# Open files from the command line

Open an arbitrary file or folder in IntelliJ IDEA from the command line, optionally specifying where to place the caret after opening.

Windows:

You can find the executable for running IntelliJ IDEA in the [installation directory](directories-used-by-the-ide-to-store-settings-caches-plugins-and-logs.html) under `bin`. To use this executable as the command-line launcher, add it to your system `PATH` as described in [Command-line interface](working-with-the-ide-features-from-command-line.html).

Syntax
: ```PLAINTEXT
: idea64.exe [--line <number>] [--column <number>] <path>
: ```

Examples
: Open a project:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea64.exe C:\MyProject
: ```
:
:
:
:
:
: Open a specific file on line number 42:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea64.exe --line 42 C:\MyProject\scripts\numbers.js
: ```

macOS:

By default, IntelliJ IDEA does not provide a command-line launcher. For more information about creating a launcher script for IntelliJ IDEA, refer to [Command-line interface](working-with-the-ide-features-from-command-line.html).

Syntax
: ```PLAINTEXT
: idea [--line <number>] [--column <number>] <path>
: ```

Examples
: Open a project:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea ~/MyProject
: ```
:
:
:
:
:
: Open a specific file on line number 42:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea --line 42 ~/MyProject/scripts/numbers.js
: ```

Linux:

You can find the script for running IntelliJ IDEA in the [installation directory](directories-used-by-the-ide-to-store-settings-caches-plugins-and-logs.html) under `bin`. To use this script as the command-line launcher, add it to your system `PATH` as described in [Command-line interface](working-with-the-ide-features-from-command-line.html).

Syntax
: ```PLAINTEXT
: idea.sh [--line <number>] [--column <number>] <number> <path>
: ```

Examples
: Open a project:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea.sh ~/MyProject
: ```
:
:
:
:
:
: Open a specific file on line number 42:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea.sh --line 42 ~/MyProject/scripts/numbers.js
: ```

When you specify the path to a file, IntelliJ IDEA opens it in the [LightEdit mode](lightedit-mode.html), unless it belongs to a project that is already open or there is special logic to automatically open or create a project (for example, in case of Maven or Gradle files). If you specify a directory with an existing project, IntelliJ IDEA opens this project. If you open a directory that is not a part of a project, IntelliJ IDEA adds the `.idea` directory to it, making it a project.