Cobertura Maven Plugin fails with "The command line is too long" on Windows

Question

When I run cobertura-maven-plugin on Windows 8.1 with lengthy configuration (used to prohibit any coverage drop in the project) cobertura:check goal fails with error The command line is too long.

The problem is probably connected to Command prompt (Cmd. exe) command-line string limitation, as it disappears when I limit amount of configuration provided to Cobertura. Moreover, it works fine on Linux.

How can I overcome this problem?

Logs on debug level:

[DEBUG] Executing command line:
[DEBUG] cmd.exe /X /C ""C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_25\jre\bin\java" net.sourceforge.cobertura.check.CheckCoverageMain --datafile C:\IdeaProjects\checkstyle\target\cobertura\cobertura.ser --branch 100 --line 100 --totalbranch 82 --totalline 90 --regex .*.checks.UncommentedMainCheck:88:83 --regex .*.checks.indentation.MethodCallLineWrapHandler:0:0 --regex .*.checks.indentation.ImportHandler:87:50 --regex .*.checks.imports.Guard:100:86 --regex .*.checks.sizes.AnonInnerLengthCheck:92:100 --regex .*.checks.DeclarationCollector:100:94 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.ParenPadCheck:95:86 --regex .*.TreeWalker:91:92 --regex .*.checks.naming.AbstractTypeParameterNameCheck:83:75 --regex .*.checks.naming.LocalVariableNameCheck:100:94 --regex .*.api.SeverityLevelCounter:76:50 --regex .*.checks.indentation.ForHandler:95:75 --regex .*.checks.regexp.RegexpMultilineCheck:76:100 --regex com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.Utils:93:85 --regex .*.checks.coding.VariableDeclarationUsageDistanceCheck:97:90 --regex .*.checks.imports.ImportControlLoader:88:72 --regex .*.api.LocalizedMessage:81:66 --regex .*.api.FileContents:94:96 --regex .*.api.AbstractViolationReporter:90:100 --regex .*.checks.imports.CustomImportOrderCheck:91:93 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.AbstractJavadocCheck:93:90 --regex .*.checks.naming.ConstantNameCheck:92:88 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.HtmlTag:90:75 --regex .*.api.ScopeUtils:0:0 --regex .*.checks.modifier.RedundantModifierCheck:96:97 --regex .*.DefaultLogger:76:75 --regex .*.checks.metrics.BooleanExpressionComplexityCheck:80:74 --regex .*.checks.design.OneTopLevelClassCheck:95:77 --regex .*.checks.coding.DefaultComesLastCheck:90:87 --regex .*.checks.sizes.ExecutableStatementCountCheck:95:81 --regex .*.checks.UpperEllCheck:83:100 --regex .*.checks.regexp.CommentSuppressor:100:75 --regex .*.checks.naming.AbstractClassNameCheck:90:100 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.WriteTagCheck:91:100 --regex .*.checks.CheckUtils:97:91 --regex .*.checks.DescendantTokenCheck:96:91 --regex .*.checks.coding.UnnecessaryParenthesesCheck:96:91 --regex .*.checks.blocks.RightCurlyCheck:95:88 --regex .*.checks.coding.IllegalTypeCheck:93:93 --regex .*.checks.TodoCommentCheck:92:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.MultipleVariableDeclarationsCheck:96:96 --regex .*.checks.ClassResolver:93:86 --regex .*.checks.coding.DeclarationOrderCheck:90:82 --regex .*.checks.blocks.LeftCurlyCheck:94:87 --regex .*.checks.coding.AbstractIllegalMethodCheck:92:100 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.EmptyForInitializerPadCheck:93:91 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.WhitespaceAroundCheck:98:96 --regex .*.checks.coding.ParameterAssignmentCheck:91:80 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.NoWhitespaceBeforeCheck:100:90 --regex .*.PropertiesExpander:83:50 --regex .*.checks.indentation.BlockParentHandler:98:86 --regex .*.checks.metrics.AbstractClassCouplingCheck\$.*:100:78 --regex .*.checks.coding.IllegalInstantiationCheck:94:77 --regex .*.checks.coding.SimplifyBooleanExpressionCheck:77:100 --regex .*.checks.RegexpCheck:100:97 --regex .*.checks.coding.ReturnCountCheck:74:55 --regex .*.api.JavadocTagInfo:77:25 --regex .*.checks.coding.AvoidInlineConditionalsCheck:66:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.FinalLocalVariableCheck:100:79 --regex .*.api.AutomaticBean:82:90 --regex .*.checks.coding.InnerAssignmentCheck:97:88 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.EmptyForIteratorPadCheck:92:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.RequireThisCheck:89:100 --regex .*.checks.imports.AvoidStaticImportCheck:95:85 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.TypecastParenPadCheck:88:87 --regex .