Setting Up IntelliJ IDEA

This article describes how to configure your IntelliJ IDEA workspace for plugin development with SpongeAPI and a build system such as Maven or Gradle or the Minecraft Development plugin.

Gradle

Creating Your Project

• Open IntelliJ IDEA.
• Click Create New Project.
• Select Gradle in the popup.
• If you want, select any additional libraries and frameworks you desire, for example Kotlin.
• Make sure your Project SDK is set to some version of Java 8/1.8.
• Click Next to move on.
• Enter your Group ID, Artifact ID, and Version.
  • Your Group ID should usually correspond to your Java package name. See Main Plugin Class for details.
  • Your Artifact ID should usually correspond to your plugin ID you chose earlier, e.g. myplugin.
  • Your Version is up to you.
• Click Next twice, name your project, and click Finish.

Editing the Build Script

• Open build.gradle in the navigator and add the dependencies.
• Edit the build script according to the instructions at Setting Up Gradle.
• Open the Gradle tab on the right of the IntelliJ window and hit the refresh button.
• Gradle setup is done! Now you can start coding your plugin.

Importing Your Project

If you’ve already started with your project and want to import it again at a later point you need to import it instead of re-creating it inside your IDE:

• Click File > Open or Import Project.
• Navigate to the project’s build.gradle file and select it.
• Make sure the settings are as you desire and click Ok.

Maven

Creating Your Project

• Open IntelliJ IDEA.
• Click Create New Project.
• Select Maven in the popup.
• Make sure your Project SDK is set to some version of Java 8/1.8.
• Click Next to move on.
• Enter your Group ID, Artifact ID, and Version.
  • Your Group ID should usually correspond to your Java package name. See Main Plugin Class for details.
  • Your Artifact ID should usually correspond to your plugin ID you chose earlier, e.g. myplugin.
  • Your Version is up to you.
• Click Next.
• Enter your project’s name, and click Finish.

Editing the Project Configuration

• Open pom.xml in the navigator.
• Edit the build configuration according to the instructions at Setting Up Maven.
• Refresh your Maven project.
• Import the Maven changes, if prompted.

Importing Your Project

If you’ve already started with your project and want to import it again at a later point you need to import it instead of re-creating it inside your IDE:

• Click File > Open or Import Project.
• Navigate to the project’s pom.xml file and select it.
• Make sure the settings are as you desire and click Ok.

Minecraft Dev Plugin

The Minecraft Development plugin for IntelliJ is a great plugin by a community member which makes plugin project creation much easier while also providing some neat and useful features for development.

Creating Your Project

• Open IntelliJ IDEA.
• Click Create New Project.
• Select Minecraft in the popup.
• Make sure your Project SDK is set to some version of Java 8/1.8.
• Select Sponge plugin for your project type, then click Next.
• Enter your Group ID, Artifact ID, and Version.
  • Your Group ID should usually correspond to your Java package name. See Main Plugin Class for details.
  • Your Artifact ID should usually correspond to your plugin ID you chose earlier, e.g. myplugin.
  • Your Version is up to you.
• Select your desired build tool, either Gradle or Maven, and click Next.
• Check your Plugin Name and Main Class Name to make sure they are what you want.
• Specify your desired plugin description, authors, website, and dependencies if you want.
• Click Next to move on.
• Verify your project name, location, and module information, then click Finish.

Editing the Project Configuration

Refer to the Gradle or Maven configuration sections, depending on what you chose during project creation.

Git Integration

JetBrains offers in-depth documentation on using their Git integration:

https://www.jetbrains.com/help/idea/using-git-integration.html