Automated Testing, Analysis, Performance and Monitoring Solutions 

AppPerfect Code Analyzer > FAQs

1. What is the basic functionality of the AP CA?
2. What types of files can AP CA analyze?
3. I am having problems setting my classpath correctly. What could be the problem?
4. What JDK version syntax does AP CA support?
5. How can I integrate AP CA into my daily build process?
6. Are AP CA rules configurable
7. Can I create custom rules?
8. Why can't all rule violations be Auto-Fixed?
9. I disagree with one of your rules. What should I do?
10. Can the user-defined rules have the Auto-fix facility?
11. What are the differences between AP Pro vs. AP Std as far as the Code Analyzer is concerned?
12. I'm getting an error again and again. I've tried everything, but I'm stuck. What should I do?

What is the basic functionality of the AP CA?

AP CA takes as input your .java and .jsp source code files, parses them, applies numerous industry standard coding best practices and reports any violations it finds. It also helps you automatically fix many of the rules. You can use AP CA interactively via the UI or as a batch process in a non-UI mode.

What types of files can AP CA analyze?

AP CA analyzes Java and JSP source code files.

I am having problems setting my classpath correctly. What could be the problem?

A few tips on setting the classpath correctly:
1. Make sure all jar files are correctly included in your project
2. Make sure you click on the "Verify Classpath" button to ensure proper setting
3. Make sure there are no conflicting classes (perhaps from multiple versions of same product)

What JDK version syntax does AP CA support?

AP CA supports JDK 1.3.1 and higher. It understands JDK 1.5 syntax such as new keywords and language changes.

How can I integrate AP CA into my daily build process?

You can integrate AP CA into your daily build process in following way:
If you use ANT, then simply export the AP CA project as an ANT script by clicking on Tools -> Export as ANT project... Take the resulting script and add it to your master script or integrate it into your process by calling out to it

Are AP CA rules configurable?

Yes, AP CA rules are configurable in numerous ways. First, you can specify which rules you wish to apply to your code. Second, you can change the rule severity and category as desired. Third, certain rules depend on user-defined values to trigger a violation. For example, for complexity metrics, user can specify the calling depth beyond which a violation is triggered. Lastly, you can ignore a specific violation or all violations of a rule. To summarize, you can configure the AP CA rules in numerous ways.

Can I create custom rules?

Yes, you can create your own custom rules. Please refer to AP CA documentation on how this is done.

Why can't all rule violations be Auto-Fixed?

The Auto-Fix feature depends on being able to deterministically find a solution to the violation. Often that is not possible. While we have implemented Auto-Fix for all deterministic cases, many rules cannot be Auto-Fix'ed.

I disagree with one of your rules. What should I do?

The rules we implemented are generally accepted by Java experts/documentation as being good practice. However, these are only guidelines. Most times there are not "errors", else the Java compiler would complain. Your situation may require you write the code exactly as it is currently written, immaterial of the violation being reported. In other cases, certain rules may apply only to certain versions of the JDK. Depending on your version of the JDK, it may not apply to your code. Also, in some cases, certain rules only apply to certain application objectives (startup time, response time, memory usage, etc.). In all such cases, we suggest you ignore the violations or the entire rule.

Can the user-defined rules have the Auto-fix facility?

Yes, user defined rules could be auto-fixable as well. For that the user has to write auto-fix code for the rule in the same manner as he would create custom rule to detect violations.

What are the differences between AP Pro vs. AP Std as far as the Code Analyzer is concerned?

Please visit AppPerfect to view the table of differences between the two versions.

I'm getting an error again and again. I've tried everything, but I'm stuck. What should I do?

• Close the currently opened project if it is open. Stop and close the application if it is running.
• Go to Tools ->Options-> Log Settings. Make sure the settings selected for all the products is: Debug (not Fatal).
• Open the project. Perform the operations that are giving you the error. The moment you get the error, stop all operations and send us the following files:
  1. All files present in <DevTest_Home>\logs folder.
  2. Project file i.e. *.adt file of that project.
  3. Build number of the application. (Help->About AppPerfect...)