A linter is a tool used in software development to analyze source code for potential errors, stylistic issues, and adherence to coding standards. It essentially acts as a static code analyzer, examining the code without actually executing it. Linters help developers catch issues early in the development cycle, improving code quality and maintainability
Linters are useful tools for maintaining code quality and consistency in your Java applications. They analyze code for potential issues, enforce coding standards, and help catch errors before they are pushed into production. Linters are not necessarily a quick fix, can be a distraction, and it’s not inconceivable that they may not be helpful with old, large code bases.
This article picks some useful tools to help you fix Java code.
Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion here.
Click the links in the table below to learn more about each tool.
| Java Linter Tools | |
|---|---|
| SpotBugs | Find bugs in Java code |
| PMD | Extensible cross-language static code analyzer |
| Error Prone | Catch common Java mistakes |
| NullAway | Eliminate NPEs in Java code |
| Infer | Static analysis tool for Java, C++, Objective-C, and C |
| Checker Framework | Pluggable type-checking for Java |
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