IntelliJ_NVDA_Addon

Addon for NVDA that adds support for using IntelliJ. Current features are:

• when caret moves to different line, the line at the new position is read out
• when selection changes it is read out
• when the status bar text has changed, NVDA beeps and speaks it
  • this includes reading the error description if the caret landed on one
  • configurable in settings
• command to read status bar (NVDA + I)
• command to anounce current line number (NVDA + ALT + L)
• (Experimental) when caret navigates to a line with a breakpoint, NVDA beeps
  • configurable in settings

How to install

1. Download latest release or build by running scons
2. install like a normal addon by opening the generated addon file with NVDA (should open with NVDA by default)

How to fix the status bar text not being read

If the status bar text isn't read out, such as for automatically reading error/warning descriptions, then it is likely that the status bar text widget isn't enabled. Since IntelliJ version 2023.3, it seems to be disabled by default, so it has to be manually enabled. To do so, do the following:

1. Open the Search All panel by double tapping shift
2. Search for "Status Bar Widgets" and activate it with Enter.
3. Find "status text" in the list.
4. Activate it by pressing spacebar. (It might not report whether it is checked or not)
5. Exit the widgets list by pressing Esc.
6. Retry reading the error/warning description.

You can test whether the status bar text can now be read successfully by jumping to an error/warning with F2 and pressing NVDA + I.

The same applies to the line number. You will need to insure that the line number is shown in the status bar before you are able to get the line number. Note that breakpoints will not be indicated without the line number being visible in the status bar.

Tips for using IntelliJ

Checking errors/warnings

When focused inside a file editor:

• F2/ shift + F2 : go to next/previous error or warning

When editor cursor is on error/warning:

• NVDA + I: Quickly read error description displayed in status bar
• ctrl + F1: open message box with more detailed error description
• alt + enter: open list of quick actions

Navigating

• ctrl + tab/ ctrl + shift + tab: switch between editors and views
• alt + number: move to coresponding numbered view
• F12: go to last non-editor view inside editor:
• alt + up arrow/ alt + down arrow: jump to previous/next class, field, or method declaration
• ctrl + {/ ctrl + }: GO TO PREVIOUS/NEXT MATCHING BRACE
• ctrl + B: go to declaration
• ctrl + shift + B: go to type declaration
• ctrl + G: go to line
• ctrl + N: go to class
• shift, shift: "finad anything" dialogue

VCS

• ctrl + K: make commit
• ctrl + shift + K: push
• ctrl + alt + Z: revert

Misc.

• ctrl + shift + A: search for action
• ctrl + alt + L: format code
• alt + F7: find usages
• alt + shift + F9: open run dialogue (note: if editor caret is on unit test, this will also autogenerate a run configuration for running that specific test case)

Debugging

• alt + shift + f10, right arrow on your application and choose debug: start debugging
• alt + 5: open debug panel
• control + shift + f8: view all breakpoints dialog
• control + f8: insert breakpoint at line
• f8: step over
• f7 step into
• shift + f7: step out
• f9: resume
• alt + f10: jump to current execution line

Changelog

Version 1.5.2

• Updated instructions for enablin the status text widget
• Change beep on breakpoint to be false by default and marked as experimental

Version 1.5.1

• Updated last tested NVDA version to 2025.3.2

Version 1.5.0

• Added enhancements for line number and indicating line breakpoints (thanks to Tim @tbreitenfeldt for the contribution!)
  • New gesture for reading current line number (default NVDA + Alt + L)
  • New setting "Beep when breakpoint is detected on current line" (turned on by default)

Version 1.4.0

• Read line after pressing Control + Z

Version 1.3.4

• Updated NVDA last tested version to 2024.4.1
• Display help message on enabling the status bar text widget if unable to read the status text

Version 1.3.3

• Fixed not being able to find the status bar in IntelliJ v2023.1

Version 1.3.2

• compatible with NVDA version 2023.1 and beyond

Version 1.3.1

• fixed the status bar sometimes being read while not in IntelliJ

Version 1.3.0

• added feature for automatically reading errors and other status bar changes (thanks to Thiago @thgcode for the contribution!)
• reading status bar with NVDA + I is much faster
• compatible with NVDA 2022+