Checkstyle  vs ESLint

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Checkstyle vs ESLint: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Checkstyle and ESLint

Checkstyle and ESLint are popular linters used for identifying and reporting code style issues in Java and JavaScript respectively. While both tools serve the same purpose, there are several key differences that set them apart.

  1. Supported Languages: Checkstyle is primarily designed for Java projects, whereas ESLint is designed specifically for JavaScript. Checkstyle analyzes Java source code, while ESLint analyzes JavaScript source code.

  2. Configuration: Checkstyle uses an XML-based configuration file to define the coding rules and guidelines to be enforced. In contrast, ESLint uses a JavaScript-based configuration file, which allows for more flexible and customizable rule configurations.

  3. Extensibility: Checkstyle offers a limited number of core checks that need to be defined in the configuration file. In contrast, ESLint provides a vast collection of official and third-party plugins and rules, allowing developers to extend and customize the linting rules based on their project requirements.

  4. Integration: Checkstyle is typically integrated with build tools such as Maven or Gradle and is often run as part of the build process. ESLint, on the other hand, can be integrated with various development tools, editors, and frameworks, providing real-time linting feedback during development.

  5. Rule Coverage: Checkstyle focuses more on enforcing coding conventions and style guidelines, such as indentation, naming conventions, and code structure. ESLint covers a wider range of linting rules, including coding conventions, best practices, potential errors, and even security vulnerabilities.

  6. Community Support: Both Checkstyle and ESLint have active communities, but ESLint has a larger and more active user base, which contributes to the availability of a wide range of plugins, rules, and online resources.

In summary, Checkstyle and ESLint differ in their supported languages, configuration methods, extensibility, integration options, rule coverage, and community support. While Checkstyle is more focused on enforcing coding conventions in Java projects, ESLint provides a broader range of linting rules and has better support for JavaScript development.

Advice on Checkstyle and ESLint
Needs advice
on
ESLintESLintSass Lint Sass Lint
and
StylelintStylelint

Scenario: I want to integrate Prettier in our code base which is currently using ESLint (for .js and .scss both). The project is using gulp.

It doesn't feel quite right to me to use ESLint, I wonder if it would be better to use Stylelint or Sass Lint instead.

I completed integrating ESLint + Prettier, Planning to do the same with [ Stylelint || Sasslint || EsLint] + Prettier.

And have gulp 'fix' on file save (Watcher).

Any recommendation is appreciated.

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Replies (3)
Amaro Mariño
Senior Frontend Developer at Landbot.io · | 6 upvotes · 151K views
Recommends
on
ESLintESLint

In the case of .js files I would recommend using both Eslint and Prettier.

You can set up Prettier as an Eslint rule using the following plugin:

https://github.com/prettier/eslint-plugin-prettier

And in order to avoid conflicts between Prettier and Eslint, you can use this config:

https://github.com/prettier/eslint-config-prettier

Which turns off all Eslint rules that are unnecessary or might conflict with Prettier.

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Alexis Villegas Torres
Software Engineer at SpeedUrWeb · | 5 upvotes · 150.7K views
Recommends
on
StylelintStylelint

Pura vida! Well, I had a similar issue and at the end I decided to use Stylelint + Prettier for that job, in our case, we wanted that our linting process includes the SCSS files and not only the JS file, base on that we concluded that using only ESLint to do both things wasn't the best option, so, we integrated prettier with Stylelint, and for that we used a neat plugin that allowed us to use Prettier inside Stylelint here is the link, https://github.com/prettier/stylelint-prettier#recommended-configuration, I hope that this can help you, hasta pronto!, :)

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Alex Spieslechner

you don't actually have to choose between these tools as they have vastly different purposes. i think its more a matter of understanding how to use them.

while eslint and stylelint are used to notify you about code quality issues, to guide you to write better code, prettier automatically handles code formatting (without notifying me). nothing else.

prettier and eslint both officially discourage using the eslint-plugin-prettier way, as these tools actually do very different things. autofixing with linters on watch isnt a great idea either. auto-fixing should only be done intentionally. you're not alone though, as a lot of devs set this up wrong.

i encourage you to think about what problem you're trying to solve and configure accordingly.

for my teams i set it up like this: - eslint, stylelint, prettier locally installed for cli use and ide support - eslint config prettier (code formatting rules are not eslints business, so dont warn me about it) - vscode workspace config: format on save - separate npm scripts for linting, and formatting - precommit hooks (husky)

so you can easily integrate with gulp. its just js after all ;)

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Pros of Checkstyle
Pros of ESLint
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    • 8
      Consistent javascript - opinions don't matter anymore
    • 6
      Free
    • 6
      IDE Integration
    • 4
      Customizable
    • 2
      Focuses code review on quality not style
    • 2
      Broad ecosystem of support & users

    Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions

    What is Checkstyle ?

    It is a development tool to help programmers write Java code that adheres to a coding standard. It automates the process of checking Java code to spare humans of this boring (but important) task. This makes it ideal for projects that want to enforce a coding standard.

    What is ESLint?

    A pluggable and configurable linter tool for identifying and reporting on patterns in JavaScript. Maintain your code quality with ease.

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    What companies use Checkstyle ?
    What companies use ESLint?
    See which teams inside your own company are using Checkstyle or ESLint.
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    What tools integrate with Checkstyle ?
    What tools integrate with ESLint?

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    What are some alternatives to Checkstyle and ESLint?
    PMD
    It is a source code analyzer. It finds common programming flaws like unused variables, empty catch blocks, unnecessary object creation, and so forth. It includes CPD, the copy-paste-detector.
    FindBugs
    It detects possible bugs in Java programs. Potential errors are classified in four ranks: scariest, scary, troubling and of concern. This is a hint to the developer about their possible impact or severity.
    Checkmarx
    It is a provider of state-of-the-art application security solution: static code analysis software, seamlessly integrated into development process.
    Prettier
    Prettier is an opinionated code formatter. It enforces a consistent style by parsing your code and re-printing it with its own rules that take the maximum line length into account, wrapping code when necessary.
    TSLint
    An extensible static analysis tool that checks TypeScript code for readability, maintainability, and functionality errors. It is widely supported across modern editors & build systems and can be customized with your own lint rules, configurations, and formatters.
    See all alternatives