code review tool

[nikki lawson]

Hi i would like to know if any good open source code review tool for java applications is available which provides effective analysis and good documentation.I need it urgently.
Thanks in advance.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Nikki,
Welcome to JavaRanch!

You are looking for what is called a "static analysis tool." PMD and FindBugs are good ones for Java.

[nikki lawson]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.PMD is something we have been already using.I was looking for a more better and efficient tool.I will look for find bugs.can you tell me how is it performance wise?
Also i would like to know if there are any flowchart convertor tools like from visio to excel.
Thanks.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

I like PMD better than FindBugs because it is more flexible. I haven't had any performance problems with either. When you say you are looking for a "better and efficient tool", can you elaborate on what problems you have had with PMD? This will help people avoid recommending something with the same issues.

See your flowchart thread for answers on that. Mixing questions just makes things hard to follow.

[Ulf Dittmer]

Checkstyle is another good one. I find myself using FindBugs the most, but PMD and Checkstyle are easier to extend with your own rules.

[nikki lawson]

I tried installinf FindBugs with eclipse.I used the following steps:
-I went to software updates option of eclipse ide where i installed the FindBugs plugin.

-Now i can see an option run FindBugs to check my code.However I dont see aything happening.No editor or window where i can see the problems.It doenot even highlight those parts of code which have problems like the way the PMD does.

Can you please tell me how FindBugs works and what is the correct way of using it?

Thanks.

[nikki lawson]

Findbugs is not highlighting any bugs in eclipse IDE,neither it is checking any errors in the code.I have installed plugin and I can see the Find Bugs option in my project properties but when i click on it nothing seems to happen and i completely confused.

Please Please Please help me.