Boost Java Development: Master Lombok for Elegant Get/Set and Code Generation

Lombok is a Java library that uses annotations to automatically generate boilerplate code such as getters, setters, constructors, and more during compilation, helping developers write cleaner and more maintainable code.

How to Use Lombok

1. Install the IDEA Lombok plugin.

2. Add the Lombok dependency to your pom.xml (latest version 1.16.18).

3. Apply simple annotations like @Getter, @Setter, or @Data to generate the corresponding methods.

4. For more complex scenarios, additional annotations can be combined (see screenshots).

Common Lombok Annotations

Typical annotations include @NonNull, @Override, @Data, @SneakyThrows, @Synchronized, and @Cleanup.

Q&A

Q: How does Lombok work?

A: After installing the plugin, the IDE recognizes the generated methods, and during compilation Lombok inserts the bytecode for getters, setters, and other methods into the class files.

Domain‑Driven Design Models

The article explains four DDD models:

Loss model : only fields and getters/setters; business logic resides in services (POJO/Bean).

Anemia model : contains some business logic but none that depends on persistence.

Rich model : includes all business logic, even persistence‑related logic (UI → Service → Domain ↔ Persistence).

Bloated model : mixes unrelated concerns such as authorization and transactions into the domain model, which is a poor design.

Example: a User class should have both attributes and behavior, representing a rich model. Lombok annotations keep the code concise while supporting such designs.

Code Generation with Lombok

When dealing with many database tables, combine Lombok with reverse‑engineering tools like MyBatis or use FreeMarker templates to generate Beans, Services, Controllers, etc.

Below is a simple FreeMarker template for generating a Bean (illustrated in the image).

Open‑source projects such as MyBatis‑Plus also provide code generators that can be customized.

Conclusion

By using Lombok, developers can eliminate repetitive getter/setter code, achieve a cleaner codebase, and focus on business logic, especially when combined with code‑generation techniques for large projects.