A Super Simple Way to Build Plugins Using Ideavim's `:!` Feature and Shell Scripts

Ideavim recently added a shell set that supports the :! command. Using this, you can run shell commands directly within the IntelliJ editor and immediately reflect the results in the editor.

Starting from simple text sorting via the sort command, even complex logic can be written as a shell script and used just like a dedicated plugin. For example, you can write a script that converts snake_case to camelCase, then run it with a single shortcut key via vmap configuration.

Further, you can even automate converting SQL CREATE TABLE statements into JPA Entity properties. By combining sed and perl to write a script that extracts column names, types, nullability, and comments, you can build a powerful productivity tool without developing a complex IDE plugin.

This approach has the following advantages:

• Fast development speed: Can be implemented with familiar shell scripts without needing to study the IntelliJ API
• Flexible extensibility: Features can be modified or extended immediately as needed
• Lightweight: Leverages existing terminal tools without installing heavy plugins