4 Setting up a Clojure environment

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This is a guide for setting up a Clojure environment if you’re new to the language. If you already have a Clojure environment running on your machine, you can skip this part!

4.1 Install Clojure and its dependencies

The official Clojure website maintains the latest instructions for installing Clojure and its dependencies on your system. The most up-to-date instructions for your operating system will be found there.

4.2 Install an editor/IDE for working with Clojure

Clojure works well with a variety of editors and Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). Some popular choices include:

Visual Studio Code + Calva: The most beginner-friendly and lightweight option for a fully-functional, customizable Clojure development environment. If you don’t have an editor or environment set up already that you prefer, Visual Studio Code and Calva offer the lowest-friction path to getting started with Clojure.
Emacs + CIDER: Emacs + CIDER is the most common IDE setup amongst Clojure developers, but it also has the steepest learning curve. One does not just use Emacs. Learning how to be effective with it is a journey, but it’s worth it. If you’re a vim-user but don’t want to feel left out in the community, you might be interested in Spacemacs.
IntelliJ IDEA + Cursive: IntelliJ is one of the most common editors amongst Java developers, and with the Cursive IDE it makes for an excellent Clojure development experience. You might prefer this if you like a batteries-included IDE experience but hate VSCode and/or like paying for things. (I’m being slightly facetious – there is a free, somewhat feature-depleted, version of IntelliJ available (called the “community edition”) and Cursive is free for non-commercial use.)

Choose an editor or IDE that suits your preferences and install the necessary plugins or extensions for Clojure development.k