# Available Checks

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Checkstyle provides many checks that you can apply to your sourcecode. Below is an alphabetical reference, the site navigation menu provides a reference organized by functionality.

AbstractClassName | Ensures that the names of abstract classes conforming to some regular expression.
AnonInnerLength | Checks for long anonymous inner classes.
ArrayTrailingComma | Checks if array initialization contains optional trailing comma.
ArrayTypeStyle | Checks the style of array type definitions.
AvoidInlineConditionals | Detects inline conditionals.
AvoidNestedBlocks | Finds nested blocks.
AvoidStarImport | Check that finds import statements that use the * notation.
BooleanExpressionComplexity | Restricts nested boolean operators (&&, || and ^) to a specified depth (default = 3).
ClassDataAbstractionCoupling | This metric measures the number of instantiations of other classes within the given class.
ClassFanOutComplexity | The number of other classes a given class relies on.
ConstantName | Checks that constant names conform to a format specified by the format property.
CovariantEquals | Checks that if a class defines a covariant method equals, then it defines method equals(java.lang.Object).
CyclomaticComplexity | Checks cyclomatic complexity against a specified limit.
DeclarationOrder | Checks that the parts of a class or interface declaration appear in the order suggested by the Code Conventions for the Java Programming Language.
DefaultComesLast | Check that the `default` is after all the `case`s in a `switch` statement.
DescendantToken | Checks for restricted tokens beneath other tokens.
DesignForExtension | Checks that classes are designed for inheritance.
DoubleCheckedLocking | Detect the double-checked locking idiom, a technique that tries to avoid synchronization overhead but is incorrect because of subtle artifacts of the java memory model.
EmptyBlock | Checks for empty blocks.
EmptyForInitializerPad | Checks the padding of an empty for initializer; that is whether a space is required at an empty for initializer, or such spaces are forbidden.
EmptyForIteratorPad | Checks the padding of an empty for iterator; that is whether a space is required at an empty for iterator, or such spaces are forbidden.
EmptyStatement | Detects empty statements (standalone ';').
EntityBean | Checks that an EntityBean implementation satisfies EntityBean requirements.
EqualsHashCode | Checks that classes that override equals() also override hashCode().
ExecutableStatementCount | Restricts the number of executable statements to a specified limit (default = 30).
ExplicitInitialization | Checks if any class or object member explicitly initialized to default for its type value (`null` for object references, zero for numeric types and `char` and `false` for `boolean`.
FallThrough | Checks for fall through in switch statements Finds locations where a case contains Java code - but lacks a break, return, throw or continue statement.
FileLength | Checks for long source files.
FinalClass | Checks that class which has only private ctors is declared as final.
FinalLocalVariable | Ensures that local variables that never get their values changed, must be declared final.
FinalParameters | Check that method/constructor/catch/foreach parameters are final.
FinalStatic | Checks that all static fields are declared final.
GenericIllegalRegexp | A generic check for code problems, the user can search for any pattern.
Header | Checks the header of the source against a fixed header file.
HiddenField | Checks that a local variable or a parameter does not shadow a field that is defined in the same class.
HideUtilityClassConstructor | Make sure that utility classes (classes that contain only static methods) do not have a public constructor.
IllegalCatch | Catching java.lang.Exception, java.lang.Error or java.lang.RuntimeException is almost never acceptable.
IllegalImport | Checks for imports from a set of illegal packages.
IllegalInstantiation | Checks for illegal instantiations where a factory method is preferred.
IllegalThrows | Throwing java.lang.Error or java.lang.RuntimeException is almost never acceptable.
IllegalToken | Checks for illegal tokens.
IllegalTokenText | Checks for illegal token text.
IllegalType | Checks that particular class are never used as types in variable declarations, return values or parameters.
ImportControl | Check that controls what packages can be imported in each package.
ImportOrder | Class to check the ordering/grouping of imports.
Indentation | Checks correct indentation of Java Code.
InnerAssignment | Checks for assignments in subexpressions, such as in `String s = Integer.toString(i = 2);`.
InterfaceIsType | Implements Bloch, Effective Java, Item 17 - Use Interfaces only to define types.
JUnitTestCase | Ensures that the setUp(), tearDown()methods are named correctly, have no arguments, return void and are either public or protected.
JavaNCSS | This check calculates the Non Commenting Source Statements (NCSS) metric for java source files and methods.
JavadocMethod | Checks the Javadoc of a method or constructor.
JavadocStyle | Custom Checkstyle Check to validate Javadoc.
JavadocType | Checks the Javadoc of a type.
JavadocVariable | Checks that a variable has Javadoc comment.
LeftCurly | Checks the placement of left curly braces on types, methods and other blocks:
LineLength | Checks for long lines.
LocalFinalVariableName | Checks that local final variable names conform to a format specified by the format property.
LocalHomeInterface | Checks the local home interface requirements:

