Lombok added but getters and setters not recognized in Intellij IDEA

java

intellij-idea

lombok

annotation-processing

byAlex Kataev·Nov 19, 2024

For Lombok's getters and setters to be recognized in IntelliJ, make sure the Lombok plugin is installed and active. Attach @Getter and @Setter annotations to your class, then rebuild the project (Build -> Rebuild Project). If issues persist, try to clear caches (File -> Invalidate Caches / Restart).

// Here's Johnny...oops, I meant Lombok!
import lombok.Getter;
import lombok.Setter;

@Getter @Setter
public class User {
  private String name;  // Name, name, baby!
  private int age;  // 42, the answer to life the universe and everything.
}

After rebuilding, IntelliJ should recognize the accessor methods automatically generated by Lombok.

Plug and play: Installing the Lombok plugin

Before going any further, let's ensure the plugin for Lombok is installed:

Open Settings (Ctrl + Alt + S).
Navigate to Plugins.
Search for "Lombok" in the plugins area.
Click Install and then Restart IntelliJ IDEA.

Smooth operator: Checking compatibility and proper installation

Double-check the versions of your IntelliJ IDEA and the Lombok plugin for compatibility. If IntelliJ was recently updated, you might need to reinstall the plugin, especially if you encounter an "access exceeds rights" error even when @Getter and @Setter are used correctly.

The key turns: Activating annotation processing

Ensure annotation processing is switched on:

Open Settings (Ctrl + Alt + S again, enjoy the ride!).
Journey further to Build, Execution, Deployment > Compiler > Annotation Processors.
Tick the checkbox for "Enable annotation processing".

Don't forget: after changing anything here, a restart of IntelliJ is required to feel the changes.

Breaking down barriers: Common roadblocks and solutions

Recognition issues with syntax and annotation

If syntax highlighting behaves weirdly or IntelliJ isn't recognizing Lombok-specific annotations, the first thing to do is to validate the plugin's presence in IntelliJ.
Revise the annotations (@Getter, @Setter) in your code to ensure they are imported correctly.

Countering anomalies post-IntelliJ Upgrade

If IntelliJ was recently updated, some features may behave differently. It won't hurt to check the release notes for potential Lombok-related compatibility issues.
Reinstall the plugin if any reason causes you to believe that the upgrade altered its functionality.

Operating system considerations

For those working on Ubuntu or other Linux distributions, please ensure you have the right environment configurations e.g., having the correct JAVA_HOME path.

Verifying plugin installation

Validate plugin installation via Settings -> Plugins.
If you believe there is a conflicting plugin, temporarily disabling others for testing might be beneficial.