SonarSource · tomasz-tylenda-sonarsource · Feb 10, 2026 · Feb 6, 2026 · Feb 9, 2026 · Feb 10, 2026
diff --git a/...ources/default/src/main/java/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckInstanceMainSample.java b/...ources/default/src/main/java/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckInstanceMainSample.java
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package checks;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+class MainMethodThrowsExceptionInstanceMainCheckSample {
+  public void main(String[] args) throws IOException { // Noncompliant {{Remove this throws clause.}}
+//                                ^^^^^^
+  }
+
+  public void main(int a, int b) throws IOException {}
+
+  public void example() {}
+}
diff --git a/...hecks-test-sources/default/src/main/java/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckSample.java b/...hecks-test-sources/default/src/main/java/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckSample.java
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package checks;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+class MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckSample {
+  static class Bad {
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException { // Noncompliant {{Remove this throws clause.}}
+//                                         ^^^^^^
+    }
+  }
+
+  //  Before Java 25, this is not a program entry point.
+  static class InstanceMain {
+    public void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
+    }
+  }
+
+  static class Good {
+    public static void main(String[] args) {
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/java-checks-test-sources/default/src/main/java/checks/RawExceptionCheckSample.java b/java-checks-test-sources/default/src/main/java/checks/RawExceptionCheckSample.java
@@ -103,4 +103,7 @@ public void throws_Exception2() throws Exception { // Compliant because override
 
   public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception { //should not raise issue SONARJAVA-671
   }
+
+  void main() throws Exception { // Compliant, because it is an instance main.
+  }
 }
diff --git a/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheck.java b/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheck.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public List<Tree.Kind> nodesToVisit() {
   @Override
   public void visitNode(Tree tree) {
     MethodTree methodTree = (MethodTree) tree;
-    if (MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(methodTree) && !methodTree.throwsClauses().isEmpty()) {
+    if (MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(methodTree, context.getJavaVersion()) && !methodTree.throwsClauses().isEmpty()) {
       reportIssue(methodTree.throwsToken(), "Remove this throws clause.");
     }
   }

diff --git a/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/RawExceptionCheck.java b/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/RawExceptionCheck.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import org.sonar.java.reporting.FluentReporting;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.JavaFileScanner;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.JavaFileScannerContext;
+import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.JavaVersion;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.semantic.Symbol;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.semantic.Type;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.tree.BaseTreeVisitor;
@@ -47,11 +48,13 @@ public class RawExceptionCheck extends BaseTreeVisitor implements JavaFileScanne
     "java.lang.RuntimeException");
 
   private FluentReporting context;
+  private JavaVersion javaVersion;
   private final Set<Type> exceptionsThrownByMethodInvocations = new HashSet<>();
 
   @Override
   public void scanFile(JavaFileScannerContext context) {
     this.context = (FluentReporting) context;
+    this.javaVersion = context.getJavaVersion();
     scan(context.getTree());
   }
 
@@ -120,8 +123,8 @@ private static boolean isNotOverridden(MethodTree tree) {
     return Boolean.FALSE.equals(tree.isOverriding());
   }
 
-  private static boolean isNotMainMethod(MethodTree tree) {
-    return !MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(tree);
+  private boolean isNotMainMethod(MethodTree tree) {
+    return !MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(tree, javaVersion);
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/SystemExitCalledCheck.java b/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/SystemExitCalledCheck.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public List<Tree.Kind> nodesToVisit() {
 
   @Override
   public void visitNode(Tree tree) {
-    if (tree.is(Tree.Kind.CONSTRUCTOR) || !MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod((MethodTree) tree)) {
+    if (tree.is(Tree.Kind.CONSTRUCTOR) || !MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod((MethodTree) tree, context.getJavaVersion())) {
       tree.accept(new InvocationVisitor());
     }
   }

diff --git a/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/ThrowsSeveralCheckedExceptionCheck.java b/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/ThrowsSeveralCheckedExceptionCheck.java
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public List<Tree.Kind> nodesToVisit() {
   @Override
   public void visitNode(Tree tree) {
     MethodTree methodTree = (MethodTree) tree;
-    if (isPublic(methodTree) && !MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(methodTree)) {
+    if (isPublic(methodTree) && !MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(methodTree, context.getJavaVersion())) {
       List<String> thrownCheckedExceptions = getThrownCheckedExceptions(methodTree);
       if (thrownCheckedExceptions.size() > 1 && isNotOverridden(methodTree)) {
         reportIssue(methodTree.simpleName(), "Refactor this method to throw at most one checked exception instead of: " + String.join(", ", thrownCheckedExceptions));

diff --git a/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/UtilityClassWithPublicConstructorCheck.java b/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/UtilityClassWithPublicConstructorCheck.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public List<Tree.Kind> nodesToVisit() {
   @Override
   public void visitNode(Tree tree) {
     ClassTree classTree = (ClassTree) tree;
-    if (!ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(classTree) || ClassPatternsUtils.isPrivateInnerClass(classTree)) {
+    if (!ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(classTree, context.getJavaVersion()) || ClassPatternsUtils.isPrivateInnerClass(classTree)) {
       return;
     }
     boolean hasImplicitPublicConstructor = true;

