Checkstyle is a configurable Java code quality tool that enforces coding standards and best practices to ensure consistent and maintainable code.
Checkstyle is a development tool to help programmers write Java code that adheres to a coding standard. By default it supports the Google Java Style Guide and Sun Code Conventions, but is highly configurable. It can be invoked with an ANT task and a command line program.
Checkstyle is primarily used by Java developers and development teams to automatically verify that their code adheres to defined coding standards such as the Google Java Style Guide or Sun Code Conventions. It integrates into build processes and CI pipelines to catch style violations early, improving code quality and maintainability.
Checkstyle requires a properly defined XML configuration file to specify which coding rules to enforce; users should tailor this configuration to their project's coding standards. It is best integrated into automated build and CI/CD pipelines to ensure continuous compliance. Familiarity with Java build tools like Maven or ANT enhances its usability.
Download the latest release JAR from the GitHub releases page
Alternatively, add Checkstyle as a dependency from Maven Central
Refer to the official documentation for usage and configuration detailsjava -jar checkstyle-10.18.1-all.jar -c config.xml Test.java
Runs Checkstyle on the specified Java file using the provided configuration XML, reporting any coding standard violations.