Editor Improvements: Smooth Caret Animation and New Selection Behavior | The JetBrains Platform Blog

The recent update to the IntelliJ Platform's editor focuses on enhancing user experience by introducing smoother caret animations and new selection behavior. The editor now highlights only the selected text, avoiding the inclusion of blank spaces at the end of lines, which clarifies the selection process for users. Additionally, the introduction of smooth caret movement, a long-requested feature, aims to make navigation more intuitive and visually pleasing without compromising on typing responsiveness. To address different user preferences, the update offers two modes for caret movement: Snappy, which provides quick yet smooth transitions, and Gliding, for more visible motion. These changes are part of ongoing efforts to modernize the IDE with a cleaner aesthetic and increased functionality, aligning with the Islands UI theme. Available in the early access builds of JetBrains IDEs, these features are open to user feedback for further refinement.