JetBrains/intellij-community · error · ConfigurationException

Enter a file name to create a new {0} {1}

Error message

Enter a file name to create a new {0} {1}

What it means

Thrown by ProjectNameStep.validate() when the wizard step's project name field is empty. Same underlying rule as NamePathComponent: a name is required to derive the project file/directory, and this step surfaces it before any path checks.

Source

Thrown at java/idea-ui/src/com/intellij/ide/util/projectWizard/ProjectNameStep.java:107

  }

  @Override
  public void updateDataModel() {
    myWizardContext.setProjectName(getProjectName());
    myWizardContext.setProjectFileDirectory(getProjectFileDirectory());
  }

  @Override
  public Icon getIcon() {
    return myWizardContext.getStepIcon();
  }

  @Override
  public boolean validate() throws ConfigurationException {
    String name = myNamePathComponent.getNameValue();
    if (name.isEmpty()) {
      ApplicationNamesInfo info = ApplicationNamesInfo.getInstance();
      throw new ConfigurationException(JavaUiBundle.message("prompt.new.project.file.name", info.getFullProductName(), myWizardContext.getPresentationName()));
    }

    final String projectFileDirectory = getProjectFileDirectory();
    if (projectFileDirectory.isEmpty()) {
      throw new ConfigurationException(JavaUiBundle.message("prompt.enter.project.file.location", myWizardContext.getPresentationName()));
    }

    final boolean shouldPromptCreation = myNamePathComponent.isPathChangedByUser();
    String prefix = JavaUiBundle.message("directory.project.file.directory", myWizardContext.getPresentationName());
    if (!ProjectWizardUtil.createDirectoryIfNotExists(prefix, projectFileDirectory, shouldPromptCreation)) {
      return false;
    }

    boolean shouldContinue = true;

    final String path = myWizardContext.isCreatingNewProject() && myWizardContext.getProjectStorageFormat() == DIRECTORY_BASED
                        ? getProjectFileDirectory() + "/" + Project.DIRECTORY_STORE_FOLDER : getProjectFilePath();
    final File projectFile = new File(path);

View on GitHub (pinned to be881553f2)

Solutions

1. Enter a project name in the first wizard step
2. Set a default via wizardContext.setProjectName("untitled") when constructing the wizard programmatically
3. Guard Finish button enablement on !name.isEmpty() for earlier feedback

Example fix

// before
WizardContext ctx = new WizardContext(null, new WizardStartupSettings(...));
new ProjectNameStep(ctx).validate(); // ConfigurationException: enter a file name

// after
ctx.setProjectName("my-app");
new ProjectNameStep(ctx).validate();

if (step.getNamePathComponent().getNameValue().isEmpty()) {
  wizardContext.setProjectName("untitled"); // or block Next
}
step.validate();

When it happens

Trigger: Wizard reaches ProjectNameStep.validate() while myNamePathComponent.getNameValue() returns the empty string (name field cleared or never pre-filled).

Common situations: New Project wizard with the name field left blank after user deletes the default; custom wizard chains that insert ProjectNameStep without a default name in the WizardContext; keyboard-driven Finish.

Related errors

• Enter a file name to create a new {0} {1}
• Enter {0} file location
• Enter {0} file location
• Enter module file location
• Enter a module name

AI-assisted analysis of JetBrains/intellij-community@be881553f2 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a9909ac4abdc2727. Report an issue: GitHub.