Apply Java coding standard using Checkstyle

[stevecl5]

Checkstyle is a development tool to help programmers write Java code that adheres to a coding standard. It is available as a Maven plugin, allowing for automation of code style checking as part of the build process.

[stevecl5]

created a feature branch for this issue

[stevecl5]

The two main code styles supported by Checkstyle are Sun's Java Style and Google's Java Style. Both of these have off-the-shelf configuration files for easy integration into the Maven build process. These configurations can also be modified for our purposes if we want to modify or suppress certain checks.

I am using Sun's Java Style which is based on the official Java Coding Conventions as the starting point for a custom Checkstyle configuration. I found that Google's Style guide was overly restrictive and contained some unusual style choices (such as 2-space indentations).

[stevecl5]

Current modifications to sun_checks.xml:

• ignore package-info file requirement
• change max line length from 80 to 120
• change max parameter number from 7 to 10
• ignore javadoc requirement for private variables
• ignore hidden variables for constructors and setters
• replace FinalParameters module with ParameterAssignment
• add module RequireEmptyLineBeforeBlockTagGroup
• add module SuppressWithNearbyCommentFilter

[stevecl5]

Additional modifications:

• change max line length from 120 to 100
• remove DesignForExtension module
• check for missing Javadoc on class definition
• change severity of TODO comments to warning
• check for missing description text in Javadoc
• change severity of UnusedImports to warning
• allow package-private member variables

Note: Setting max line length to 100 allows for side-by-side code comparison and may improve viewing on small screens.