diff --git a/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.java b/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.java
index 94086197c2..5b8319ce70 100644
--- a/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.java
+++ b/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.java
@@ -14,25 +14,26 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.properties.TypeProperty;
 
 class NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes extends AbstractRule {
 
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor singleStr	= new StringProperty("singleStr", "Property with a single string value", "hello world" , 3.0f);
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor multiStr	= new StringProperty("multiStr", "Property with multiple string values", new String[] {"hello", "world"}, 5.0f, '|');
+	// descriptors are public to enable us to write external tests
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor singleStr	= new StringProperty("singleStr", "Property with a single string value", "hello world" , 3.0f);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor multiStr	= new StringProperty("multiStr", "Property with multiple string values", new String[] {"hello", "world"}, 5.0f, '|');
 	
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor singleInt	= new IntegerProperty("singleInt", "Property with a single integer value", 8 , 3.0f);
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor multiInt	= new IntegerProperty("multiInt", "Property with multiple integer values", new int[] {1,2,3,4}, 5.0f, 5);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor singleInt	= new IntegerProperty("singleInt", "Property with a single integer value", 8 , 3.0f);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor multiInt	= new IntegerProperty("multiInt", "Property with multiple integer values", new int[] {1,2,3,4}, 5.0f, 5);
 	
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor singleBool	= new BooleanProperty("singleBool", "Property with a single boolean value", true, 6.0f);
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor multiBool	= new BooleanProperty("multiBool", "Property with multiple boolean values", new boolean[] { true, false}, 5.0f, 2);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor singleBool	= new BooleanProperty("singleBool", "Property with a single boolean value", true, 6.0f);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor multiBool	= new BooleanProperty("multiBool", "Property with multiple boolean values", new boolean[] { true, false}, 5.0f, 2);
 	
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor singleChar	= new CharacterProperty("singleChar", "Property with a single character value", 'a', 5.0f);
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor multiChar	= new CharacterProperty("multiChar", "Property with multiple character values", new char[] {'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'}, 6.0f, '|');
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor singleChar	= new CharacterProperty("singleChar", "Property with a single character value", 'a', 5.0f);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor multiChar	= new CharacterProperty("multiChar", "Property with multiple character values", new char[] {'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'}, 6.0f, '|');
 	
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor singleFloat	= new FloatProperty("singleFloat", "Property with a single float value", 9.9f, 5.0f);
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor multiFloat	= new FloatProperty("multiFloat", "Property with multiple float values", new float[] {1,2,3}, 6.0f, 3);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor singleFloat	= new FloatProperty("singleFloat", "Property with a single float value", 9.9f, 5.0f);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor multiFloat	= new FloatProperty("multiFloat", "Property with multiple float values", new float[] {1,2,3}, 6.0f, 3);
 	
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor singleType	= new TypeProperty("singleType", "Property with a single type value", String.class, 5.0f);
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor multiType	= new TypeProperty("multiType", "Property with multiple type values", new Class[] {Integer.class, Object.class}, 6.0f);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor singleType	= new TypeProperty("singleType", "Property with a single type value", String.class, 5.0f);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor multiType	= new TypeProperty("multiType", "Property with multiple type values", new Class[] {Integer.class, Object.class}, 6.0f);
 
-	private static final PropertyDescriptor enumType	= new EnumeratedProperty("enumType", "Property with a enumerated choices", new Object[][] {{"String", String.class},{"Object", Object.class}}, 5.0f);
+	public static final PropertyDescriptor enumType	= new EnumeratedProperty("enumType", "Property with a enumerated choices", new Object[][] {{"String", String.class},{"Object", Object.class}}, 5.0f);
 	
 	
 	private static final Map propertyDescriptorsByName = asFixedMap(new PropertyDescriptor[] {
diff --git a/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/PropertyAccessorTest.java b/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/PropertyAccessorTest.java
index d1c39c731e..6a19e9e89e 100644
--- a/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/PropertyAccessorTest.java
+++ b/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/PropertyAccessorTest.java
@@ -31,15 +31,15 @@ public class PropertyAccessorTest extends SimpleAggregatorTst {
     
     public void testIntegers() throws ReportException {
 
-    	rule.setProperty("singleInt", new Integer(0));
+    	rule.setProperty(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.singleInt, new Integer(0));
         assertTrue(rule.getIntProperty("singleInt") == 0);
         
