CONTRIBUTING.md guide feedback

[kenzieschmoll]

Filing this issue as a friction log that I encountered while trying to set up my development environment:

1. Set your JAVA_HOME directory in your environment.

It is unclear how to do this. Should go in a .bash_profile, .zshrc, etc. file? Should this be done from the IDE? More clear instructions needed.

2. Set your FLUTTER_SDK directory to point to /path/to/flutter.
3. Also set your DART_SDK directory to /path/to/flutter/bin/cache/dart-sdk.
4. Ensure both DART_SDK, FLUTTER_SDK and JAVA_HOME are added to the PATH in the shell initialization script that runs at login. (not just for the one used for every interactive shell).

Where do you set these directories? Are these supposed to be environment variables in your .bash_profile, .zshrc, etc.? Are these supposed to be set in the IDE? How do you know where to add this to satisfy the requirement of "...shell initialization script that runs at login. (not just for the one used for every interactive shell)"? More explicit instructions needed.

Determine the directory of your downloaded IntelliJ IDEA installation. e.g.

How do you do this? Is there an easy way to find out where your IDEA installation directory is?

If you didn't see the popup at the first start, delete & re-clone the repo and try again.

Is there a better way to re-run this than deleting the repository and starting over? If this doesn't succeed on the first try, this is painful to have to keep deleting the repo to reproduce this step.

8. In the "Project Structure" dialog (File | Project Structure):

• Select "Platform Settings > SDKs", click the "+" sign at the top "Add New SDK (Alt+Insert)", then select "Add JDK...".
  • Point it to the directory of the jbr which is under the IDEA's content (e.g. IntelliJ IDEA CE.app/Contents/jbr).

Should this be "Add JDK from disk"? Also, it is unclear where this is "Point it to the directory of the jbr which is under the IDEA's content (e.g. IntelliJ IDEA CE.app/Contents/jbr).". I do not know where to find this path on my machine.

Select "Platform Settings > SDKs", click the "+" sign at the top "Add New SDK (Alt+Insert)", then select "Add IntelliJ Platform Plugin SDK...".

There is no option for "Add IntelliJ Platform Plugin SDK"

Select "flutter-intellij > flutter-idea > main" module, switch to the "Paths" window, select the Inherit project compile output path option then apply. This step can be repeated after everytime the project is open.

I do not see an option for a "main" module.

[pq]

Start the IntelliJ IDEA with the flutter-intellij project.

Consider more explicit instructions? I'm guessing we're opening the flutter-intellij folder in the project wizard?

[pq]

bin/plugin test

This is expected to take a long time? If so, and no feedback is expected, it'd be good to call that out. (Mine seems stalled but maybe WAI?)

EDIT: it did complete. Took a long time and generated A LOT of warnings that I think are safe to ignore?

[pq]

Select "Platform Settings > Modules".

Should this be "Project Settings > Modules"

?

[pq]

In the "File | Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | Build Tools | Gradle" setting

Should be:

In the "IntelliJ IDE > Settings.. | Build, Execution, Deployment | Build Tools | Gradle" setting

(for Mac).