Set up your Java development environment

This tutorial requires the following tools and understanding:

• A stable internet connection for downloading Java, Maven, and IntelliJ IDEA.
• Basic familiarity with using the terminal or command line.
• A Twilio account which has a free tier available.
• Twilio Account SID, and an API key SID and secret, from the Twilio Console.
• A Twilio phone number. This comes as part of your Twilio account.
• Familiarity with the Twilio virtual phone for testing if you don't want to use your personal phone number.
• Java SDK
• Maven
• IntelliJ IDEA

These are the steps to create a new Java project with IntelliJ IDEA:

1. Open IntelliJ IDEA.
2. Click New Project or File > New > Project with IntelliJ already open.
3. In the project creation wizard:
   • Select New Project from the left sidebar.
   • Choose your Project SDK: Select the Java version you installed. This will show Java 21.
   • Click Next.
4. Select Create from archetype.
5. Check Create from archetype.
6. Select maven-archetype-quickstart from the list.
7. Click Next to move to New Project screen with fields for GroupId, ArtifactId, and Version.
8. Click Advanced Settings arrow to expand additional options.
9. Add your project information:
   • Type com.example into the GroupId box.
   • Type twilio-java-example into the ArtifactId box.
   • Don't change the value in the Version box.
10. IntelliJ populates the Project name field on ArtifactId value.
11. Choose where to save your project and set it in the Project location box.
12. Click Next.
13. Click Finish.

IntelliJ creates the correct directory structure and opens the project. Your application's source code goes in the src/main/java directory.

Your applications interact with Twilio in two ways:

• Call the Twilio API from your code—Send SMS messages, make phone calls, or use other Twilio services.
• Have Twilio call your application using a webhook—Respond to incoming messages, calls, or other events.

To interact with Twilio services, add the Twilio Java helper library to your project through adding a dependency to your build configuration.

1. In IntelliJ, open the pom.xml file in your project root.

2. Find the <dependencies> section.

3. Add this dependency inside the <dependencies> tags:

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   <dependency>
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     <groupId>com.twilio.sdk</groupId>
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     <artifactId>twilio</artifactId>
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     <version>10.5.1</version>
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   </dependency>

4. After adding the dependency, IntelliJ displays notification about Maven changes.

5. Click Import Changes or Load Maven Changes when prompted.

To create your first Twilio Java application, follow these steps:

1. Create a Java file called TwilioExample.java in your src/main/java directory:

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   import com.twilio.Twilio;
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   import com.twilio.rest.api.v2010.account.Call;
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   import com.twilio.type.PhoneNumber;
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   import java.net.URI;
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   public class TwilioExample {
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       // Replace with your actual credentials (consider using environment variables)
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       public static final String ACCOUNT_SID = "your_account_sid_here";
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       public static final String API_KEY = "your_api_key_here";
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       public static final String API_SECRET = "your_api_secret_here";
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       public static void main(String[] args) {
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           // Initialize Twilio
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           Twilio.init(API_KEY, API_SECRET, ACCOUNT_SID);
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           Call call = Call.creator(new com.twilio.type.PhoneNumber("+18005550100"),
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                   new com.twilio.type.PhoneNumber("+18005550199"),
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                   URI.create("http://demo.twilio.com/docs/voice.xml"))
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               .create();
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       }
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   }

2. Replace your_account_sid_here with your Account SID, and your_api_key_here and your_api_secret_here with an API key SID and secret from the Twilio Console. For production applications, use environment variables or configuration files to store credentials instead of hardcoding them.

   (error)

   Don't include credentials in production apps

   This quickstart hardcodes your credentials for faster setup. To keep credentials secret and control access when you deploy to production, use environment variables and API keys.

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   // Using environment variables (recommended for production)
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   public static final String ACCOUNT_SID = System.getenv("TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID");
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   public static final String API_KEY = System.getenv("TWILIO_API_KEY");
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   public static final String API_SECRET = System.getenv("TWILIO_API_SECRET");
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   // Initialize Twilio with an API key and secret
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   Twilio.init(API_KEY, API_SECRET, ACCOUNT_SID);

   To set environment variables:

   On Windows (Command Prompt):

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   set TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=your_account_sid_here
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   set TWILIO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
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   set TWILIO_API_SECRET=your_api_secret_here

   On Windows (PowerShell):

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   $env:TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID="your_account_sid_here"
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   $env:TWILIO_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"
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   $env:TWILIO_API_SECRET="your_api_secret_here"

   On macOS/Linux:

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   export TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=your_account_sid_here
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   export TWILIO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
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   export TWILIO_API_SECRET=your_api_secret_here

3. To set the receiving, or To, phone number, replace the first phoneNumber in the call method.

4. To set the sending, or From, phone number, replace the second phoneNumber in the call method. This should be your Twilio phone number that you got as a part of the prerequisites.

These steps are how to run your Java application in IntelliJ:

1. Right-click on TwilioExample.java in IntelliJ.
2. Select Run 'TwilioExample.main()'.
3. Check the console output for the call SID confirmation.
4. Verify that the receiving phone number got the call.

You're ready to build out your Java application. Learn more with the following resources:

• Programmable Voice quickstart
• WhatsApp Business Platform with Twilio quickstart
• Receive and Reply to Incoming Messages—Java