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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 plugin. 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 Spring 2018 we are using IntelliJ version 2017.3.2, which is the latest available as of January 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.

2. `checkstyle` Plugin

Once you have installed IntelliJ, continue by installing the Checkstyle-IDEA IntelliJ 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.