Lombok library explained

Lombok is a popular Java library that simplifies the development process by reducing the amount of boilerplate code you need to write. It does this by automatically generating common Java code constructs, such as getters, setters, constructors, and more, using annotations. Lombok’s primary goal is to increase code readability and reduce code verbosity without sacrificing maintainability.

Here’s a detailed explanation of some of the key features provided by Lombok:

Getters and Setters : Lombok allows you to generate getters and setters for class fields without explicitly writing them. You can use the @Getter and @Setter annotations on class fields to instruct Lombok to generate the corresponding methods. For example:

import lombok.Getter;
import lombok.Setter;

public class Person {
    @Getter @Setter
    private String name;
}

With this code, Lombok automatically generates getName() and setName() methods for the name field.

Constructors : Lombok simplifies the creation of constructors using annotations like @NoArgsConstructor, @AllArgsConstructor, and @RequiredArgsConstructor. For instance:

import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;

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

Here, Lombok generates a no-args constructor (Person()) and an all-args constructor (Person(String name, int age)).

Equals and HashCode : The @EqualsAndHashCode annotation generates equals() and hashCode() methods for your class, based on the fields you specify. It simplifies the process of creating these methods accurately and consistently.

import lombok.EqualsAndHashCode;

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

ToString : Lombok’s @ToString annotation generates a toString() method for your class, providing a readable string representation of the object's state. You can customize the generated toString() method by specifying which fields to include.

import lombok.ToString;

@ToString(of = { "name", "age" })
public class Person {
    private String name;
    private int age;
}

Data : The @Data annotation is a combination of @Getter, @Setter, @EqualsAndHashCode, and @ToString. It generates all these methods, making it a convenient choice for simple data objects.

import lombok.Data;

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

Builder : Lombok’s @Builder annotation generates a builder pattern for your class, simplifying the construction of complex objects with a fluent API.

import lombok.Builder;

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

This allows you to create instances of Person like this:

Person person = Person.builder()
    .name("John")
    .age(30)
    .build();

Lombok greatly reduces the amount of boilerplate code in your Java classes, leading to cleaner and more maintainable code. However, it’s essential to note that Lombok operates at the source code level, and the generated code isn’t visible in your IDE’s code editor. This can sometimes make it challenging for developers who are not familiar with Lombok to understand how the code works. Additionally, Lombok requires you to add it as a dependency to your project to use its features effectively.

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