sdkman.md

📚 Managing Multiple Java Versions on macOS Using SDKMAN!

As you may often work with multiple projects or modules that require different versions of Java, it's essential to switch Java versions seamlessly. This guide shows you how to use SDKMAN! to install, manage, and switch between multiple Java versions on macOS.

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Why SDKMAN?

• 🧩 Easily install and manage Java and other JVM-based tools (e.g., Scala, Groovy).
• 🛠️ Automatically manages environment variables like $JAVA_HOME and $PATH.
• 🧪 Provides a CLI for listing, installing, switching, and removing SDKs.

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Install SDKMAN

1. Open your terminal and run:

   curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash

2. Follow on-screen instructions.

3. Then activate it:

   source "$HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"

4. Verify installation:

   sdk version

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Install Different Java Versions

List available Java versions:

sdk list java

Install Java 12:

sdk install java 12.0.1.j9-adpt

Install Java 8:

sdk install java 8.0.222.j9-adpt

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Switch Between Java Versions

Temporarily switch for current session:

sdk use java 8.0.222.j9-adpt

Set a global default:

sdk default java 12.0.1.j9-adpt

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IntelliJ IDEA Integration

To use a specific Java version per module in IntelliJ:

• Go to File → Project Structure.
• Assign a different SDK per module or project.

SDKMAN installs Java under:

~/.sdkman/candidates/java/<version>

To make it more accessible:

ln -s ~/.sdkman ~/sdkman

Then you can access it at ~/sdkman/....

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Other Useful Commands

• Uninstall a version:

  sdk uninstall java 8.0.222.j9-adpt

• View all commands:

  sdk help

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Summary

With SDKMAN, managing multiple Java versions becomes simple, clean, and developer-friendly. No more manually editing environment variables or hunting for JDK downloads — SDKMAN has your back.

🧪 Perfect for teams or developers working across different Java-based projects.