Roadmap?

[Yuriy Chulovskyy]

Is there roadmap for checkstyle?
Roadmap is not about deadline but about features people can expect in future.
Or explanation why something will never be in Checkstyle project.
It may contain:
1. List of features that mature enough in sevntu.checkstyle and will be copied to checkstyle
2. List of new checks that will be supported for Java 8 code
3. Plans for migration to new Antlr version and java 8 grammar https://github.com/antlr/grammars-v4/blob/master/java8/Java8.g4 (if any, or explanation why it will not be done)
4. Ideas about project improvements and their progress (e.g. idea to have info about class instead of analyzing class as a text, etc.)

Maybe such page exists somewhere and I just don't about it?
Is possible to add such page to http://checkstyle.sourceforge.net/ ?

[Roman Ivanov]

Hi Yuri,

thanks for interesting in our project.

> Is there roadmap for checkstyle?

No officially, it is very simple - just bug fixing, and no new Checks for stabilization period. There is no nominated issues to fix, as we do not have fully dedicated developers so any occasional help/fix is welcome.

Release is happening when I have few hours to do it, and smth is ready to release.

Next release will happen after we resolve https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/issues/505 , work is in progress ... .

> 1. List of features that mature enough in sevntu.checkstyle and will be copied to checkstyle

all Checks from that project are tested against sources of company where I work full time. I planed to start transferring as soon we finish stabilization of Checkstyle, as I told all no new Checks till most of issues are resolved in old Checks, that rule is for me and for all other contributors.

New Checks that were part of GSoC was exception and we tried to test them well before introducing to all.

> 2. List of new checks that will be supported for Java 8 code

we implemented few during summer just to prove that java8 support works.

We have few ideas in our issue tracker , one day we will implement them - it is new Check :), so they are postponed for a bit. 

>  Plans for migration to new Antlr version and java 8 grammar

:) it will be revolution, grammar needto be rewritten completely. We plan to do it, but believe me it is a project for few months with complete 8h per day dedication. We plan to do that in next summer, as right now we have a 2 contributors that know ANTLR 2 and 4 .

Grammar from ANTLR site is incomplete and cannot be used without change, but aware of it, and we will try to do smth base on it. 

But again, changes in grammar --> changes in AST structure --> changes in all Checks --> complete revolution :). 

> Ideas about project improvements and their progress

> Maybe such page exists somewhere and I just don't about it?

We non public list of dreams about Checkstyle future :), they are dreams as we do not have that much stable contributors. And we need to fix old problems before start extending project with new functionality. But there are some infrastructure tasks to help keep project quality in share with minimal efforts from us that we will push forward for sure. 

> Is possible to add such page to http://checkstyle.sourceforge.net/ ?

I do not think it is good idea, they could mislead team and other contributors from main focus, I could share it with you only.

thanks,

Roman Ivanov

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[Yuriy Chulovskyy]

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there" - Lewis Carroll
IMHO, projects die slowly without roadmaps.
Contributors may leave the project because they don't see the goal (bug fixing is not a goal).
Developers may not use checkstyle if there is not developed.

Many other projects were inspired by Checkstyle.
Now we can take it back - looks into other projects and implement it in Checkstyle.
E.g. CodeNark is like CheckStyle for Groovy http://codenarc.sourceforge.net/
It has 300+ rules http://codenarc.sourceforge.net/codenarc-rule-index.html
Most of them generic and can be applied for Java.

We can go through list of CodeNark rules and compare them to CheckStyle rules https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-Up1atZ1tz-ntK1Qvnw_oySu-d8JIM1lz5Wbatuqpyc/edit?usp=sharing
Create list of features that is nice to have and add them to Github issues.

Regards,
Yuriy

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/l/lewis_carroll.html#c8upITLoORfuBAVh.99

[Roman Ivanov]

Hi Yuri,

:) looks like your are very serious about extending and contributing to Checkstyle.

And I have plan :), I just do not share it as it uncertain to some point and will be in such state till end of February. Contributors that are working right now know that plan.

To avoid me writing you a lot of text and explain all that in my head - please  

give me call in skype. I sent you my skype in private mail.

thanks,

Roman Ivanov

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