Vanderbilt University · Computer Science Department
Welcome! You've been invited to participate in a pilot study for Development Statistics (Dev-Stats), a lightweight IntelliJ IDEA plugin that tracks users' coding activity as they work through a programming assignment. The data collected helps researchers at Vanderbilt understand how students approach development tasks.
This guide walks you through everything you need to get set up. It should take about 5 minutes.
- A computer running Windows, macOS, or Linux
- An internet connection
- A screen recording tool (see Step 6)
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Go to the IntelliJ IDEA download page.
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Download the installer for your operating system.
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Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
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Launch IntelliJ IDEA. You should see the welcome screen:
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From the welcome screen, click Plugins on the left sidebar.
- Already have a project open? Go to File > Settings (Windows/Linux) or IntelliJ IDEA > Settings (macOS), then select Plugins.
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Click the gear icon near the top of the Plugins window (next to "Marketplace" and "Installed").
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Select Manage Plugin Repositories... from the dropdown.
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Click + and paste the following URL:
https://vanderbilt-development-statistics.github.io/MysteryPlugin-Pilot/updatePlugins.xml
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Click OK to save.
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Switch to the Marketplace tab in the Plugins window.
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Search for "Development Statistics".
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Click Install.
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If prompted, restart the IDE to activate the plugin.
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Go to the Installed tab in the Plugins section.
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Find "Development Statistics" in the list and make sure it is enabled.
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Restart the IDE if prompted.
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On this page, click the green Code button and select Download ZIP.
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Unzip the downloaded file.
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Inside the unzipped folder, navigate to the Project directory and unzip project4.zip.
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Open the project in IntelliJ IDEA:
- From the welcome screen: Click Open and navigate to the unzipped project folder.
- From an open project: Go to File > Open and select the project folder.
Before you begin working, please start a screen recording of your entire session. You can use any recording tool you prefer. Here are two free options:
| Tool | Platform | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|
| QuickTime Player | macOS | Watch tutorial |
| VLC Player | Windows / macOS / Linux | Watch tutorial |
Once your recording is running, you're ready to start working on the assignment.
When you've finished the assignment, stop your screen recording and upload the video using the link below:
Submit Recording (Google Form)
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Plugin doesn't appear in Marketplace | Make sure you added the repository URL in Step 2, then close and reopen the Plugins window. |
| "Connection failed" when adding the repository | Check your internet connection and try again. If you're on a VPN, try disconnecting first. |
| Plugin installed but not working | Go to Plugins > Installed, confirm "Development Statistics" is enabled, and restart the IDE. |
| IntelliJ won't open the project | Make sure you unzipped the download first — don't try to open the .zip file directly. |
Q: Which version of IntelliJ should I use? Any version from 2023.3 or newer will work, including the latest release.
Q: Does the plugin work with other JetBrains IDEs? The plugin is built for IntelliJ IDEA. It may work in other JetBrains IDEs, but IntelliJ IDEA is recommended.
Q: Will the plugin slow down my IDE? No. The plugin is lightweight and runs in the background without affecting IDE performance.
Q: Do I need to do anything to keep the plugin updated? No. Once installed, the plugin will automatically update when new versions are released.
If you run into any issues not covered above, please reach out to the research team at cameron.j.scarpati@vanderbilt.edu.
Vanderbilt University Development Statistics Research Project