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New CodeLogic Plugin Shows App Code Dependencies Inside IntelliJ IDEA

• By John K. Waters
• January 26, 2022

Enterprise dependency mapping solution provider CodeLogic has a new plugin for JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA integrated development environment (IDE) that allows developers to view the company's real-time app code dependency intelligence within the popular code-centric Java IDE.

CodeLogic's self-updating application dependency and impact analysis solution was designed to provides developers with complete visibility into code and schema dependencies the IntelliJ IDE does not detect. This enhanced dependency intelligence gives devs information that allows them to make more informed code-change decisions and improve transparency around the impact of code changes, the company explains. Access to this intelligence makes it possible for devs to reduce break/fix cycles, inform task completion timelines, improve team collaboration, and deploy changes with confidence.

"Developers often rely on tribal knowledge, outdated documentation, or their IDE to provide dependency information when making code changes," said Eric Minick, CodeLogic's Head of Product, in a statement. "When it comes to the IDE, they only have visibility into project-specific dependencies… The new plugin brings dependency intelligence to where developers are working, so they don't interrupt flow to find it."

The CodeLogic finds applications and databases running within the enterprise, analyzes them, and then generates a detailed map of their dependencies, including API, code based, database, and message queues. CodeLogic's dependency maps are maintained automatically and can be exported for use externally. Users can create decomposition views of each IT asset down to code level, and view the decomposition of all applications and databases all together in a single place. Rules and alerts can be created to automate governance, and the audit trail provides a log of changes to applications to help identify them in the runtime environment.

CodeLogic "bridges a knowledge gap" in the software industry by providing comprehensive code dependency intelligence missing in other tools. By leveraging an environment where developers already work, the solution's new plugin makes dependency knowledge accessible across teams, shifting how developers approach their projects and reducing the time to search for accurate dependency data by 90%, the company claims.

When developers lack visibility into code dependencies within and across applications, the Minick explained, there is a greater chance of breaking dependent projects or introducing a damaging change that will have cascading effects. Broken code dependencies are typically discovered when a build or a QA test fails downstream. Teams with code dependency intelligence can save time triaging, researching, and fixing avoidable issues and spend more time building features and capabilities that will delight their users.

CodeLogic enhances application development toolchains without replacing current processes. CodeLogic customers can easily install and configure the plugin in minutes. Once the plugin is configured, it enhances the IntelliJ "Find Usages" capability by displaying dependency data within current projects as well as across other CodeLogic-scanned applications. The plugin provides instant access into CodeLogic's user interface, so developers can view additional code dependency details, analyze the impact of proposed code changes, and proactively notify teams that may be affected.