Webstorm: can't see some specific file unless "show excluded file" is activated

Please check Settings | Directories - do you have this file name listed in Exclude files: ?

Thanks for your answer Elena, I've already checked. The file I'm seeing only if "show excluded file" is ticked is app.js, unfortunately it does not appear on the list of Excluded files. Actually no file at all appear here, only directories.

For the record I'm running webstorm on mac os x if that can be of any help.

Excluded files field is normally shown in the bottom of Preferences | Directories page, beneath the folders tree. What IDE version do you use? Did you try re-sizing the dialog?

More things to check: what libraries do you have enabled in Preferences | Languages & Frameworks | JavaScript | Libraries? what icon is your app.js shown with in the Project tool window?

I've just tried to resize the window but I can't see anything beneath the folder tree (see first attached picture)

IDE version is 2017.1 (max os x is 10.13.3)

You'll find the content of Preferences | Languages & Frameworks | JavaScript | Libraries is the second attached picture (don't really understand how it's related but here it is).

You'll find the look of app.js's icon in the third attached picture.

>IDE version is 2017.1

That's the reason for missing Excluded files field - this feature is not available in 2017.1

>don't really understand how it's related but here it is

Some tools (like file watchers) create a Generated files library - generated files included in it are usually auto-excluded. thta's why I asked for library settings. But you don't have this library, as far as i can see

So, still no clues - icon looks as it should (i.e. file is not re-assigned to different file type), file is not marked as generated... weird. Is the issue specific to the project? i.e. will the file be included if you copy it to a different project? also, did you try invalidating caches?

I took the opportunity to update to 2018.1.4, but that did not fix the issue. I can't find any trace of app.js in the new Settings / Directories / Excluded files panel.

The issue is specific to the project : if, from webstorm, I open a subfolder (of the one being the root of my current project) containing app.js, app.js will appear in my project panel whatever the state of `show excluded file` is.

Ah, I was testing your solutions while writing my answer, and your last idea of invalidating the caches worked, thanks :)