External files are not analyzed unless I open them in IntelliJ Flutter app

[MohiuddinM]

I have multiple internal dart packages, used in a flutter app. These packages are imported by path during development, so I can just edit the code in packages, and the changes are available in the flutter app immediately. But after updating to Flutter 3.32, I am facing the problem that, the analyzer keeps the the old version of external files cached, and I have to open the changed file in the IDE for the analyzer to refresh, and start working normally.

[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 3.32.0, on macOS 15.5 24F74 darwin-arm64, locale en-US) [1,223ms]
    • Upstream repository https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
    • Framework revision be698c48a6 (7 days ago), 2025-05-19 12:59:14 -0700
    • Engine revision 1881800949
    • Dart version 3.8.0
    • DevTools version 2.45.1

[johnniwinther]

cc @scheglov @jensjoha

[scheglov]

The analyzer (or more precisely DAS, Dart Analysis Server) always watched only for file changes in the open directories, and never watched external directories, in Pub cache, or elsewhere. So, I don't think this is a regression.

[MohiuddinM]

The analyzer (or more precisely DAS, Dart Analysis Server) always watched only for file changes in the open directories, and never watched external directories, in Pub cache, or elsewhere. So, I don't think this is a regression.

The problem is that, e.g., previously if I added a function to the code in the dart package, and then I came back to IntelliJ to use that function in the flutter app, the analyzer already knew about the function, and I could ctrl+click to see the function def. But right now it does not work, and to make it work, I have to open the file I changed in IntelliJ to get the analyzer to know the added function.

I am using the example of adding a function, but it's the same for any change; they do not get picked up unless I open them.

It is possible that previously the analyzer was running on open files, but also on the files imported into the open files (otherwise, it does not make sense).