How to Implement Lombok in IntelliJ for Java Projects: A Step-by-Step Guide

Lombok in IntelliJ for Java Projects

Implementing Lombok in your Java project can streamline your code by reducing boilerplate. Follow these steps to set up Lombok in IntelliJ:

Step 1: 

Ensure Java SDK Version. Ensure that your project is using Java 8 or higher. 

You can check and set the Java SDK version in pom.xml:

XML
<properties>
<maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
<maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
</properties>

Step 2: Add Lombok Dependency to pom.xmlOpen the pom.xml file in your project.
Add the following Lombok dependency inside the <dependencies> section:
XML
<dependency>
<groupId>org.projectlombok</groupId>
<artifactId>lombok</artifactId>
<version>1.18.24</version>
<scope>provided</scope>
</dependency>

Step 3: Download Lombok Plugin for IntelliJ IDEAGo to File > Settings (or press Ctrl+Alt+S).
Navigate to Plugins.
Search for Lombok and click Install.
Restart IntelliJ IDEA to activate the plugin.

Step 4: Enable Annotation Processing in IntelliJ IDEAGo to File > Settings (or press Ctrl+Alt+S).
Navigate to Build, Execution, Deployment > Compiler > Annotation Processors.
Check the box Enable annotation processing.

Step 5: Use Lombok Annotations in Your ClassesOpen a Java class where you want to use Lombok (e.g., Employee.java).
Replace boilerplate code with Lombok annotations. Common Lombok annotations include:@Getter and @Setter for getters and setters.
@ToString for the toString() method.
@EqualsAndHashCode for equals() and hashCode() methods.
@NoArgsConstructor, @AllArgsConstructor, and @RequiredArgsConstructor for constructors.
@Data for a combination of @Getter, @Setter, @ToString, @EqualsAndHashCode, and @RequiredArgsConstructor.

Example: Before Lombok
Java
public class Employee {
private Long id;
private String firstName;
private String lastName;
private String emailId;

// Getters and Setters
public Long getId() { return id; }
public void setId(Long id) { this.id = id; }
public String getFirstName() { return firstName; }
public void setFirstName(String firstName) { this.firstName = firstName; }
public String getLastName() { return lastName; }
public void setLastName(String lastName) { this.lastName = lastName; }
public String getEmailId() { return emailId; }
public void setEmailId(String emailId) { this.emailId = emailId; }
}

Example: After Lombok
Java
import lombok.Data;

@Data
public class Employee {
private Long id;
private String firstName;
private String lastName;
private String emailId;
}

Step 6: Rebuild the ProjectGo to Build > Rebuild Project to ensure that Lombok annotations are processed correctly.

Step 7: Verify Lombok ImplementationEnsure that the project compiles without errors.
Verify that the generated methods (getters, setters, etc.) are available in your classes.

By following these steps, you can efficiently implement Lombok in your Java project, making your code cleaner and more maintainable.