debug { })INFO= info level (fromLOG.info())
Category Format:
#<abbreviated.package.path>.<ClassName>
Example: com.intellij.openapi.wm.impl.status.IdeStatusBarImpl → #c.i.o.w.i.s.IdeStatusBarImpl
Search Examples:
# Debug logs from IdeStatusBarImpl
grep "FINE - #c.i.o.w.i.s.IdeStatusBarImpl" idea.log
# Info logs from IdeStatusBarImpl
grep "INFO - #c.i.o.w.i.s.IdeStatusBarImpl" idea.log
# All logs from a class
grep "#c.i.o.w.i.s.IdeStatusBarImpl" idea.log
End-to-End Behavior
When fixing issues where a user-facing entry point (script, command, API) doesn't behave as expected:
- Trace the full execution chain from entry point to actual executor before making changes
- Identify all layers that handle the relevant behavior - each layer may swallow, transform, or ignore it
- Verify the fix at the entry point the user actually invokes, not just at the layer you modified
- Add debugging output if still unsure - add to all layers to trace the issue
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