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IntelliJ Setup

To complete the CS 125 machine problems (MPs) you’ll write your Java code using the IDEA IntelliJ Integrated Development Environment (IDE) augmented with the Checkstyle-IDEA and CS 125 plugins. This guide will help you install and configure this important and powerful development tool.

Note that if have not installed Java you should do that first. Return here when you’re done.

1. IntelliJ

IntelliJ is a powerful and popular open-source integrated development environment (IDE). Many programmers utilize IDEs to simplify the process of writing, building, testing, and debugging both large and small applications.

If you have a laptop or desktop that you plan to use for CS 125, you should install IntelliJ on it. Follow the instructions below that are appropriate for your machine. But keep in mind that installing new software can be challenging, so don’t be discouraged if you get stuck. We’re here to help! Come to office hours or post on the forum in the IntelliJ category.

1.1. Version

For Fall 2018 we are using IntelliJ Community version 2018.2.2, which is the latest free version available as of August 2018. Please install this version of IntelliJ and continue using it throughout the semester. Minor upgrades are probably safe to install. If a major upgrade is released, the course staff will let you if it is safe to use.

1.2. Installation

IntelliJ maintains an excellent set of installation instructions. Please follow them carefully, and make sure that you don’t miss any instructions specific to whether you are running Windows, Mac, or Linux. You should not need to modify any of the default settings or plugins.

Note that the screencast above is for an older version of IntelliJ IDEA, but the process is the same for version 2018.2.2.

2. IntelliJ Plugins

Once you have installed IntelliJ, continue by installing two IntelliJ plugins:

The checkstyle IntelliJ plugin
Our official CS 125 IntelliJ plugin

2.1. `checkstyle` Plugin

We use checkstyle to help you learn how to write beautiful and maintainable code by forcing you to adhere to a coding standard. There are points on each MP for checkstyle, so you want to get the plugin installed so that you can check your style in IntelliJ.

Installing this plugin is straightforward:

Download the latest version from this page.
Open the IntelliJ preferences dialog and choose the Plugins option. On this page there is an option to install a plugin from disk. Choose the file that you downloaded in Step 1, Restart IntelliJ, and you are done.

Note that the screencast above is for an older version of the checkstyle plugin, but the the process is the same for newer versions. You should install the latest version of the checkstyle plugin.

2.2. CS 125 IntelliJ Plugin

Our official CS 125 IntelliJ plugin will both simplify your MP development process and help us ensure that you are making satisfactory progress on each assignment. You can read more about it here.

Installing our plugin is straightforward:

Download the current version here.
Then follow the same directions you followed above to install the checkstyle plugin:
Open the IntelliJ preferences dialog and choose the Plugins option. On this page there is an option to install a plugin from disk. Choose the file that you downloaded in Step 1, Restart IntelliJ, and you are done.