- every method must not throw the `java.rmi.RemoteException`

Reference: Enterprise JavaBeansTM Specification,Version 2.0, section 9.6.2.
LocalInterface | Checks the methods of a local interface.
LocalVariableName | Checks that local, non-final variable names conform to a format specified by the format property.
MagicNumber | Checks for magic numbers.
MemberName | Checks that instance variable names conform to a format specified by the format property.
MessageBean | Checks that a MessageBean implementation satisfies MessageBean requirements.
MethodLength | Checks for long methods.
MethodName | Checks that method names conform to a format specified by the format property.
MethodParamPad | Checks the padding between the identifier of a method definition, constructor definition, method call, or constructor invocation; and the left parenthesis of the parameter list.
MissingCtor | Checks that classes (except abstract one) define a ctor and don't rely on the default one.
MissingSwitchDefault | Checks that switch statement has "default" clause.
ModifiedControlVariable | Check for ensuring that for loop control variables are not modified inside the for block.
ModifierOrder | Checks that the order of modifiers conforms to the suggestions in the Java Language specification, sections 8.1.1, 8.3.1 and 8.4.3.
MultipleStringLiterals | Checks for multiple occurrences of the same string literal within a single file.
MultipleVariableDeclarations | Checks that each variable declaration is in its own statement and on its own line.
MutableException | Ensures that exceptions (defined as any class name conforming to some regular expression) are immutable.
NPathComplexity | Checks the npath complexity against a specified limt (default = 200).
NeedBraces | Checks for braces around code blocks.
NestedIfDepth | Restricts nested if-else blocks to a specified depth (default = 1).
NestedTryDepth | Restricts nested try-catch-finally blocks to a specified depth (default = 1).
NewlineAtEndOfFile | Checks that there is a newline at the end of each file.
NoWhitespaceAfter | Checks that there is no whitespace after a token.
NoWhitespaceBefore | Checks that there is no whitespace before a token.
OperatorWrap | Checks line wrapping for operators.
PackageDeclaration | Ensures there is a package declaration.
PackageHtml | Checks that all packages have a package documentation.
PackageName | Checks that package names conform to a format specified by the format property.
ParameterAssignment | Disallow assignment of parameters.
ParameterName | Checks that parameter names conform to a format specified by the format property.
ParameterNumber | Checks the number of parameters that a method or constructor has.
ParenPad | Checks the padding of parentheses; that is whether a space is required after a left parenthesis and before a right parenthesis, or such spaces are forbidden, with the exception that it does not check for padding of the right parenthesis at an empty for iterator.
RedundantImport | Checks for imports that are redundant.
RedundantModifier | Checks for redundant modifiers in interface and annotation definitions.
RedundantThrows | Checks for redundant exceptions declared in throws clause such as duplicates, unchecked exceptions or subclasses of another declared exception.
Regexp | A check that makes sure that a specified pattern exists (or not) in the file.
RegexpHeader | Checks the header of the source against a header file that contains a
RemoteHomeInterface | Checks the methods of a remote home interface.
RemoteInterface | Checks the methods of a remote interface.
RequireThis | Checks that code doesn't rely on the "this" default.
RequiredRegexp | A check that makes sure that a specified pattern exists in the code.
ReturnCount | Restricts return statements to a specified count (default = 2).
RightCurly | Checks the placement of right curly braces.
SessionBean | Checks that a SessionBean implementation satisfies SessionBean requirements.
SimplifyBooleanExpression | Checks for overly complicated boolean expressions.
SimplifyBooleanReturn | Checks for overly complicated boolean return statements.
StaticVariableName | Checks that static, non-final variable names conform to a format specified by the format property.
StrictDuplicateCode | Performs a line-by-line comparison of all code lines and reports duplicate code if a sequence of lines differs only in indentation.
StringLiteralEquality | Checks that string literals are not used with `==` or `!=`.
SuperClone | Checks that an overriding clone() method invokes super.clone().
SuperFinalize | Checks that an overriding finalize() method invokes super.finalize().
TabCharacter | Reports tab characters ('\t') in the source code.
ThisParameter | Checks that 'this' is not a parameter of any method calls or constructors for a bean.
ThisReturn | Checks that 'this' is not returned by a bean method.
ThrowsCount | Restricts throws statements to a specified count (default = 1).
TodoComment | A check for TODO comments.
TrailingComment | The check to ensure that requires that comments be the only thing on a line.
Translation | The TranslationCheck class helps to ensure the correct translation of code by checking property files for consistency regarding their keys.
TypeName | Checks that type names conform to a format specified by the format property.
TypecastParenPad | Checks the padding of parentheses for typecasts.
UncommentedMain | Detects uncommented main methods.
UnnecessaryParentheses | Checks if unnecessary parentheses are used in a statement or expression.
UnusedImports | Checks for unused import statements.
UpperEll | Checks that long constants are defined with an upper ell.
VisibilityModifier | Checks visibility of class members.
WhitespaceAfter | Checks that a token is followed by whitespace, with the exception that it does not check for whitespace after the semicolon of an empty for iterator.
WhitespaceAround | Checks that a token is surrounded by whitespace.
WriteTag | Outputs a JavaDoc tag as information.

Copyright © 2001-2005, Oliver Burn