-    	rule.setProperties("multiInt", new Object[] {new Integer(0), new Integer(1)});
-        assertTrue(areEqual(rule.getIntProperties("multiInt"), new int[]{0, 1}));
+    	rule.setProperties(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.multiInt, new Object[] {new Integer(0), new Integer(1)});
+        assertTrue(areEqual(rule.getIntProperties(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.multiInt), new int[]{0, 1}));
         
         boolean exceptionOccurred = false;
         try {
-        	rule.setProperties("singleInt", new Object[] {new Integer(0), new Integer(1)});
+        	rule.setProperties(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.singleInt, new Object[] {new Integer(0), new Integer(1)});
         	} catch (Exception ex) {
         		exceptionOccurred = true;
         	}
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public class PropertyAccessorTest extends SimpleAggregatorTst {
         
         exceptionOccurred = false;
         try {
-        	rule.setProperty("multiInt", new Integer(0));
+        	rule.setProperty(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.multiInt, new Integer(0));
         	} catch (Exception ex) {
         		exceptionOccurred = true;
         	}
@@ -56,15 +56,15 @@ public class PropertyAccessorTest extends SimpleAggregatorTst {
      
     public void testBooleans() throws ReportException {
 
-    	rule.setProperty("singleBool", Boolean.FALSE);
+    	rule.setProperty(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.singleBool, Boolean.FALSE);
         assertFalse(rule.getBooleanProperty("singleBool"));
         
-    	rule.setProperties("multiBool", new Boolean[] {Boolean.TRUE, Boolean.FALSE});
-        assertTrue(areEqual(rule.getBooleanProperties("multiBool"), new boolean[]{true, false}));
+    	rule.setProperties(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.multiBool, new Boolean[] {Boolean.TRUE, Boolean.FALSE});
+        assertTrue(areEqual(rule.getBooleanProperties(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.multiBool), new boolean[]{true, false}));
         
         boolean exceptionOccurred = false;
         try {
-        	rule.setProperties("singleBool", new Boolean[] {Boolean.TRUE, Boolean.FALSE});
+        	rule.setProperties(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.singleBool, new Boolean[] {Boolean.TRUE, Boolean.FALSE});
         	} catch (Exception ex) {
         		exceptionOccurred = true;
         	}
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class PropertyAccessorTest extends SimpleAggregatorTst {
         
         exceptionOccurred = false;
         try {
-        	rule.setProperty("multiBool", Boolean.TRUE);
+        	rule.setProperty(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.multiBool, Boolean.TRUE);
         	} catch (Exception ex) {
         		exceptionOccurred = true;
         	}
@@ -106,15 +106,15 @@ public class PropertyAccessorTest extends SimpleAggregatorTst {
     
     public void testStrings() throws ReportException {
 
-    	rule.setProperty("singleStr", "brian");
+    	rule.setProperty(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.singleStr, "brian");
         assertEquals(rule.getStringProperty("singleStr"), "brian");
         
-    	rule.setProperties("multiStr", new String[] {"hello", "world"});
-    	assertTrue(CollectionUtil.arraysAreEqual(rule.getStringProperties("multiStr"),  new String[] {"hello", "world"}));
+    	rule.setProperties(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.multiStr, new String[] {"hello", "world"});
+    	assertTrue(CollectionUtil.arraysAreEqual(rule.getStringProperties(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.multiStr),  new String[] {"hello", "world"}));
         
         boolean exceptionOccurred = false;
         try {
-        	rule.setProperties("singleStr", new String[] {"hello", "world"});
+        	rule.setProperties(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.singleStr, new String[] {"hello", "world"});
         	} catch (Exception ex) {
         		exceptionOccurred = true;
         	}
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ public class PropertyAccessorTest extends SimpleAggregatorTst {
         
         exceptionOccurred = false;
         try {
-        	rule.setProperty("multiStr", "brian");
+        	rule.setProperty(NonRuleWithAllPropertyTypes.multiStr, "brian");
         	} catch (Exception ex) {
         		exceptionOccurred = true;
         	}