On 03/06/2012 16:58, Glenn Adams wrote: Hi Glenn,
I've completed updating XGC to use the same checkstyle-5.5 configuration that is currently being used with FOP (trunk). Because a number of XGC files do not follow these style conventions, and would produce hundreds of warnings were they to be imposed, I have in these cases selectively disabled specific rules by inserting CSOFF declarations into the files. I believe that is a better approach than making wide scale code changes to significantly alter the originally authored conventions.
FYI: Vincent is on holiday this week. I expect he will have some feedback on this topic. In the meantime I will provide my thoughts on this. I personally don't like the use of CSON and CSOFF declarations and prefer to fix the code where the number of reported issues is not too high or remove the rule from the checkstyle configuration with a TODO comment to revisit it later for those rules where the number of breakages is too high to consider manually changing the code right now.
For moving forward, i.e., adding new files, we should endeavor to follow the rules when acceptable. However, as a reminder, the goal of using checkstyle is to improve coding consistency when there is general agreement to use some convention. Nevertheless, there remain some style rules for which there is not general agreement. In those cases, I would expect the default (currently specified) rule to apply unless a particular developer wishes to diverge from the default, in which case I have no problem with using CSOFF/CSOK declarations as desired. Personally, I do not agree with a number of the whitespace related (and other) style conventions that are presently encoded in the default rules; as a consequence, I will likely make use of CSOFF declarations in files that I author in order to disable certain rules. I view this use of checkstyle and style rule enforcement as a recommended, but optional process that we developers agree to follow when we can do so and when we agree. I am opposed to any view that would consider these rules to be mandatory or absolute. We represent a community of diverse interests, experiences, and preferences. Imposing a single set of rules in an absolute manner would, IMO, be detrimental to creating a healthy, dynamic community whose opinions do not always coincide. That being said, I think we should also respect the styles used by specific authors; i.e., for cases where there is not unanimous consent to use a specific style rule, we should not change the styles used in a specific file simply because we don't like it.
I agree that it is difficult to reach consensus in a diverse community. The rules that go into the final checkstyle file should be only those style aspects which have been agreed upon at the time. I know from previous discussions that whilst we disagreed on some topics we did reach agreement on others. Those which have been agreed should go into the the checkstyle file, whilst those which we did not reach consensus on should be removed.
For my part, I will henceforth run checkstyle and fix any reported warnings before committing to XGC. I hope that other developers will do this as well.
I agree that once everyone has signed up to the agreed set of checkstyle rules that everyone should adhere to this policy.
Thanks, Chris
Regards, Glenn
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