Download and Install IntelliJ IDEA: Create Your First Java Program in just 5 minutes and free yourself

By the end of this blog you should be able to Download and Install IntelliJ Idea

Have your been intimidated about writing your first ever Java program? That too in an awesome editor like IntelliJ idea? Relax, this blog will walk you through. Also, the IntelliJ price is $0.00. We will also explore Intellij plugins. The Intellij version we are looking at is 2025.3.

If you want to write Java programs, and you never tried an intelligent IDE. Then, you need to download and install the IntelliJ Community edition. This IDE is also very helpful if you want to write your Appium tests in Java. .

Download IntelliJ Community edition:

Hi there, so here we are trying to download and install IntelliJ idea community edition. Yep, there is an Ultimate edition which is paid, and has some cool features. If you are just starting off, you can use the community edition here

Note: IntelliJ unified edition contains the community edition. This is free. Please refer to FAQ on their website

Click on Download, and once the .exe is downloaded

Go to your Downloads folder, look for the icon and double click……

Wait.. we got a video for you

Installation of IntelliJ community Edition:

The installation can be done from the video provided here

After the download and installation of IntelliJ community edition on Windows 11.

Your first Java program on IntelliJ:

 Now, to create a new project, simply open IntelliJ and select New Project. Choose Java from the list. Then, watch as the program transforms your wishes into reality. It’s like a magic genie, but with fewer wishes and more code! Just follow the prompts, and voilà, your project is born!
As for why there’s no direct link to the community edition, think of it as that elusive unicorn. The answer is it is a part of the Intellij Idea Unified edition.

IntelliJ will flag syntax errors, and also allows for code completion. That is one of the reasons why it is such a good editor.

Let us see a simple Hello World program: File |New|Java class| name it as Hello (uppercase H)

public class Hello {
    public static void main() {
        System.out.println("Hello World");
    }
}

A main() without String[] args ?
You should see squiggles under the word main, and a amber/red mark on your right. Hover, on the mark and it will tell you the exact reason ex: ” Missing signature String[]….”

Fix the issue:

Put in String[] args in main

public class Hello {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello World");
    }
}

No red/amber marks on the right? Cool. We are ready to go

Run:

Tap on Shift + F10 button and look at the lower panel in IntelliJ Idea you should see

Hello world
Process finished with exit code 0

In case you are wondering why there is no maven project. We will get there, please read this blog

Meanwhile, open your command prompt and type the following:

mvn --version

No such command found

It means maven is not installed.
It could also be that JAVA_HOME needs to looked at.

Wait. Is Java installed in the first place? Java needs to be installed first and it’s path needs to be set before you install maven.

To set the JAVA_HOME in Windows 11
Go to control panel search for environment variables
Go to system variables and see if the path name to the jdk is set right.
The bin folder should be present under java-21
Ex:

C:\Users\gguru\java-21

Conclusion:

In conclusion, if you’re a budding Java programmer, IntelliJ IDEA is like that reliable friend who always has your back. However, it won’t eat your snacks or borrow your favorite hoodie. With its user-friendly interface, powerful features, and helpful suggestions, it makes coding a breeze (or at least less of a headache). So, why not give it a whirl? Embrace your inner coding ninja and watch your programming skills soar! And hey, if you want to keep up with all the latest tips and tricks, don’t forget to follow us on testpulse. We’re just a click away, and we promise to keep the memes coming!

What did you think about this tutorial? Please comment below.