Static code analysis in Kotlin – tools overview

4 days ago

Static code analysis examines Kotlin source code without execution, using AST and PSI from the Kotlin compiler, to identify bugs, style violations, and quality issues via visitor pattern rules.
Three tools evaluated: detekt (code smells, 200+ rules, YAML config, extensible), diktat (strict Kotlin conventions, noisy defaults, complex config), and ktlint (lightweight formatter, auto-fix, minimal config).
Evaluation metrics included config shareability, method ordering by visibility, build time impact, capabilities beyond ktlint, and ease of rule configuration; none support method ordering out of the box.
Custom detekt rule created for visibility-based method ordering (public > protected > internal > private) via a Gradle plugin, with testing using detekt-test library, but not deployed due to overhead.
Conclusion recommends ktlint for formatting and auto-fix due to low maintenance; detekt suits targeted needs like custom rules, but added tool cost may outweigh benefits.

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