X
Tech

IntelliJ IDEA hits release 13

Java and Android IDE arrives with Java EE 7 support and improves from Android Studio collaboration.
Written by Chris Duckett, Contributor

Android and Java developers that continue to wrestle the oversized development environment known as Eclipse, stop the pain cycle and hop aboard the magical pony ride known as IntelliJ IDEA.

So maybe IntelliJ isn't that good, but after finding myself a couple of weekends ago once again trapped in the seventh circle of Eclipse's crash hell, I was particularly happy to return to the comparatively sane and bug free existence of this IDE.

IntelliJ IDEA 13 was released overnight, and this version of the development environment touts Java EE 7 support, an updated version of Spring, improved source control support, and a new Terminal tool.

The open source IntelliJ is used as the basis of Google's Android Studio product, and as a result this new version brings an updated code editor, XML editor, logcat window, UI designer, and the ability to display layouts on multiple device sizes simultaneously.

Other new features found in this release include universal search, presentation mode, and improved gradle support.

In the middle of a recent 24-hour hackathon that involved the creation of an Android app, I wrote the following about my experiences in attempting to use Eclipse for compatibility reasons: "Eclipse is the most shittiest thing ever created, please make it go away. Android Studio, despite being so-called "alpha" is a much better IDE."

Despite my lack of sleep and reduced decision-making capacity, I still feel that these words were spot on.

JetBrains, the company behind IntelliJ, is also developing an IntelliJ-based IDE for C and C++ development, but have yet to release any public builds on the new development environment.

IntelliJ IDEA 13 is available for download as a free, open source, community version or for purchase in an ultimate package that supports Java EE for prices that begin at AU$199 for individual developers, and AU$499 for a new commerical license.

Editorial standards