New code
SonarQube for IntelliJ uses the New Code Definition to determine which issues you should focus on fixing, and calls out that these issues are found in new code.
New code and your quality standards
Focusing on new code is an important step in getting the most out of SonarQube for IDE. When you run an analysis on your main branch (or other long-lived branches) in SonarQube (Server, Cloud) and have set up Connected mode, SonarQube for IDE uses the server’s New Code Definition (NCD) to determine which issues you should focus on fixing, and calls out the issues found in new code. Focusing on new code is at the core of implementing the SonarQube strategy, knowing that the other code will be incrementally fixed over time.
To achieve this, SonarQube for IDE offers the Focus on New Code feature to highlight new code in the IDE.
Your new code definition
When SonarQube for IDE is running in Connected Mode, the SonarQube for IDE uses the NCD defined in SonarQube Server or on SonarQube Cloud. When SonarQube for IDE is running in standalone mode, a locally defined new code period highlights your new code.
Running SonarQube for IDE in Connected Mode with SonarQube (Server, Cloud) offers more opportunities to choose how you define new code.
New code definition options
When you use the NCD found in your SonarQube (Server, Cloud) quality profile, you have more opportunities to choose how to define new code. Check out their respective pages for details:
Quality standards and new code in SonarQube Server
Quality standards and new code in SonarQube Cloud
Without Connected mode, new code is defined by a new code period: any code added or changed in the last 30 days is considered new code. The 30-day timeframe is defined using Git.
When not using Git, the new code period begins with your first SonarQube for IDE analysis.
There is no option to manually define a new code period in SonarQube for IDE.
Setting your focus on new code
The Focus on New Code feature works when SonarQube for IDE is running in either connected mode or standalone mode. New code is defined differently in each mode as mentioned above*.*
Setting your focus on new code has these prerequisites running in Connected mode.
Your local project must be bound to a SonarQube (Server, Cloud) project.
The new code definition must be defined in SonarQube (Server, Cloud) or SonarQube Community Build using a Previous version, Number of days, or Specific analysis.
The Reference branch new code definition is not supported. Please see the New code definition options article above for links to learn how to properly set your new code definition on the server.
Focusing on new code is easy. After setting up connected mode and binding your folder to a project, use one of these methods to activate the Set focus on new code feature:
Select New code in the filters of your Findings tab.
Navigate to IntelliJ > Settings > Tools > SonarQube for IDE and select Set focus on new code.
With the SonarQube for IDE focus mode deactivated, all issues found in your project will be shown in the same list.
Running SonarQube for Eclipse in connected mode with SonarQube (Server, Cloud) and SonarQube Community Build offers more opportunities to choose how you define new code.
How the new code definition affects the analysis results
Focusing on new code and understanding how to work with new code to apply your quality standards are only applicable in SonarQube Server, SonarQube Cloud, and SonarQube Community Build. Learn more about setting quality standards in the server documentation:
Quality standards administration in SonarQube Server
Setting your quality standards in SonarQube Cloud
Quality standards administation in SonarQube Community Build
Here are two important points to consider regarding your NCD and SonarQube for IntelliJ:
When running SonarQube for IDE in connected mode and enabling the Focus on New Code feature, the NCD from SonarQube (Server, Cloud) is used to show you only issues found in new code.
When running SonarQube for IDE while not in connected mode and enabling the Focus on New Code feature, Running an analysis will show you only issues found in new code.
The Focus on New Code feature gives you immediate feedback in the IDE, before you submit new code with new issues. Read the Focusing on new code article for more information.
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