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Enhancing Microservices Development with Telepresence: New IDE JetBrains Enhancements and Istio Support

November 21, 2023 | 4 min read

We're excited to announce new enhancements in the 2.17 release of Telepresence to streamline your development workflow.


JetBrains IDE Enhancements:

Custom Header for Personal Intercepts: Tailoring Your Development Experience

One of the standout features in this update is the ability to create custom headers for personal intercepts. This allows developers to customize headers according to your specific needs, adding a layer of personalization and control to the development process. Whether you're working on headers for authentication, versioning, or specific application behaviors, this feature ensures that your intercepts are precisely as you need them.


Searching Functionality in the IDE: Quick Access to Your Services

Another enhancement that comes with this update is the improved search functionality within the IDE. Developers can now effortlessly filter through a list of microservices to find the exact one they need to intercept. This means less time scrolling through endless lists and more time focusing on the task at hand.


Overwriting Environment Variables by Project

We've introduced the ability to overwrite environment variables by project. This feature is particularly useful when running services locally and needing to tweak certain variables for different environments or project-specific configurations. It adds an extra layer of flexibility, allowing for seamless transitions between different stages of development.


Double Click in the Connect Tree: Simplifying Interactions

To further streamline the user experience, we've made an interface improvement. You now have the ability to double-click in the connect tree. This simple yet effective tweak means developers can now quickly connect to services with a double click rather than navigating through contextual menus. It's all about making your workflow as smooth and uninterrupted as possible.

Visit our Jetbrains integration with Telepresence for more information..

Other Notable Updates:

Seamless Istio Integration: Conflict-Free Traffic Management


Telepresence now has the capability to create Istio objects to manage traffic flow. This integration is a game-changer for teams using Istio as a part of their service mesh architecture. By allowing Telepresence to handle the creation and management of Istio objects, it ensures that there are no conflicts between Telepresence’s configuration and your existing mesh network setup. The integration facilitates smoother traffic management, reduces the risk of config errors, and enhances overall system stability.


For more on Istio, check out our recent podcast episode with Tetrate’s Jose Carlos Chavez of Tetrate.


Intercept Header Conflict Detection: Streamline Development


Telepresence will now check for any header conflicts with existing intercepts. If a conflict is detected such as when using the command

“--http-header a=b --http-header c=d”
, and another intercept is already utilizing
“--http-header a=b”
, Telepresence will promptly alert you with an error message specifying the conflicting headers. This feature is a significant step forward in avoiding unintended intercept overlaps, ensuring a more streamlined and error-free development experience.

Like What You See?

Try out the new Telepresence features by logging in today. Let us know what you think by tweeting @AmbassadorLabs or submitting your feedback here.