Java is a programming language that is used by many developers today. Lombok is a library that can make Java development a lot easier. In this article, we will explain what Lombok is and also look at a Java Lombok example. We’ll then go into the advantages of using Lombok and how to install it. Last, but not least, we’ll look at several common Lombok annotations.

What is Lombok?

Lombok is a Java library that reduces some of the common overhead associated with writing Java code. It provides special annotations (discussed below) that eliminate boilerplate code. Without Lombok, developers need to write a lot of redundant code like getters and setters, constructors, equals and hashcode, and toString methods. This can be time consuming and tedious. With Lombok, this code can be generated automatically. This allows developers to save a great deal of time and makes their code more concise and readable.

In addition to reducing the amount of code needed to be written, Lombok also helps to reduce the amount of errors that can occur due to typos or incorrect syntax. By using Lombok, developers can be sure that their code is correct and that it will compile without any issues. This helps to ensure that the code is of a high quality and that it will run as expected.

Lombok Annotations

Lombok provides several annotations that allow developers to easily generate the code for getters and setters, constructors, equals and hashcode, toString and more. Some of the most commonly used Lombok annotations are:

• @Data – generates all of these methods
• @Builder – generates a builder for the class
• @Getter and @Setter – generates getters and setters for fields
• @EqualsAndHashCode – generates an equals() and hashCode() method
• @ToString – generates a toString() method

In addition to the annotations listed above, Lombok also provides several other annotations that can be used to generate code. These include @NoArgsConstructor, @AllArgsConstructor, @Value, @NonNull, @Cleanup, and @SneakyThrows. Each of these annotations can be used to generate code that would otherwise have to be written manually.

Advantages of Using Lombok

Using Lombok has a number of advantages. First, it allows developers to write less code and save time. By eliminating the need to write boilerplate code, developers can focus on the more important aspects of their applications. Second, it increases code readability. Since Java classes can contain hundreds of lines of code, extra lines for getters and setters, etc. can make everything much harder to read. With Lombok, all of this can be generated automatically.

Third, Lombok can help to reduce the number of errors in code. By automatically generating code, developers can avoid typos and other mistakes that can lead to errors. Finally, Lombok can help to improve the maintainability of code. By reducing the amount of code that needs to be written, developers can more easily make changes and updates to their applications.

How to Install Lombok

Now that we have seen the advantages of using Lombok, let’s look at how to install it. Fortunately, this is very easy to do if you are using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) such as IntelliJ or Eclipse. To install Lombok in IntelliJ, simply go to the File | Settings | Plugins menu and search for “Lombok”. Then, select the “Install” button and restart IntelliJ. To install Lombok in Eclipse, first download the latest version of Lombok from the official website. Then double-click on the jar file to begin installation.

Once the installation is complete, you will need to enable annotation processing in your IDE. In IntelliJ, this can be done by going to the File | Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | Compiler | Annotation Processors menu and checking the “Enable annotation processing” box. In Eclipse, you can enable annotation processing by going to the Window | Preferences | Java | Compiler | Annotation Processing menu and checking the “Enable annotation processing” box. Once you have enabled annotation processing, you are ready to start using Lombok in your projects.

Basic Lombok Example

Now that we have seen how to install Lombok, let’s look at a basic example of how it works. Suppose we have a simple Java class that defines a Person object:

public class Person { 	private String name; 	private int age; 	public void setName(String name) { 		this.name = name; 	} 	public String getName() { 		return name; 	} 	public void setAge(int age) { 		this.age = age; 	} 	public int getAge() { 		return age; 	} }

As you can see, this class has two fields (name and age) as well as four methods (two getters, two setters). With Lombok, we can get rid of all of these methods and replace them with one annotation: @Data.

@Data public class Person { 	private String name; 	private int age; }

This one line of code automatically generates all four methods for us! We no longer need to explicitly write them ourselves.

Using Lombok can help to reduce the amount of code that needs to be written, making it easier to maintain and debug. It also helps to keep code more organized and readable, as all of the getters and setters are generated in one place.

Using @Data Annotation

The @Data annotation is one of the more commonly used Lombok annotations. It is used to generate getter and setter methods as well as an equals() method, hashCode() method and toString() method. All these methods are generated automatically by Lombok so you don’t have to write them yourself. You can also specify which methods you would like generated explicitly by using the @Data annotation’s parameters.

The @Data annotation is a great way to reduce the amount of code you have to write, as it automatically generates the methods for you. It also helps to keep your code clean and organized, as all the methods are generated in one place. Additionally, it helps to ensure that all the methods are consistent and up to date, as they are generated automatically.

Using @Builder Annotation

The @Builder annotation is another useful Lombok annotation. This annotation generates a builder class for your class. This can be useful when you need to create an object with many different fields. Instead of having to write a long constructor with many parameters, you can use the builder class that is generated for you by Lombok.

Using @Getter and @Setter Annotations

The @Getter and @Setter annotations are two more important Lombok annotations. Each one of these annotations generates either the getter or setter methods for the specified fields. This is useful when you want to keep your class simple but still need accessor methods for certain fields.

Using @EqualsAndHashCode Annotation

The @EqualsAndHashCode annotation is another useful Lombok annotation. As its name implies, it generates an equals() method and a hashCode() method for your class based on the specified fields. These methods are necessary when you want to compare two objects in Java.

Using @ToString Annotation

The @ToString annotation is used to generate a toString() method in your class based on the specified fields. This can be useful when you need to print out an object’s information in readable format.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed what Lombok is as well as a basic Java Lombok example. We also looked at several commonly used Lombok annotations such as @Data, @Builder, @Getter and @Setter, @EqualsAndHashCode, and @ToString. Using these annotations can save you a great deal of time and make your code more concise and readable.