Merge branch 'docs-metrics' of https://github.com/oowekyala/pmd into pr-517

docs/_data/sidebars/pmd_sidebar.yml

@@ -135,6 +135,12 @@ entries:
     - title: Writing XPath Rules
       url: /pmd_devdocs_writing_xpath_rules.html
       output: web, pdf
+    - title: Using code metrics in custom rules
+      url: /pmd_devdocs_metrics_howto.html
+      output: web, pdf
+    - title: Index of code metrics
+      url: /pmd_devdocs_metrics_index.html
+      output: web, pdf
     - title: Making Rulesets
       url: /pmd_devdocs_making_rulesets.html
       output: web, pdf

docs/pages/pmd/devdocs/metrics_howto.md

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+---
+title:  Using code metrics in custom rules
+tags: [customizing]
+summary: "PMD was recently enhanced with the ability to compute code metrics on Java code (the so-called Metrics 
+Framework). This framework provides developers with a straightforward interface to use code metrics in their rules, and 
+to extend the framework with their own custom metrics."
+last_updated: July 20, 2017
+sidebar: pmd_sidebar
+permalink: pmd_devdocs_metrics_howto.html
+folder: pmd/devdocs
+---
+# Using code metrics in custom rules
+
+## Using the metrics framework
+
+## Writing custom metrics

docs/pages/pmd/devdocs/metrics_index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+---
+title:  Index of code metrics
+tags: [customizing]
+summary: "Index of the code metrics available out of the box to Java rule developers."
+last_updated: July 20, 2017
+sidebar: pmd_sidebar
+permalink: pmd_devdocs_metrics_index.html
+folder: pmd/devdocs
+toc:
+  minimumHeaders: 8
+---
+# Index of code metrics
+
+## Access to Foreign Data (ATFD)
+
+*Operation metric, class metric.*
+
+### Description
+
+
+## Cyclomatic Complexity (CYCLO)
+
+*Operation metric.* Can be calculated on any non-abstract method.
+
+### Description
+
+Number of independent paths through a block of code \[[Lanza05](#Lanza05)\]. 
+Formally, given that the control flow graph of the block has n vertices, e edges and p connected components, the 
+Cyclomatic complexity of the block is given by `CYCLO = e - n + 2p` \[[McCabe76](#McCabe76)\]. In practice it can be 
+calculated by counting control flow statements following the standard rules given below.
+
+The standard version of the metric complies with McCabe's original definition:
+
+* Methods have a base complexity of 1.
+* +1 for every control flow statement (`if`, `case`, `catch`, `throw`, `do`, `while`, `for`, `break`, `continue`) and 
+conditional expression (`?:`) \[[Sonarqube](#Sonarqube)\]. Notice switch cases count as one, but not the switch itself: the point is that
+ a switch should have the same complexity value as the equivalent series of `if` statements.
+* `else`, `finally` and `default` don't count;
+* +1 for every boolean operator (`&&`, `||`) in the guard condition of a control flow statement. That's because
+Java has short-circuit evaluation semantics for boolean operators, which makes every boolean operator kind of a
+control flow statement in itself.
+ 
+### Versions
+
+* Version `CycloVersion#IGNORE_BOOLEAN_PATHS`: Boolean operators are not counted, nor are empty
+  fall-through cases in `switch` statements. You can use this version to get results 
+  similar to those of the old `StdCyclomaticComplexityRule`, which is to be replaced.
+ 
+ 
+## Lines of Code (LoC)
+
+*Operation metric, class metric.* Can be calculated on any of those nodes.
+
+### Description
+
+Simply counts the number of lines of code the operation or class takes up in the source. This metric doesn't discount
+ comments or blank lines.
+
+
+## Non-commenting source statements (NCSS)
+
+*Operation metric, class metric.* Can be calculated on any of those nodes.
+
+### Description
+
+Number of statements in a class or operation. That's roughly equivalent to counting the number of semicolons and 
+opening braces in the program. Comments and blank lines are ignored, and statements spread on multiple lines count as
+ only one (e.g. `int\n a;` counts a single statement). 
+
+The standard version of the metric is based off JavaNCSS's version  \[[JavaNcss](#JavaNcss)\]:
+
+* +1 for any of the following statements: `if`, `else`, `while`, `do`, `for`, `switch`, `break`, `continue`, `return`, 
+`throw`, `synchronized`, `catch`, `finally`.
+* +1 for each assignment, variable declaration (except `for` loop initializers) or statement expression. We count 
+variables  declared on the same line (e.g. `int a, b, c;`) as a single statement. 
+* Contrary to Sonarqube, but as JavaNCSS, we count type declarations (class, interface, enum, annotation),  
+and method and field declarations \[[Sonarqube](#Sonarqube)\].
+* Contrary to JavaNCSS, but as Sonarqube, we do not count package declaration and import declarations as statements. 
+This makes it easier to compare nested classes to outer classes. Besides, it makes for class metric results that 
+actually represent the size of the class and not of the file. If you don't like that behaviour, use the `JAVANCSS` 
+version.
+
+
+### Versions
+
+* Version `NcssVersion#JAVANCSS`: Import and package statements are counted as well. This version fully complies with
+ JavaNCSS.
+ 
+ 
+## Weighted Method Count (WMC)
+
+*Class metric.* Can be computed on classes and enums
+
+### Description
+
+Sum of the statistical complexity of the operations in the class. We use [CYCLO](#cyclomatic-complexity-cyclo) to 
+quantify the complexity of an operation \[[Lanza05](#Lanza05)\].
+
+### Versions
+
+WMC uses the same versions as CYCLO, which have the effect of summing that version of CYCLO to calculate the metric.
+
+# References
+
+<a name="Lanza05">Lanza05:</a> Lanza, Marinescu; Object-Oriented Metrics in Practice, 2005.
+
+<a name="McCabe76">McCabe76:</a> McCabe, A Complexity Measure, in Proceedings of the 2nd ICSE (1976).
+
+<a name="Sonarqube">Sonarqube:</a> [Sonarqube online documentation.](https://docs.sonarqube.org/display/SONAR/Metric+Definitions)
+
+<a name="JavaNcss">JavaNcss:</a> [JavaNCSS online documentation.](http://www.kclee.de/clemens/java/javancss/)