IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ IDEA is the premier IDE for Java and Kotlin. v2025.1 introduces Java 24 support, K2 Mode (Beta/Stable), and a unified AI Assistant.

When to Use

• Java/Kotlin: Unbeatable refactoring and static analysis.
• Spring Boot: Deep understanding of Spring beans and endpoints.
• Large Monorepos: Indexing is smarter and incremental.

Core Concepts

Indexing

IntelliJ builds a massive index of your code. This enables "Find Usages" to be instant and 100% accurate.

Intentions (Alt+Enter)

The magic key. Fixes warnings, optimizes imports, converts Java to Kotlin.

Run Configurations

Powerful system to launch apps, tests, and docker containers.

Best Practices (2025)

Do:

• Enable K2 Mode: If using Kotlin, the new frontend compiler is much faster.
• Use "Search Everywhere": Double-shift (Shift-Shift) finds files, classes, actions, and settings.
• Share Run Configs: Check .run/ configurations into Git so the team shares launch setups.

Don't:

• Don't disable indexing: Let it finish. The IDE is dumb without it.

References

• IntelliJ IDEA Documentation