How to Install and Use the Apache Dubbo in Spring Framework Plugin for IntelliJ IDEA

Plugin Overview

The Apache Dubbo in Spring Framework plugin for IntelliJ IDEA (version 2023.2 or newer) automates the creation of Dubbo‑based Spring Boot applications. It adds a project template that generates a Maven/Gradle project with dubbo-spring-boot-starter and lets you pick specific Dubbo and Spring Boot versions as well as optional Dubbo components.

Installation

Two installation methods are supported:

Browser install – Open the official plugin page at https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/20938-apache-dubbo-in-spring-framework and click the “Install to IntelliJ IDEA 2023.2” button.

IDE install – In IntelliJ IDEA choose Preferences → Plugins, search for “Apache Dubbo”, and click Install.

Creating a Dubbo Project

After the plugin is installed, start a new project via File → New → Project. In the left‑hand template list select Apache Dubbo and click Next.

Provide the following basic information:

Project name and location

GroupId / ArtifactId (Maven coordinates)

JDK version (compatible with the selected Spring Boot version)

On the next screen choose the desired versions and components:

Select a Spring Boot version (e.g., 3.2.x) and a matching Dubbo version (e.g., 3.2.x).

Optionally add Dubbo extensions such as dubbo-configcenter, dubbo-registry-nacos, or any business‑specific modules.

The wizard will generate a standard Spring Boot project structure with pom.xml (or build.gradle.kts) that includes the dependency:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.dubbo</groupId>
    <artifactId>dubbo-spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
    <version>${dubbo.version}</version>
</dependency>

After clicking “Create”, IntelliJ opens the generated project, ready for you to add service interfaces, implementations, and configuration files.

Additional Resources

For quick online project scaffolding you can also use the Dubbo starter at https://start.dubbo.apache.org/.

Official plugin page: https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/20938-apache-dubbo-in-spring-framework