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<table class="wysiwyg-macro" data-macro-name="unmigrated-inline-wiki-markup" data-macro-parameters="atlassian-macro-output-type=BLOCK" style="background-image: url(/plugins/servlet/confluence/placeholder/macro-heading?definition=e3VubWlncmF0ZWQtaW5saW5lLXdpa2ktbWFya3VwOmF0bGFzc2lhbi1tYWNyby1vdXRwdXQtdHlwZT1CTE9DS30&amp;locale=en_GB&amp;version=2); background-repeat: no-repeat;" data-macro-body-type="PLAIN_TEXT"><tr><td class="wysiwyg-macro-body"><pre>{iframe:src=http://update.sonarsource.org/plugins/toxicitychart.html|width=700|height=250|frameborder=0}
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{iframe}</pre></td></tr></table><h1>Description / Features</h1><p>This plugin is an implementation of <strong>Toxicity Chart</strong> visualization technique presented by Erik Dörnenburg on his <a href="http://erik.doernenburg.com/2008/11/how-toxic-is-your-code/">blog</a>. This technique is very useful to quickly get an idea about the general quality of the large existing code base. <strong>Toxicity Charts</strong> stack multiple static analysis metrics for classes, methods, or components within an application, providing a combined &quot;toxicity&quot; score for each area of the code base. This can be extremely useful in helping managers and non-developers understand the internal quality of the code</p><p><img class="confluence-embedded-image confluence-external-resource" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-THhht10Rbrg/UIkpZGlZqGI/AAAAAAAAAiM/cOG0Ja36cck/s721/toxicity_chart.png" data-image-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-THhht10Rbrg/UIkpZGlZqGI/AAAAAAAAAiM/cOG0Ja36cck/s721/toxicity_chart.png"></p><p>In a <strong>Toxicity Chart</strong> each bar represents a class and the height of the bar shows the toxicity score for that class.  The score is based on 11 rules (see <a class="confluence-link" href="#ToxicityChartConfiguration" data-anchor="ToxicityChartConfiguration" data-linked-resource-default-alias="ToxicityChartConfiguration" data-base-url="http://docs.codehaus.org">Usage &amp; Installation</a> section) and different colours are used to represent each one. This makes it possible to easily spot not only how toxic a code base is, but also how the problems are distributed and what the preponderant &quot;code smell&quot; is. The classes that score zero points are left off the chart. The metrics are computed using the threshold value set for corresponding Checkstyle rule.</p><p><img class="confluence-embedded-image confluence-external-resource" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-si6O8lb0k-E/UIksu1HAK-I/AAAAAAAAAi0/6fYk-DKOc2g/s754/method_length_rule.png" data-image-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-si6O8lb0k-E/UIksu1HAK-I/AAAAAAAAAi0/6fYk-DKOc2g/s754/method_length_rule.png"></p><p>For example if the Method Length metric has a threshold of <strong>30</strong> and a class comprises three methods, one that is <strong>25</strong> lines, one that is <strong>45</strong> lines and another that is <strong>60</strong> lines long, then the score is calculated to be proportional to the length of the method in relation to the threshold and for the given scenario the class gets <strong>1.5 + 2 = 3.5</strong> points.</p><div><h1>Axes of quality</h1><p>All the metrics are computed using the approach presented above.</p><h5>File Length</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle File Length rule. The possible associated technical debts are: Understandability, Maintainability and Single Responsibility Principle violation.</p><h5>Method Length</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Method Length rule. The possible associated technical debts are: Understandability, Maintainability and Single Responsibility Principle violation.</p><h5>Cyclomatic Complexity</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Cyclomatic Complexity rule. The possible associated technical debts are: Understandability, Maintainability and Testability.</p><h5>Parameter Number</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Parameter Number rule. The possible associated technical debts are: Understandability, Maintainability and Testability.</p><h5>Boolean Expression Complexity</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Boolean Expression Complexity rule. The possible associated technical debts are: Understandability, Maintainability and Testability.</p><h5>Nested If Depth</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Nested If Depth rule. The possible associated technical debts are: Understandability, Maintainability and Testability.</p><h5>Nested Try Depth</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Nested Try Depth rule. The possible associated technical debts are: Understandability, Maintainability and Testability.</p><h5>Missing Switch Default</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Missing Switch Default rule. The possible associated technical debt is: Correctness.</p><h5>Class Fan Out Complexity</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Class Fan out Complexity rule. The possible associated technical debts are: Understandability, Maintainability, Testability and High Coupling.