Michael Kimberlin: Project Lombok is a powerful tool for the pragmatic developer. It provides a set of useful annotations for eliminating a tremendous amount of boilerplate code from your Java classes. In the best cases, a mere five characters can replace hundreds of lines of code. The result is Java classes that are clean, concise and easy to maintain. These benefits do come with a cost however. Using Project Lombok in an IntelliJ IDEA shop is simply not yet a viable option. There is a risk of breakage with IDE and JDK upgrades as well as controversy surrounding the goals and implementation of the project. What all this translates to is no different than what must be considered for any technology choice. There are always gains to be made and losses to be had. The question is simply whether or not Project Lombok can provide more value than cost for the project at hand. If nothing else, Project Lombok is sure to inject some new life into the discussion of language features that have withered on the vine thus far and that is a win from any perspective.
I first heard of Project Lombok on the Java Posse podcast, but did not follow up and play with it. It's time to experiment.
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