diff --git a/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/design/ClassImportCouplingCheck.java b/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/design/ClassImportCouplingCheck.java
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public void scanFile(JavaFileScannerContext context) {
   @Override
   public void visitClass(ClassTree tree) {
     // if class is utility or private inner class -> don't report
-    if (ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(tree) || ClassPatternsUtils.isPrivateInnerClass(tree)) {
+    if (ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(tree, context.getJavaVersion()) || ClassPatternsUtils.isPrivateInnerClass(tree)) {
       return;
     }
 

diff --git a/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/helpers/ClassPatternsUtils.java b/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/helpers/ClassPatternsUtils.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 import java.util.List;
 import org.sonar.java.model.ModifiersUtils;
+import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.JavaVersion;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.tree.ClassTree;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.tree.MethodTree;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.tree.Modifier;
@@ -35,15 +36,16 @@ public static boolean isPrivateInnerClass(ClassTree classTree) {
       ModifiersUtils.hasModifier(classTree.modifiers(), Modifier.PRIVATE);
   }
 
-  public static boolean isUtilityClass(ClassTree classTree) {
+  /** True if the class contains only static members (with caveats). */
+  public static boolean isUtilityClass(ClassTree classTree, JavaVersion javaVersion) {
     return !anonymousClass(classTree) && hasOnlyStaticMembers(classTree) && !extendsAnotherClassOrImplementsSerializable(classTree)
-      && !containsMainMethod(classTree);
+      && !containsMainMethod(classTree, javaVersion);
   }
 
-  private static boolean containsMainMethod(ClassTree classTree) {
+  private static boolean containsMainMethod(ClassTree classTree, JavaVersion javaVersion) {
     return classTree.members().stream()
       .filter(member -> member.is(Tree.Kind.METHOD))
-      .anyMatch(method -> MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod((MethodTree) method));
+      .anyMatch(method -> MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod((MethodTree) method, javaVersion));
   }
 
   private static boolean hasOnlyStaticMembers(ClassTree classTree) {

diff --git a/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/helpers/MethodTreeUtils.java b/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/helpers/MethodTreeUtils.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import org.sonar.java.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import org.sonar.java.model.ExpressionUtils;
 import org.sonar.java.model.ModifiersUtils;
+import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.JavaVersion;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.semantic.MethodMatchers;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.semantic.Symbol;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.tree.Arguments;
@@ -48,14 +49,26 @@ public final class MethodTreeUtils {
   private MethodTreeUtils() {
   }
 
-  public static boolean isMainMethod(MethodTree m) {
+  public static boolean isMainMethod(MethodTree m, JavaVersion javaVersion) {
+    return javaVersion.isJava25Compatible() ? isMainMethodJava25(m) : isMainMethodTraditional(m);
+  }
+
+  private static boolean isMainMethodJava25(MethodTree m) {
+    return !isPrivate(m) && isNamed(m, "main") && returnsPrimitive(m, "void") && (hasStringArrayParameter(m) || hasNoParameters(m));
+  }
+
+  private static boolean isMainMethodTraditional(MethodTree m) {
     return isPublic(m) && isStatic(m) && isNamed(m, "main") && returnsPrimitive(m, "void") && hasStringArrayParameter(m);
   }
 
   private static boolean hasStringArrayParameter(MethodTree m) {
     return m.parameters().size() == 1 && isParameterStringArray(m);
   }
 
+  private static boolean hasNoParameters(MethodTree m) {
+    return m.parameters().isEmpty();
+  }
+
   private static boolean isParameterStringArray(MethodTree m) {
     VariableTree variableTree = m.parameters().get(0);
     boolean result = false;
@@ -137,6 +150,10 @@ private static boolean isPublic(MethodTree m) {
     return ModifiersUtils.hasModifier(m.modifiers(), Modifier.PUBLIC);
   }
 
+  private static boolean isPrivate(MethodTree m) {
+    return ModifiersUtils.hasModifier(m.modifiers(), Modifier.PRIVATE);
+  }
+
   private static boolean returnsInt(MethodTree m) {
     return returnsPrimitive(m, "int");
   }

diff --git a/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/unused/UnusedMethodParameterCheck.java b/java-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/java/checks/unused/UnusedMethodParameterCheck.java
@@ -158,8 +158,8 @@ private static List<JavaQuickFix> createQuickFixes(MethodTree methodTree, List<I
     return quickFixes;
   }
 
-  private static boolean isExcluded(MethodTree tree) {
-    return MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(tree)
+  private boolean isExcluded(MethodTree tree) {
+    return MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(tree, context.getJavaVersion())
       || isAnnotated(tree)
       || isOverriding(tree)
       || isSerializableMethod(tree)

diff --git a/java-checks/src/test/files/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheck.java b/java-checks/src/test/files/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheck.java
diff --git a/java-checks/src/test/java/org/sonar/java/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckTest.java b/java-checks/src/test/java/org/sonar/java/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckTest.java
@@ -19,13 +19,25 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.sonar.java.checks.verifier.CheckVerifier;
 
+import static org.sonar.java.checks.verifier.TestUtils.mainCodeSourcesPath;
+
 class MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckTest {
 
