# Run shebang scripts

> **TL;DR**
> Shell Script plugin (bundled) is required.

Starting with version 11, Java provides a way to run self-contained scripts without the need to compile them ([https://openjdk.java.net/jeps/330](https://openjdk.java.net/jeps/330)). Furthermore, on Linux and macOS, you can create scripts in Java by specifying the JDK in the first line of the file.

This is called [the shebang mechanism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shebang_(Unix)). Shebang support in Java comes in handy when you need to write an executable script, but you don't want to install a compiler or use a scripting language like bash.

Procedure: Write a script

1. Create a file without the `.java` extension.

2. Start the first line with `#!` followed by the path to the JDK that will be used to run the script. Use `source` to specify the language level of the script. Language level 11+ is required.

Example:

`#!/usr/lib/jvm/openjdk-14.0.1/bin/java --source 11`

3. Write the body of the script. The script can contain multiple classes and use imports from the standard library. The entry point has to be defined as `public static void main(String[] args)` in the first declared class.

Below is an example of a valid shebang script:

```JAVA
#!/usr/lib/jvm/openjdk-14.0.1/bin/java --source 11

import java.util.Locale;

class Hello {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String lang = Locale.getDefault().getLanguage();
        System.out.println(Greetings.getGreeting(lang));
    }
}

class Greetings {
    static String getGreeting(String lang) {
        switch (lang) {
            case "fr": return "Bonjour";
            case "es": return "Hola";
            case "zh": return "Nǐn hǎo";
            case "de": return "Guten Tag";
            case "pl": return "Dzień dobry";
            case "el": return "Yassas";
            case "sv": return "God dag";
            default: return "Hi";
        }
    }
}
```

4. Make sure that the script file is executable using the `chmod +x` command.

Procedure: Run a script

* Click the Run icon in the gutter or press `Ctrl+Shift+F10` (Windows), `⌃ ⇧ R` (macOS), `⌃ ⇧ F10` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌃ ⇧ R` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Shift+F10` (XWin), `Ctrl+Shift+F10` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Shift+F10` (KDE), `Ctrl+Shift+F10` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Shift+F10` (Sublime Text), `Ctrl+Shift+F10` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Alt+Shift+F6` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+F5` (Visual Studio), `⌃ ⌥ F5` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Shift+F10` (Eclipse), `⌃ ⇧ R` (Eclipse (macOS)).

![Run button in the editor gutter](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/shebang_run.png)

* [Create](shell-scripts.html#run-shell-scripts) a run/debug configuration. This can be useful if you want to pass parameters to your script, debug it, or run it as part of a [compound workflow](run-debug-multiple.html#compound-configs).

Procedure: Debug a script

1. [Create](shell-scripts.html#run-shell-scripts) a run/debug configuration for the script and [add a VM option to load the debug agent](attach-to-process.html#debug-agent).

2. [Attach to the process](attach-to-process.html) using the Remote JVM debug run/debug configuration.