IDE Startup Parameters

You can pass startup parameters to the IDE launcher using the IDE-HOME/bin/ide.cfg file. The launcher tries to read this file before parsing the command-line options. You can break the options into multiple lines.

The following options are available:

-h
--help
Prints descriptions of common startup parameters.
--jdkhome jdk-home-dir
Uses the specified version of the JavaTM 2 SDK instead of the default SDK. By default on Microsoft Windows systems, the loader looks into the registry and uses the latest SDK available.

You should back up your user directory before you upgrade the SDK that the IDE uses. If you later need to revert to the previous JDK, switch to the backed up user directory to ensure that you do not lose any settings.

To switch the IDE's user directory, use the -userdir switch that is detailed below.

--cp:p additional-classpath
Prefixes the specified class path to the IDE's class path.
--cp:a additional-classpath
Appends the specified class path to the IDE's class path.
--open file
Mounts the directory containing the specified file in the Filesystems window and opens the file in the Source Editor.
--open file:line number
Mounts the directory containing the specified file in the Filesystems window and opens the file in the Source Editor at the specified line.
-Jjvm-flags
Passes the specified flags directly to the JVM software.
--laf UI-class-name
Selects the given class as the IDE's look and feel. The following are two examples of look and feel classes:
--fontsize size
Sets the font size, expressed in points, in the IDE's user interface. If this option is not used, the font size is 11 points.
--locale language[:country[:variant]]
Uses the specified locale.
--userdir userdir
Explicitly specifies the user directory, which is the location where user settings are stored.

If this option is not used in UNIX® environments, the user directory is set in the HOME directory by default. If this option is not set on Microsoft Windows systems, the user directory is the one you specified when you first launched the IDE.

You can determine the current user directory in the About dialog box. Choose Help and choose About. Then click the Detail Tab and look at the User Dir field.

-J-Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true
Prevents the use of DirectX for rendering. This switch might prevent problems that occur on some Microsoft Windows systems with faulty graphics cards.
-J-Dnetbeans.debugger.jpda.transport=dt_shmem userdir
Forces the IDE to use the shared memory connection when starting a debugging session with the Debug and choose Start command. This parameter has no effect when you attach the debugger to an already running process.

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