Boost Java Productivity: 10 Must‑Have IntelliJ Plugins

1. POJO to JSON

During development, after designing an API, tools like GsonFormat can generate Java POJOs from JSON, saving time. When you need to convert existing POJOs back to JSON, manually writing tests or using a main method with libraries such as fastjson can be cumbersome. The POJO to JSON plugin simplifies this: right‑click the class name and select MakeJson to generate the corresponding JSON, supporting nested objects.

2. Cool Request

Cool Request

is an IDEA‑based HTTP debugging tool, a lightweight alternative to Postman. It scans the project for all API paths defined in Controller classes with @RequestMapping or other mapping annotations, grouping them by module. Clicking the icon next to a method opens a side panel where you can test the endpoint just like in Postman, import/export CURL commands, set environments, and export APIs to Apifox.

3. CamelCase

CamelCase

is a naming‑style conversion plugin useful during code‑style inspections. For example, a static variable named aaaBaa can be transformed into uppercase‑underscore format, or switched among kebab-case, SNAKE_CASE, PascalCase, camelCase, snake_case, and spaced styles.

public static final String aaaBaa = "aaaBaa";

mac shortcut: ⇧+⌥+U, Windows shortcut: Shift+Alt+U.

4. any‑rule

any‑rule

is a comprehensive regular‑expression dictionary library covering a wide range of patterns. Right‑click and select AnyRule to search, validate, and view examples of the regex.

5. Grep Console

Grep Console

lets you customize console output colors based on log levels, making it easy to distinguish messages.

@Test
public void logTest() {
    log.info("公众号：程序员小富");
    log.error("公众号：程序员小富");
    log.warn("公众号：程序员小富");
    log.debug("公众号：程序员小富");
    log.trace("公众号：程序员小富");
}

6. GenerateO2O

The GenerateO2O plugin automates conversion code between PO (persistent objects) and DTOs, eliminating the need to manually write Converter methods.

7. Smart Input

Smart Input

automatically switches the input method based on the editing context—Chinese when writing comments, English when coding—so you no longer need to toggle manually.

8. Squaretest

Squaretest generates mock unit tests automatically, which is especially valuable when test coverage is a KPI. If unavailable, TestMe can be used as an alternative.

9. TONGYI Lingma

TONGYI Lingma, an AI coding plugin from Alibaba, offers a free alternative to GPT and Copilot. It can generate code from natural‑language descriptions, provide context‑aware completions, and create unit tests for frameworks such as JUnit, Mockito, Spring Test, and pytest—similar to Squaretest—and includes a Q&A feature.

10. Auto Filling Java Call Arguments

This plugin automatically fills method call arguments when a called method has many parameters, eliminating repetitive copy‑paste work.

Summary

Thanks to the developers of these plugins for providing tools that dramatically improve programming efficiency; continued innovation will make coding even more enjoyable and productive.