12 Must‑Have IntelliJ IDEA Plugins to Supercharge Java Development

Most programmers can write code, but the speed varies; this guide shows twelve IntelliJ IDEA plugins that help you write more code in the same time.

1. Lombok

The newer IDEA versions bundle Lombok, which can generate boilerplate such as getters, setters, constructors, equals, hashCode, and toString.

Original JavaBean example:

public class User {
    private Long id;
    private String name;
    private Integer age;
    private String address;
    // getters, setters, constructors, equals, hashCode, toString omitted
}

With Lombok the class reduces to:

@ToString
@EqualsAndHashCode
@NoArgsConstructor
@AllArgsConstructor
@Getter
@Setter
public class User {
    private Long id;
    private String name;
    private Integer age;
    private String address;
}

This cuts down repetitive code dramatically.

2. Free MyBatis Plugin

MyBatis is a popular ORM framework in China. The plugin adds navigation arrows between mapper interfaces and XML files, allowing quick jumps to corresponding statements.

3. Translation

The Translation plugin lets you translate selected English documentation directly within IDEA, supporting multiple translation services.

4. Alibaba Java Coding Guidelines

This plugin checks Java code against Alibaba’s coding standards, highlighting violations with three severity levels: Blocker, Critical, and Major.

5. GenerateAllSetter

Generates all setter methods with default values in one step via Alt+Enter.

6. SequenceDiagram

Creates UML sequence diagrams for selected methods directly from code.

7. CheckStyle‑IDEA

Integrates CheckStyle into IDEA, supporting Google and Sun style guides; a single click scans the project and jumps to violations.

8. JRebel and XRebel

JRebel enables hot‑deployment of Java code without restarting the server; XRebel provides runtime performance monitoring. Both are activated via toolbar buttons.

9. Codota

Offers AI‑driven code completions and suggestions, speeding up coding.

10. GsonFormat

Converts JSON strings to Java POJOs and vice‑versa with a simple Alt+S shortcut.

11. Rainbow Brackets

Colors matching brackets in different hues, making nested code easier to read.

12. CodeGlance

Shows a miniature map of the file on the right side, allowing rapid navigation through large classes.