*.checks.naming.AbstractAccessControlNameCheck:80:95 --regex .*.checks.ArrayTypeStyleCheck:94:100 --regex .*.checks.TranslationCheck:83:81 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocTypeCheck:91:95 --regex .*.checks.AbstractOptionCheck:80:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.EqualsHashCodeCheck:96:75 --regex .*.checks.naming.MemberNameCheck:85:91 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocTagContinuationIndentationCheck:86:81 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.EmptyLineSeparatorCheck:98:95 --regex .*.checks.metrics.NPathComplexityCheck:96:100 --regex .*.checks.header.RegexpHeaderCheck:93:87 --regex .*.checks.AvoidEscapedUnicodeCharactersCheck:98:97 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocMethodCheck:96:90 --regex .*.checks.coding.ModifiedControlVariableCheck:93:83 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.MethodParamPadCheck:95:100 --regex .*.checks.annotation.MissingDeprecatedCheck:96:92 --regex .*.checks.indentation.NewHandler:77:83 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocUtils:91:83 --regex .*.checks.naming.MethodNameCheck:93:100 --regex .*.checks.indentation.ElseHandler:100:75 --regex .*.checks.naming.AbstractNameCheck:87:100 --regex .*.checks.naming.ParameterNameCheck:80:75 --regex .*.checks.coding.HiddenFieldCheck:97:96 --regex .*.checks.imports.RedundantImportCheck:94:81 --regex .*.api.LocalizedMessage\$.*:66:41 --regex .*.filters.SuppressionCommentFilter:87:83 --regex .*.checks.indentation.IndexHandler:75:100 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.AtclauseOrderCheck:88:88 --regex .*.checks.imports.PkgControl:100:80 --regex .*.PropertyCacheFile:19:22 --regex .*.checks.indentation.MethodCallHandler:87:63 --regex .*.checks.coding.StringLiteralEqualityCheck:87:100 --regex .*.checks.metrics.JavaNCSSCheck:96:81 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.SummaryJavadocCheck:100:93 --regex .*.checks.coding.AbstractIllegalCheck:100:64 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.GenericWhitespaceCheck:96:86 --regex .*.checks.coding.HiddenFieldCheck\$.*:100:94 --regex .*.api.TokenTypes:80:62 --regex .*.PackageObjectFactory:75:75 --regex .*.checks.naming.PackageNameCheck:88:100 --regex .*.checkstyle.AnnotationUtility:60:60 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.OperatorWrapCheck:81:68 --regex .*.api.AuditEvent:93:100 --regex .*.checks.indentation.LineSet:90:100 --regex .*.checks.AbstractTypeAwareCheck\$.*:80:50 --regex .*.api.Check:86:100 --regex .*.checks.naming.StaticVariableNameCheck:87:81 --regex .*.checks.indentation.ExpressionHandler:97:91 --regex .*.checks.regexp.MultilineDetector:87:58 --regex .*.checks.regexp.DetectorOptions:96:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.FallThroughCheck:95:90 --regex .*.checks.OuterTypeFilenameCheck:92:71 --regex .*.checks.AbstractTypeAwareCheck:84:87 --regex .*.api.AbstractFileSetCheck:87:75 --regex .*.checks.indentation.SlistHandler:94:100 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.AbstractParenPadCheck:100:88 --regex .*.checks.sizes.MethodCountCheck:23:31 --regex .*.api.JavadocTagInfo\$.*:8:0 --regex .*.checks.TrailingCommentCheck:93:90 --regex .*.checks.coding.MissingSwitchDefaultCheck:87:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.IllegalTokenCheck:100:75 --regex .*.checks.indentation.PrimordialHandler:60:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.MissingCtorCheck:92:75 --regex .*.checks.indentation.HandlerFactory:81:77 --regex .*.checks.annotation.MissingOverrideCheck:96:100 --regex .*.checks.indentation.PackageDefHandler:85:50 --regex .*.checks.UniquePropertiesCheck\$.*:90:75 --regex .*.api.FullIdent:96:83 --regex .*.checks.annotation.PackageAnnotationCheck:77:50 --regex .*.checks.blocks.EmptyBlockCheck:100:88 --regex .*.checks.metrics.AbstractClassCouplingCheck:97:87 --regex .*.checks.coding.SimplifyBooleanReturnCheck:96:83 --regex .*.checks.metrics.ClassFanOutComplexityCheck:80:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.NestedTryDepthCheck:81:50 --regex .*.checks.coding.IllegalCatchCheck:92:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.PackageDeclarationCheck:63:50 --regex .*.checks.SuppressWarningsHolder:90:70 --regex .*.checks.indentation.IndentationCheck:93:100 --regex .*.filters.SuppressionFilter:0:0 --regex .