Java Projects - Second Edition

Static code analysis

Static code-analysis tools read the code just like the compiler and analyze it, but instead of compilation, they try to find errors or mistakes in it. Not the syntax errors. For that, we already have the Java compiler. Mistakes, such as using a loop variable outside of a loop, which may be absolutely valid but is usually bad style and, often, such usage comes from a simple mistake. They also check that the code follows the styling rules we set.

Static code analyzers help identify many small and obvious errors in the code. Sometimes, they are annoying, warning about something that may not really be a problem. In such a case, it is better to code the program a bit differently, and not because we want the static code analysis ...