How to send "-X" option to javadoc?

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The addStringOption('something') as no effect on the javadoc properties, while addStringOption('key', 'value') works as expected. Command line options become -key value.

There was apparently an issue with non valued javadoc options, cause there is commit reverting it: https://github.com/gradle/gradle/commit/a7da520ac4025cc38a47672de570a87990f9bca1

Now, to add a -X option, we have to trick Gradle to make it accept our option as a key/value. But as you experienced yourself, the empty string will lead to an error. That’s why people add -quiet, this is a rather harmless option for the javadoc binary.

javadoc {
    // without the -quiet option, the build fails
    options.addStringOption('Xdoclint:none', '-quiet')
}

I just tested on a small project with one class with badly designed javadoc:

  • br tags <br/>
  • Text making use of < and > such as Collection<Foo>
  • unknown @param argument name
  • undefined @param argument description

with Maven and Gradle. Both break the build without appropriate configuration. Both manage to generate something with the Xdoclint:none set. Resulting html is almost the same in both case with two differences only: Maven generates link to the Java public apidoc by default, and there is an additional link in the navigation bar: “use” linking to class-use folder.

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