*.api.JavadocTokenTypes:0:100 --regex .*.checks.NewlineAtEndOfFileCheck:88:83 --regex .*.checks.imports.AvoidStarImportCheck:88:90 --regex .*.checks.indentation.ObjectBlockHandler:100:75 --regex .*.filters.SuppressionsLoader:77:68 --regex .*.checks.annotation.AnnotationUseStyleCheck:96:93 --regex .*.checks.design.InterfaceIsTypeCheck:85:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.IllegalThrowsCheck:84:93 --regex .*.checks.regexp.SinglelineDetector:96:93 --regex .*.checks.indentation.SynchronizedHandler:100:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.AbstractNestedDepthCheck:86:100 --regex .*.XMLLogger:97:86 --regex .*.checks.design.VisibilityModifierCheck:95:95 --regex .*.api.AbstractLoader:88:75 --regex .*.api.Comment:95:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.OverloadMethodsDeclarationOrderCheck:96:93 --regex .*.checks.sizes.ParameterNumberCheck:93:100 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocStyleCheck:97:89 --regex .*.Main:78:65 --regex .*.checks.coding.MultipleStringLiteralsCheck:94:90 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.TagParser:98:92 --regex .*.ConfigurationLoader\$.*:84:65 --regex .*.checks.blocks.EmptyCatchBlockCheck:98:96 --regex .*.checks.coding.EqualsAvoidNullCheck:96:78 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocPackageCheck:95:80 --regex .*.checks.coding.IllegalTokenTextCheck:88:60 --regex .*.checks.naming.LocalFinalVariableNameCheck:85:87 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.WhitespaceAfterCheck:90:90 --regex .*.DefaultConfiguration:92:100 --regex .*.checks.imports.UnusedImportsCheck:97:90 --regex .*.filters.SuppressionCommentFilter\$.*:69:41 --regex .*.checks.imports.ImportOrderCheck:99:91 --regex .*.api.FileText:59:50 --regex .*.checks.blocks.NeedBracesCheck:97:80 --regex .*.checks.annotation.SuppressWarningsCheck:96:79 --regex .*.checks.imports.ImportControlCheck:70:85 --regex .*.checks.regexp.RegexpSinglelineCheck:76:100 --regex .*.checks.modifier.ModifierOrderCheck:91:92 --regex .*.checks.metrics.AbstractComplexityCheck:92:83 --regex .*.filters.SuppressElement:88:82 --regex .*.filters.SuppressWithNearbyCommentFilter:89:76 --regex .*.checks.indentation.LineWrappingHandler:91:87 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.AbstractJavadocCheck\$.*:68:50 --regex .*.checks.coding.AbstractSuperCheck:88:78 --regex .*.api.AutomaticBean\$.*:90:75 --regex .*.checks.blocks.AvoidNestedBlocksCheck:90:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.NestedIfDepthCheck:83:75 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocNodeImpl:84:50 --regex .*.Checker:84:79 --regex .*.checks.coding.CovariantEqualsCheck:90:95 --regex .*.ConfigurationLoader:79:86 --regex .*.checks.metrics.CyclomaticComplexityCheck:80:85 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocParagraphCheck:100:92 --regex .*.checks.sizes.MethodLengthCheck:95:100 --regex .*.checks.sizes.OuterTypeNumberCheck:94:75 --regex .*.checks.coding.OneStatementPerLineCheck:96:93 --regex .*.filters.SuppressWithNearbyCommentFilter\$Tag:78:88 --regex .*.Definitions:0:100 --regex .*.api.AnnotationUtility:0:0 --regex .*.checks.indentation.ArrayInitHandler:97:83 --regex .*.checks.imports.IllegalImportCheck:94:100 --regex .*.checkstyle.ScopeUtils:94:90 --regex .*.checks.coding.ArrayTrailingCommaCheck:90:100 --regex .*.checks.coding.EmptyStatementCheck:80:100 --regex .*.checks.sizes.LineLengthCheck:89:100 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocTag:85:92 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.NoWhitespaceAfterCheck:98:94 --regex .*.PackageNamesLoader:72:78 --regex .*.checks.naming.AbbreviationAsWordInNameCheck:100:93 --regex .*.checks.indentation.MethodDefHandler:100:87 --regex .*.checks.coding.NestedForDepthCheck:90:50 --regex .*.checks.javadoc.JavadocVariableCheck:90:93 --regex .*.filters.IntMatchFilter:90:100 --regex .*.api.DetailAST:98:95 --regex .*.checks.annotation.AnnotationLocationCheck:78:75 --regex .*.checks.coding.ExplicitInitializationCheck:90:90 --regex .*.checks.header.HeaderCheck:45:18 --regex .*.checks.whitespace.SeparatorWrapCheck:93:100 --regex .*.checks.header.AbstractHeaderCheck:85:85 --regex .*.checks.design.InnerTypeLastCheck:93:100"
[DEBUG] exit code: 1
[DEBUG] --------------------
[DEBUG]  Standard error from the Cobertura task:
[DEBUG] --------------------
[ERROR] The command line is too long.

