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OpenIDEA highlights Ruby files (.rb, .rake, .gemspec, .ru, .rbi, .jbuilder, .podspec, and Gemfile, Rakefile, Podfile, Vagrantfile and similar names) and ERB templates without setup. Code insight comes from Ruby LSP. Rake tasks, RSpec, Minitest and rails server are detected as run configurations, and debugging uses rdbg from Ruby’s debug gem. See the support matrix for other languages.

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Language servers

ERB files (.erb, .html.erb and friends) are highlighted but have no language server.

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Setup

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Ruby interpreter

Settings › Languages & Frameworks › Ruby › Ruby interpreter chooses the Ruby that runs the ruby, rake and rspec configurations and whose standard library and Bundler gems appear under External Libraries in the project tree. Auto (default) picks the install matching .ruby-version (searched from the project upward), else the version pinned by mise or asdf, else ruby on PATH. The list shows Rubies installed by rbenv, rvm, chruby (~/.rubies, /opt/rubies), mise and asdf, Homebrew’s Ruby, and the ones on PATH (version-manager shims excluded).

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Installing the language server

When a Ruby file opens and no server is installed, a notification offers Install. Everything is also listed in Settings › Languages & Frameworks › Language Servers. Both installs need gem on PATH. Gem executables are found even when the Ruby’s gem bin directory is not on PATH (as with Homebrew’s Ruby).

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Run and test

Detected when the project root has a Gemfile, Rakefile, .ruby-version, config.ru or a .gemspec:
  • rails server when bin/rails exists.
  • One Rake configuration per task defined in the Rakefile, including namespace blocks and Rake::TestTask / RSpec::Core::RakeTask tasks. test, spec, *:test and *:spec are test configurations.
  • RSpec when the project has spec/, .rspec, or rspec in the Gemfile.
  • Otherwise, with a test/ folder and no test Rake task, a minitest configuration that loads every *_test.rb / test_*.rb under test/.
With a Gemfile, these run through bundle exec. The Ruby, Rake and RSpec run configuration types have a Run with Bundler (bundle exec) option and a Launcher field for a binstub or other command. Run Context Configuration (⌃⇧R / Ctrl+Shift+F10):
  • A *_spec.rb file runs through RSpec with the file as the target.
  • A *_test.rb / test_*.rb file runs through rake test (as TEST=<file>) or the minitest configuration.
  • Any other .rb file runs with ruby, with the project’s source folders added to the load path (-I).
In Minitest and Test::Unit files, gutter icons run one test class, module or test method (--name=Class#test_x). Minitest results go to the test tree with each test’s real file and line, through a reporter the IDE loads into the run without changing the project. Rerun Failed Tests is available. See Testing. Run with Coverage works for ruby, bundle, rake, rspec and rails runs through SimpleCov; a Bundler project needs simplecov in its Gemfile. See Coverage.

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Debugging

Debug works for Ruby files and the detected Rake, RSpec, minitest and rails server configurations. The IDE starts rdbg from the project’s Ruby (and bundle from the same install), so install the debug gem for that Ruby first. See Debugging.

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Framework support

  • Rails: a rails server configuration, the project’s gems (Rails included) under External Libraries, ERB highlighting, and coverage of Rails runs. There is no Rails-specific navigation (routes, controllers to views) beyond what Ruby LSP provides.

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Limitations

  • RSpec runs a whole file or suite; there are no gutter icons for single describe / it examples.
  • No attach or remote debugging for Ruby processes.
  • ERB templates have no code insight.
  • The IDE does not install the debug gem.