Developers extending the IntelliJ Platform have various resources at their disposal, such as the IntelliJ Platform SDK documentation, a Slack community for seeking advice, and external forums and Q&A platforms. However, searching through these resources and checking source code locally can be time-consuming. To address this, JetBrains has introduced the Polaris plugin—a semantic code search engine embedded into IntelliJ IDEA, which offers a more convenient solution.

The Polaris plugin aims to assist developers in writing plugins more effectively by suggesting code snippets that match the codebases of the IntelliJ Platform and some open-source plugins for IntelliJ-based IDEs. It also enhances productivity by providing code completion with relevant parameters that other coders have used in similar situations. This eliminates the need to manually search through source code or remember intricate details about one’s code. With Polaris, developers can now search directly within their IDE, utilize the suggested code snippets and function parameters, and adhere to the best coding practices.

At present, the plugin’s functionality is limited to the IntelliJ Platform codebase. However, JetBrains plans to expand its capabilities based on initial feedback. This includes exploring options to deliver the same code search experience on-premises for enterprise companies with extensive codebases. In the interim, plugin developers and interested individuals are invited to try Polaris, share their feedback, and explore code snippets generated for specific functions in their web browsers.

For further details on getting started with Polaris, refer to the documenatation. Issues and feature requests can be reported in the Polaris issue tracker. JetBrains is excited to witness the innovative plugins that developers will create with the help of Polaris.

Blog resource: https://blog.jetbrains.com/platform/2023/05/introducing-polaris-a-new-in-ide-code-search-tool-for-plugin-developers/