The Java Dev Environment That Just Works

Setting up a Java project shouldn’t take hours, involve outdated wikis, or require tribal knowledge.

This setup gives you a development environment that works the moment you clone the repo — no guesswork, no manual installs, no surprises.

# What We Want

• Same Java and Maven versions
• Same environment variables
• Same commands

Clone → setup → start coding

# The Big Picture

# Install the Basics

=== "macOS" bash brew install direnv go-task

=== "Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)" bash sudo apt update sudo apt install direnv sh -c "$(curl --location https://taskfile.dev/install.sh)" -- -d

Install SDKMAN:

curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash
source "$HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"

# Tools

# Environment Variables with dotenv

We separate config from code:

• .env.shared → team-wide config
• .env → local secrets

DATABASE_PASSWORD=supersecret
STRIPE_API_KEY=pk_test_123
MICRONAUT_ENVIRONMENTS=dev

# Lock Java & Maven Versions SDKMAN

It ensures that every developer is using the exact same version of Maven and the JDK, which is the core of your Java work.

java=21.0.2-open
maven=3.9.6

sdk env install
sdk env

# Automatic Environment Loading direnv

It watches your terminal. As soon as you cd into your project, it executes the .envrc file. This loads the devenv shell and any environment variables into your current terminal session.

dotenv .env.shared
 
if [ -f .env ]; then
  dotenv
fi
 
if has sdk; then
  sdk env
fi

# Standard Commands with task

Instead of typing complex commands you just type task <cmd>.

version: '3'
 
tasks:
  setup:
    desc: Install dependencies and initialize environment
    cmds:
      - sdk env install
      - direnv allow
 
  clean:
    desc: Clean build artifacts
    cmds:
      - ./mvnw clean

Run commands like:

task clean

# Lefthook and EditorConfig

These prevent "pollution" of the codebase.

• EditorConfig tells IntelliJ or VS Code syntax.
• Lefthook acts as a final gate.

# Key Files

# Why This Works

This setup removes friction:

• No manual setup
• No version mismatches
• No hidden configuration

You spend time building, not debugging your environment.