JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA 2016.3 is now available
News|by Leanne Bevan|22 November 2016
JetBrains has announced the latest update to IntelliJ IDEA with a whole host of improvements to enhance the developer experience.
Update highlights include:
- Refactoring to Java 8. Since Java 8 was released, IntelliJ IDEA has been providing inspections that help write correct and idiomatic Java 8. With this update, we’ve gone much further and extended our existing inspections to support non-trivial cases.
- JVM Debugger. The debugger has been extended with Class-level Watches and JVM Memory View, a new plugin that lets users explore objects in the JVM heap during a debug session.
- Code Editor. The editor has been extended with Parameter Hints that show method parameters names for passed values that are literals or nulls, and Semantic Highlighting, a highlighting mode that uses unique colors for each parameter and local variable.
- Gradle. The new option “Delegate IDE build/run actions to Gradle” allows users to delegate the native IDE Build, Build Artifacts (both WAR and EAR) and Run actions to Gradle. Another new option which is called “Gradle Composite Builds” lets users substitute any of their Gradle dependencies with another IntelliJ IDEA project.
- Scala. The Scala plugin has got support for Scala.js and scala.meta.
- JavaScript. The JavaScript support has been improved in many ways: Flow-based inspections and completion; quick-fixes that convert JavaScript to ECMAScript 6; better TypeScript support; the built-in debugger for React Native, Protractor, Stylelint, PostCSS and many more.
- VCS. The Log viewer has been further reworked, this time mainly to improve its ergonomics and speed. The Merge dialog now shows a Resolve icon on the left side of the Editor when the IDE is capable of resolving the conflict automatically. ALso, the IDE provides an interface for managing Git remotes for every repo in the project.
- Android. The Android plugin has been aligned with Android Studio 2.2: Blueprint, Constraint Layout, better Instant Run, and APK Analyzer.
- Database. The Database plugin now allows editing multiple cells at once, submit changes in bulk, and find usages of objects within the source code of other objects (procedures, functions, triggers, views, etc).
Contact us on +44 (0)1364 654100 to find out more.
Contact Grey Matter
If you have any questions or want some extra information, complete the form below and one of the team will be in touch ASAP. If you have a specific use case, please let us know and we'll help you find the right solution faster.
By submitting this form you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Website Terms of Use.
Related News
Is your business ready? The 2026 Cyber Essentials Danzell update explained
Cyber Essentials is changing – and this time, it’s not just a paperwork exercise. From 27 April 2026, a new version of the scheme comes into force. The UK Government and IASME are introducing the “Danzell” update (v3.3), designed to tighten up how you’re assessed and, crucially, how compliance...
ESET special offer: three years for the price of two
ESET has announced a new special offer for Spring 2026. From 1 April to 31 May 2026, when you purchase new licences or upgrade to the higher-tier products, you’ll receive three years of protection for the price of two. ESET...
Agentic AI for software development: JetBrains Central
Agentic AI is changing how software is built. JetBrains Central is how you can stay in control. AI is no longer just helping developers write code. It’s investigating issues, changing code, running tests and executing multi-step workflows – often across multiple IDEs and tools, without human...
VMware alternatives
The virtualisation landscape has shifted dramatically. Once the default choice for data centres, VMware is now facing growing competition as licensing changes following Broadcom’s 2023 acquisition – combined with the rise of specialised workloads – push organisations to explore alternatives. ...