   @Test
   void test() {
     CheckVerifier.newVerifier()
-      .onFile("src/test/files/checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheck.java")
+      .onFile(mainCodeSourcesPath("checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckSample.java"))
+      .withCheck(new MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheck())
+      .withJavaVersion(21)
+      .verifyIssues();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void test_instance_main() {
+    CheckVerifier.newVerifier()
+      .onFile(mainCodeSourcesPath("checks/MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheckInstanceMainSample.java"))
       .withCheck(new MainMethodThrowsExceptionCheck())
+      .withJavaVersion(25)
       .verifyIssues();
   }
 }
diff --git a/java-checks/src/test/java/org/sonar/java/checks/RawExceptionCheckTest.java b/java-checks/src/test/java/org/sonar/java/checks/RawExceptionCheckTest.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ void test() {
     CheckVerifier.newVerifier()
       .onFile(mainCodeSourcesPath("checks/RawExceptionCheckSample.java"))
       .withCheck(new RawExceptionCheck())
+      .withJavaVersion(25)
       .verifyIssues();
   }
 

diff --git a/java-checks/src/test/java/org/sonar/java/checks/helpers/ClassPatternsUtilsTest.java b/java-checks/src/test/java/org/sonar/java/checks/helpers/ClassPatternsUtilsTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 package org.sonar.java.checks.helpers;
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.sonar.java.model.JavaVersionImpl;
+import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.JavaVersion;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.tree.ClassTree;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.tree.CompilationUnitTree;
 
@@ -33,13 +35,19 @@ void is_private_inner_class() {
 
   @Test
   void is_utility_class() {
-    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { public static void main(String[] args){} }")));
-    assertTrue(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { public static void a(){} private static void b(){}}")));
-    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("enum A {}")));
-    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { enum B {}}")));
-    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { interface B {}}")));
-    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { @interface B {}}")));
-    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { public static void a(){} private static void b(){} private void c(){}}")));
+    JavaVersion java21 = new JavaVersionImpl(21);
+    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { public static void main(String[] args){} }"), java21));
+    assertTrue(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { public static void a(){} private static void b(){}}"), java21));
+    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("enum A {}"), java21));
+    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { enum B {}}"), java21));
+    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { interface B {}}"), java21));
+    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { @interface B {}}"), java21));
+    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(parseClass("class A { public static void a(){} private static void b(){} private void c(){}}"), java21));
+
+    JavaVersion java25 = new JavaVersionImpl(25);
+    ClassTree instanceMain = parseClass("class A { static void main(){} }");
+    assertTrue(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(instanceMain, java21));
+    assertFalse(ClassPatternsUtils.isUtilityClass(instanceMain, java25));
   }
 
   private ClassTree parseClass(String code) {

diff --git a/java-checks/src/test/java/org/sonar/java/checks/helpers/MethodTreeUtilsTest.java b/java-checks/src/test/java/org/sonar/java/checks/helpers/MethodTreeUtilsTest.java
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.sonar.java.model.JavaVersionImpl;
 import org.sonar.java.model.expression.LiteralTreeImpl;
+import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.JavaVersion;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.semantic.MethodMatchers;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.tree.BaseTreeVisitor;
 import org.sonar.plugins.java.api.tree.ClassTree;
@@ -45,14 +47,28 @@ class MethodTreeUtilsTest {
 
   @Test
   void is_main_method() {
-    assertTrue(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void main(String[] args){} }")));
-    assertTrue(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void main(String... args){} }")));
-    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public void main(String[] args){} }")));
-    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { static void main(String[] args){} }")));
-    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void amain(String[] args){} }")));
-    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void main(String args){} }")));
-    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static int main(String[] args){} }")));
-    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void main(String[] args, String[] second){} }")));
+    JavaVersion java21 = new JavaVersionImpl(21);
+
+    assertTrue(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void main(String[] args){} }"), java21));
+    assertTrue(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void main(String... args){} }"), java21));
+    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public void main(String[] args){} }"), java21));
+    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { static void main(String[] args){} }"), java21));
+    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void amain(String[] args){} }"), java21));
+    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void main(String args){} }"), java21));
+    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static int main(String[] args){} }"), java21));
+    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A { public static void main(String[] args, String[] second){} }"), java21));
+
+    JavaVersion java25 = new JavaVersionImpl(25);
+
+    MethodTree instanceMainNoArg = parseMethod("class A { void main(){} }");
+    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(instanceMainNoArg, java21));
+    assertTrue(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(instanceMainNoArg, java25));
+
+    MethodTree instanceMainWithArgs = parseMethod("class A { void main(String ... args){} }");
+    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(instanceMainWithArgs, java21));
+    assertTrue(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(instanceMainWithArgs, java25));
+
+    assertFalse(MethodTreeUtils.isMainMethod(parseMethod("class A {void amain(){} }"), java25));
   }
 
   @Test
-Original file line number
+Diff line change
@@ Expand Up @@
       public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception { //should not raise issue SONARJAVA-671
       }
+      void main() throws Exception { // Compliant, because it is an instance main.
+      }
     }