24 replies to this topic

[flanker]

Step 1:
  Create home directory for checkstyle, for example: "C:\Checkstyle"
  Download and place into it "checkstyle-all-3.4.jar" (or latest version) and "sun_checks.xml"
see google

Step 2:
  -Create New User Tool named "checkstyle"
  - Select 'DOS Command'
  - Enter "java -jar checkstyle-all-3.4.jar -c sun_checks.xml -r $[FilePath]"
  - Set home directory of checkstyle as "Initial Directory"
  - "Capture Output" and "Save all documents first" are good options.

Ready!
Current selected file will be checked on click.
If "Capture Output" is selected, output of checkstyle will be
shown in "General Output" view and lines are linked with Editor (great!)
At last, create customized icon for this user tool (if you work with mouse)

[MajinZ]

I've heard of Checkstyle before, but I've never used it... Is it a handy tool?

[flanker]

I've heard of Checkstyle before, but I've never used it... Is it a handy tool?

"Overview

Checkstyle is a development tool to help programmers write Java code that adheres to a coding standard. It automates the process of checking Java code to spare humans of this boring (but important) task. This makes it ideal for projects that want to enforce a coding standard.

Checkstyle is highly configurable and can be made to support almost any coding standard. An example configuration file is supplied supporting the Sun Code Conventions. As well, other sample configuration files are supplied for other well known conventions. "

Source:
http://checkstyle.sourceforge.net/



google is your friend :)

[MajinZ]

The first thing I did was to check Google... So I have already read that text :-)

I'd rather hear your opinion about Checksyle... That means a lot more than just some text describing what it does :-)

[flanker]

I think, checkstyle is easy for teamwork, for example I can't read code like this:

CODE

if (blabla)
{
   doThis();
}
else
{
   doThat();
}

I think, if everyboby in team generates code in some format, the project works better.  

[MajinZ]

Aaah ok, I see :-)

So it's not really a thing for me, untill now I have always worked alone :-)

[Sahisoft]

I think, checkstyle is easy for teamwork, for example I can't read code like this:

CODE

if (blabla)
{
   doThis();
}
else
{
   doThat();
}

I think, if everyboby in team generates code in some format, the project works better.

This sounds potentially useful. Would you recommend it for a single programmer (not on a development team) as well?

[flanker]

This sounds potentially useful. Would you recommend it for a single programmer (not on a development team) as well?

Yes, I think also for a single programmers may be that tool useful.
For example, it warns, if you write like this:

CODE

public class Foo {

   public int id;

   public int getId() {
       return this.id;
   }
}

[MajinZ]

Well, off course it can be very usefull for someone who is really interested in it... But I would never use it if I'm the only one working on the project :-)

[Nano]

I am going to try that :P

[Naomi]

Very good if you have a tight lecturer who takes marks off for poor code presentation and layout.

[MajinZ]

Very good if you have a tight lecturer who takes marks off for poor code presentation and layout.

Yeah well, it's not very hard to learn how to code in a proper way... In the beginning you just have to get used to it :-)

[Maephisto]

Yeah well, it's not very hard to learn how to code in a proper way... In the beginning you just have to get used to it :-)

i completely agree...

it could be an interesting tool to write code... i'll try it!

[juan]

After playing around a little with Checkstyle I found it very useful, once you take out the rules you don´t want to follow. For instance I believe most of us use tabs for indenting. I use 4-column tabs in JCreator. To switch this checking off, comment out the line <module name="TabCharacter"/> in the file sun_checks.xml.
The problem now is that it reports many lines as having more than 80 chars, for it counts each tab as 8 columns instead of 4. Anyone knows how to have Checkstyle count each tab as 4 columns?

[flanker]

After playing around a little with Checkstyle I found it very useful, once you take out the rules you don´t want to follow. For instance I believe most of us use tabs for indenting. I use 4-column tabs in JCreator. To switch this checking off, comment out the line <module name="TabCharacter"/> in the file sun_checks.xml.
The problem now is that it reports many lines as having more than 80 chars, for it counts each tab as 8 columns instead of 4. Anyone knows how to have Checkstyle count each tab as 4 columns?

module "TreeWalker" have a property named "tabWidth"
You can set value of that property to  "4":

CODE

<module name="TreeWalker">
 <property name="tabWidth" value="4"/>
</module>

I use spaces for indenting.
And I'v heard Jakarta team also :)

[klb]

Thanks for the tip. I too think this is useful. I wish it would actually apply the formatting rules to the source code.

[diox]

Hi, guys!

I've tried to find out the "sun_checks.xml" file but...I'm getting troubles to find..

Somebody could put a link to this file to download it?...

I've been looking through Sun official site but...nothing...

I proud any link...

Thanks!

Step 1:
  Create home directory for checkstyle, for example: "C:\Checkstyle"
  Download and place into it "checkstyle-all-3.4.jar" (or latest version) and "sun_checks.xml"
see google

Step 2:
  -Create New User Tool named "checkstyle"
  - Select 'DOS Command'
  - Enter "java -jar checkstyle-all-3.4.jar -c sun_checks.xml -r $[FilePath]"
  - Set home directory of checkstyle as "Initial Directory"
  - "Capture Output" and "Save all documents first" are good options.

Ready!
Current selected file will be checked on click.
If "Capture Output" is selected, output of checkstyle will be
shown in "General Output" view and lines are linked with Editor (great!)
At last, create customized icon for this user tool (if you work with mouse)

[flanker]

http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/*che.../sun_checks.xml

[diox]

Thanks a lot of!
=:-)

http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/*che.../sun_checks.xml

[shadi]

I have tried check style and i don't think it is that helpfull.
I think if i manage my style while wrting the code, that would be easier than looking at all those messages i got from the style checker.

Anyways this was my idea, others might find it much helpfull.