</p><h5>Class Data Abstraction Coupling</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Class Data Abstraction Coupling rule. The possible associated technical debts are: Understandability, Maintainability, Testability and High Coupling.</p><h5>Anon Inner Length</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due to the violation of Checkstyle Anon Inner Length rule. The possible associated technical debt is: Maintainability.</p><h5>Average value</h5><p>Total of points accumulated due violation of all above rules divided by the number of classes that score more than one point.</p><h1><img class="editor-inline-macro" src="/plugins/servlet/confluence/placeholder/macro?definition=e2FuY2hvcjpUb3hpY2l0eUNoYXJ0Q29uZmlndXJhdGlvbn0&amp;locale=en_GB&amp;version=2" data-macro-name="anchor" data-macro-default-parameter="ToxicityChartConfiguration">Installation</h1><ol><li>Install the plugin through the <a href="http://docs.codehaus.org/display/SONAR/Update+Center" rel="nofollow">Update Center</a> or download it into the <em>SONARQUBE_HOME/extensions/plugins</em> directory</li><li>Restart the SonarQube server</li></ol><h1>Usage</h1><ol><li>Check on Quality Profile page if the below Checkstyle Rules are enabled and the threshold values are set appropriate</li><li>Launch a new quality analysis and the metrics will be fed</li></ol><p>The table below lists the Checkstyle rules that should be <strong>enabled</strong> in order to generate the <strong>Toxicity Chart</strong>. The threshold values are just suggestions and they can be modified to fit the desired Quality Profile.</p><p> </p><table class="confluenceTable"><tbody><tr><th class="confluenceTh">Checkstyle Rule</th><th class="confluenceTh">Level</th><th class="confluenceTh">Threshold</th></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">File Length</td><td class="confluenceTd">file</td><td class="confluenceTd">500</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Method Length</td><td class="confluenceTd">method</td><td class="confluenceTd">30</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Cyclomatic Complexity</td><td class="confluenceTd">method</td><td class="confluenceTd">10</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Parameter Number</td><td class="confluenceTd">method</td><td class="confluenceTd">7</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Boolean Expression Complexity</td><td class="confluenceTd">statement</td><td class="confluenceTd">3</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Nested If Depth</td><td class="confluenceTd">statement</td><td class="confluenceTd">3</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Nested Try Depth</td><td class="confluenceTd">statement</td><td class="confluenceTd">2</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Missing Switch Default</td><td class="confluenceTd">statement</td><td class="confluenceTd">-</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Class Fan Out Complexity</td><td class="confluenceTd">class</td><td class="confluenceTd">30</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Class Data Abstraction Coupling</td><td class="confluenceTd">class</td><td class="confluenceTd">10</td></tr><tr><td class="confluenceTd">Anon Inner Length</td><td class="confluenceTd">inner class</td><td class="confluenceTd">35</td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p></div><div>If the number of classes that score more than one point is greater than 125, then the numbers on the X axis will overlap each other. In order to make the chart readable in this situation the <strong>Toxicity Chart</strong> threshold value can be changed in <em>Configuration &gt; General Settings &gt; Toxicity Chart panel</em>. The classes that have the score below the threshold value are left off the chart. The threshold value is not taken into account in toxicity metrics computing.</div><div> </div><div><img class="confluence-embedded-image confluence-external-resource" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-i61P0DyHLNY/UIks5uI4f4I/AAAAAAAAAjM/4O8DQOpVttA/s684/toxicity_chart_settings.png" data-image-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-i61P0DyHLNY/UIks5uI4f4I/AAAAAAAAAjM/4O8DQOpVttA/s684/toxicity_chart_settings.png"></div><h1>Known Limitations</h1><p>Only Java projects are supported.</p><h1>Change Log</h1><div><img class="editor-inline-macro" src="/plugins/servlet/confluence/placeholder/macro?definition=e2ppcmFpc3N1ZXM6YW5vbnltb3VzPXRydWV8dGl0bGU9VmVyc2lvbiAwLjF8aGVpZ2h0PTcwfHJlbmRlck1vZGU9c3RhdGljfHdpZHRoPTkwMHxjb2x1bW5zPXR5cGU7a2V5O3N1bW1hcnk7cHJpb3JpdHl8dXJsPWh0dHA6Ly9qaXJhLmNvZGVoYXVzLm9yZy9zci9qaXJhLmlzc3Vldmlld3M6c2VhcmNocmVxdWVzdC14bWwvdGVtcC9TZWFyY2hSZXF1ZXN0LnhtbD9qcWxRdWVyeT1wcm9qZWN0KyUzRCtTT05BUlBMVUdJTlMrQU5EK2NvbXBvbmVudCslM0QrJTIyVG94aWNpdHkrQ2hhcnQlMjIrT1JERVIrQlkrcHJpb3JpdHkrREVTQyZ0ZW1wTWF4PTEwMDB9&amp;locale=en_GB&amp;version=2" data-macro-name="jiraissues" data-macro-parameters="anonymous=true|columns=type;key;summary;priority|height=70|renderMode=static|title=Version 0.1|url=http://jira.codehaus.org/sr/jira.issueviews:searchrequest-xml/temp/SearchRequest.xml?jqlQuery\=project+%3D+SONARPLUGINS+AND+component+%3D+%22Toxicity+Chart%22+ORDER+BY+priority+DESC&amp;tempMax\=1000|width=900"></div><p> </p>