Microsoft's Java team has recently announced the addition of new support for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) in their IntelliJ toolkit, as part of the Java on Azure Tooling package. This update aims to improve the usability of the platform for Java developers working on creating, developing, configuring, testing, and deploying scalable Java web applications on Azure.
Azure Toolkits for Java are an open-source project aimed at offering assistance to Java developers working on Azure. The project provides support for Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA integrated development environments (IDEs) and caters to developers on all supported platforms.
According to Jialuo Gan, Azure Kubernetes Service simplifies the deployment of a managed Kubernetes cluster in Azure by offloading the operational overhead to Azure. Developers have been requesting better AKS integration, including viewing pod logs, managing clusters, and handling workloads. To cater to these demands, the latest release includes AKS cluster support in the Azure Toolkit for IntelliJ, allowing developers to manage Azure Kubernetes Service directly in Azure Explorer.
The newly added Azure VM support provides developers with the ability to directly run or debug applications on an Azure VM within IntelliJ IDEA. This eliminates the complexity of launching an Azure VM within the JetBrains IDE and connecting to it. Furthermore, the team has added an Azure VM item to the Run On targets list of run/debug configurations in IntelliJ IDEA.
Jialuo Gan noted, Azure VMs is one of several types of on-demand, scalable computing resources that Azure offers. Developers who want to build cloud applications or create environments for development and testing will find running or debugging applications in Azure Virtual Machines convenient and necessary.
Additionally, the development team has made it easier to search Azure account subscriptions, which can be particularly helpful for developers in teams or organizations that have numerous Azure subscriptions. To accomplish this, they have added more entries to the settings menu in Azure Explorer, making it simpler for developers to locate official documents and blogs.
IntelliJ IDEA has gained significant attention recently, with a focus on improving user experience. In June, the team announced an update to Java on Azure tooling that included a new application-centric view for the Azure Toolkit for IntelliJ. Last month, they introduced a new getting started experience for the IDE.
This comes as Microsoft is vigorously promoting Java for Azure development, stating, We use more Java than one can imagine. As more businesses embrace low-code and no-code platforms like AppMaster.io, the integration of Azure Kubernetes Service and Azure VM support in Microsoft's Azure Toolkits for Java ensures a more user-friendly experience for developers working with Azure.
