Contributing to FindBugs

If you have a bug fix or feature enhancement you would like to contribute, we would be happy to consider it for inclusion.

Import FindBugs code as Eclipse projects

The preferred way to get the FindBugs source code and create the patch is to use Eclipse + Git. You can easily import FindBugs code into Eclipse by following the steps described here: Import Eclipse projects .

Preparing a patch

The best way to create a patch is to clone FindBugs Git repository here: http://code.google.com/p/findbugs/source/clones, commit changes with descriptive commit messages (small commits are better) and create a new bug or feature request with the "[patch]" prefix in the title and link to your repository in the description.

Please follow these guidelines when preparing your patch:

• Use the same indentation style as the source file(s) you are modifying. In particular, please use spaces to indent your code; four spaces per indent level.
• If at all possible, avoid making whitespace modifications.
• Small patches/changesets are appreciated.
• If you have lot of changes, try to group them by small commits with descriptive messages.
• If you have multiple patches, create branch per patch.
• All new files should contain proper license header (Lesser GNU Public License).
• If you are submitting a new bug detector, please submit a small standalone source file that contains an instance of the kind of bug the detector looks for. The file should be placed at findbugsTestCases/src/java/sfBugsNew package and named after the bug or feature you are addressing.

Following these guidelines makes it much easier for us to incorporate new code.

Where to submit a patch

Patches may be submitted through the bug or feature request trackers on the sourceforge project page.

Send comments to findbugs@cs.umd.edu