Gradle Dependency Updater For Intellij

Overview

The Gradle Dependency Updater plugin helps you keep your Gradle dependencies up to date by:

• Automatically detecting outdated dependencies in build.gradle files
• Providing visual inline hints showing available updates
• Offering quick-fix intentions (Alt+Enter) to update dependencies to:
  • Latest patch version (e.g., 1.2.3 → 1.2.4)
  • Latest minor version (e.g., 1.2.3 → 1.3.0)
  • Latest major version (e.g., 1.2.3 → 2.0.0)
• Batch updating all dependencies with a single click
• Supporting both regular dependencies and Gradle variable references (e.g., $spring_version)
• Smart caching to minimize network requests
• Configurable version policies (stable only, include/exclude patterns)
• Support for Maven Central and private Nexus repositories

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Java 17 or higher
• IntelliJ IDEA 2025.2 or higher (or any JetBrains IDE based on IntelliJ Platform 2025.2+)
• Gradle 9.5.0 or higher

Building from Source

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/clementherve/intellij-java-dependencyupdater-plugin.git
   cd intellij-java-dependencyupdater-plugin

2. Build the plugin

   ./gradlew buildPlugin

   This creates a plugin distribution in build/distributions/.

Running in Development Mode

To test the plugin in a sandboxed IntelliJ IDEA instance:

./gradlew runIde

Installation

Option 1: Install from Build Artifact (Recommended)

1. Build the plugin

   ./gradlew buildPlugin

2. Locate the plugin file

   The plugin ZIP file will be in:

   build/distributions/intellij-java-dependencyupdater-plugin-0.0.1.zip
   

3. Install in IntelliJ IDEA

   • Open IntelliJ IDEA
   • Go to Settings/Preferences → Plugins
   • Click the gear icon (⚙️) → Install Plugin from Disk...
   • Select the ZIP file from build/distributions/
   • Click OK
   • Restart IntelliJ IDEA

Option 2: Run in Sandbox (Development Mode)

For quick testing without installing:

./gradlew runIde

This launches a separate IntelliJ IDEA instance with the plugin pre-installed.

Configuration

After installation, configure the plugin:

1. Go to Settings/Preferences → Tools → Dependency Updater
2. Configure:
   • Trigger Mode: When to check for updates (On project open, On file save, or Manual)
   • Cache TTL: How long to cache version information (default: 30 minutes)
   • Show inlay hints: Display inline version information
   • Version Policies: Rules for filtering versions (e.g., stable only, exclude patterns)
   • Nexus Repository: Optional custom repository URL, username, and password
   • Fallback to Maven Central: Whether to check Maven Central if Nexus fails

Development

Running in Debug Mode

To debug the plugin:

./gradlew runIde --debug-jvm

Then attach a remote debugger on port 5005.