IntelliJ IDEA comes bundled with the GWT Support plugin that provides native support for developing Web applications based on the Google Web Toolkit (GWT).

IntelliJ IDEA GWT support, that extends to the version 2.4, includes the following features:

  • GWT-aware advanced coding assistance, including:
    • Smart DOM-based, browser-aware code completion.

      No steps are required from your side to enable code completion. IntelliJ IDEA does it for you by adding the relevant GWT DOCTYPE to the .xml descriptor of a new module automatically.

    • Error and syntax highlighting.
    • Support for native GWT methods.
    • Code formatting and folding.
  • Resolving and completion for the new expression in GWT JavaScript methods:

    newExpression

  • GWT-aware rename, move, and safe delete refactorings.
  • GWT-aware code inspections and quick-fixes.
  • Navigation to implementation, ⌥⌘B, ⌥⌘Button1 Click, ⌥⌘B or ⌥⌘Button1 Click⌥⌘B, ⌥⌘Button1 Click, ⌥⌘B or ⌥⌘Button1 Click^ ⌥ B, ^ ⌥ Button1 Click, ⌃⌥B, ⌃⌥Button1 Click, ⌃⌥B or ⌃⌥Button1 Click.
  • navigate to declaration action and completion for references from Java code to HTML and CSS.
  • Intention Actions that let create various application elements.
  • Code blocks, live templates, and file templates.
  • Integration with GWT compiler.
  • GWT-ready internationalization (i18n).
  • Resolving and completion for properties in @Key annotation.
  • Automatic creation of GWT components: modules, entry points, remote services and serializable classes.
  • Support of GWT specific run configurations for running and debugging GWT applications directly from IntelliJ IDEA.
  • Basic Vaadin support, implemented by the Vaadin Support plugin that comes bundled with IntelliJ IDEA.

To familiarize yourself with GWT in IntelliJ IDEA, have IntelliJ IDEA generate a sample GWT application to help you explore the GWT application structure.

To develop an application using gwt, perform the following general steps