Pronunciamento

The only chance i see is to reduce the number of configurations, cause windows has it's limitations. Furthermore it looks like an extreme complicated configuration which i have my doubts that it will be understandable...but apart from that why not using the maven-checkstyle-plugin ? – Barcot

A thing which i have missed why no using jacoco ? – Barcot

@Barcot - Limiting configuration is not an option, as it does great job automatically prohibiting any code coverage drop in a library that from its nature should be covered in 100%. Do you know how can I achieve the same goal in JaCoCo? – Pronunciamento

Maybe it would make sense to write small wrapper that will call CheckCoverageMain and run this class – Zea

The source code is available on GitHub (github.com/cobertura/cobertura). You could probably add an option to pass a configuration file as an argument (should be easy), and contribute the solution to the project. Alternatively, you could clone the repository and make the changes locally for the time being, open a bug, and wait for an update. That has the downside of maintaining the local copy, of course. – Grady

Rather than having the QA check done as part of the build. I suggest you use Jacoco to do a full coverage analysis and use SonarQube to enforce the quality for you. It provides better management and allows for technical debt to be managed. – Akkadian

Answer 1

One solution I can suggest is to install cygwin and run command there. You can find how to run through cygwin any internet. Try This Tutorial

Also instead calling CheckCoverageMain directly using java you can write an ant script, which will call CheckCoverageMain and pass the arguments from their like below,

<java classname="net.sourceforge.cobertura.check.CheckCoverageMain" fork="true">

  <jvmarg value="--regex"/>

And then call the ant script from command line. Ant script basic tutorial

Colossians

Answer 2

This is a very simple workaround, so I'd post it as an answer.

You could just run your maven build in a Linux VM on your Windows 8.1 PC. Set up a lightweight command-line-only VM just for that purpose, and share your Windows directories with it so you don't have to copy anything. Using it won't be much different from opening a command-line window and running mvn there. VMWare Player or VirtualBox are free as well as tons of Linux VM images.

Then open a feature request for cobertura to allow passing a configuration file as an argument. Looking at the source code of net.sourceforge.cobertura.check.CheckCoverageMain, adding such a feature should be easy.

Grady

Answer 3

This problem occurs if your classpath becomes too long. There are too options:

1. Move your repository to some shorter path like D: , currently it may be at some longer path like C:\Document and Settings\XYZ.m2... etc.
   2. Set useWildcardClassPath to true in configuration.

I would recommend to try second approach first.

Let me know if it works for you...

Uriiah

His command line is more than 11K characters long, most of it --regex arguments - nothing to do with the classpath. – Grady