How can I tell IntelliJ's “Find in Files” to ignore generated files?

Question

I need to do a find in files. I want to ignore or exclude generated files, like JAX-WS artifacts or classes in target folders. How can I tell IDEA to exclude these files from th

Answer 1

Create a Custom Scope defining the set of files to include/exclude from your search.

1. CTRL+SHIFT+F for the Find in Path dialog. (Mac users press command+shift+F)

2. Under Scope select Custom.

   

3. Choose a scope from the drop down list or create a Custom Scope by clicking on the ... button to the right of dropdown.

4. In the dialog that appears, click on the + button and select Local
5. On the right pane you can Include and Exclude individual files and Recursively include or exclude all files beneath a folder.

Now when you use Find in Path, use your custom scope to restrict which files are searched.

I suspect from the reference to Find in Files in your question that these instructions may not apply to your version but it is useful to know that this functionality exists and there is always the 30 day evaluation version.