no alternatives for metadata subscription & .idea folder invisible after fresh dx project setup and

[Sebastian Schwarz]

Hi there,
when setting up a new DX-based project, I am running into some issues (unsure if they are related or by design).
I stumbled over this after recognizing that I cannot choose a different metadata subscription than “Local Files” in the module setup.
”All Package” or “package.xml” are not visible for selection, what could be the reason?

I thought some config files were wrong, so I researched and figured out the .idea folder is invisible.
The internet recommends removing entirely it and restarting the IDE, this didn’t help.

Inside an existing “Regular” SF Project, I can see at least the XML option and the idea file is visible, so I guess my IDE is not broken.
I see all the other folders like .sf & .sfdx…
I am using the latest WebStorm 2023.3.2

Thanks for your effort!
Regards, Basti

[Scott Wells]

Hi. First, the “All/Package” and “Selected” metadata subscription types have been removed. Please see the following:

https://illuminatedcloud.blogspot.com/2023/11/2289-release-notes.html
https://illuminatedcloud.blogspot.com/2023/12/2292-release-notes.html

The two allowed subscription types are now “Package.xml” and “Local Files”. I would certainly expect to the see the former as an option in all project types except those configured against a source-tracked org (i.e., a scratch org or source-tracked sandbox) where there is no actual metadata subscription. Those are automatically set to “Local Files” as Salesforce source-tracking capabilities are used to sync local vs. org.

If you’re configuring this project against a scratch org and want to use a “Package.xml” metadata type, you can still do so by enabling “Use deploy/retrieve/delete instead of push/pull” for that connection.

Please let me know if this information doesn’t help.

[Sebastian Schwarz]

Hi Scott, thank you! I was missing these changes, thanks for referencing the release notes. I will have a deeper read and will do a little research on my end to understand the differences and consequences a little better.

Additionally, I do not see the .idea folder, are you able to see the folder within new DX projects? Are there any hints you can provide to help me do some debugging?

Thanks for your fast response and support!

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[Scott Wells]

You know, I noticed a bit back that the non-IntelliJ IDEA JetBrains IDEs now seem to hide the .idea directory whereas IntelliJ IDEA shows it, e.g.:

IntelliJ IDEA

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WebStorm

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I have no idea why they behave this way or if I’ve just configured the two IDEs differently at some point without knowing it. But that’s my best take on why you don’t see the .idea directory now where you did previously. It’s still there, by the way, and you can access files under it using Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+O (Mac) and typing the desired filename, e.g., illuminatedCloud.xml. Weird, eh?

[Sebastian Schwarz]

I can still see it in a non-DX project (in Webstorm), that’s why I was wondering.
The internet says if it’s not visible something seems to be broken. I can see it in Windows and see changes in my git console.
But if you are experiencing the same, it doesn’t bother me anymore :D. Thanks for your support again!

[Scott Wells]

Weird. Yeah, I confess that I'm not sure, but I've not seen any issues from it not being present, either in behavior or in the IDE's logs (including the significantly more verbose logs I get when developing IC2).

I'm going to resolve this issue, by the way. If you find that you're having problems with the changes linked in my first response, please let me know.