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Posted to commits@commons.apache.org by gg...@apache.org on 2026/07/11 12:52:09 UTC

(commons-configuration) branch master updated: Javadoc

This is an automated email from the ASF dual-hosted git repository.

garydgregory pushed a commit to branch master
in repository https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/commons-configuration.git


The following commit(s) were added to refs/heads/master by this push:
     new 288c40ad8 Javadoc
288c40ad8 is described below

commit 288c40ad8188d1a91af071d680a18eae735488e9
Author: Gary Gregory <ga...@gmail.com>
AuthorDate: Sat Jul 11 08:52:02 2026 -0400

    Javadoc
---
 .../configuration2/AbstractConfiguration.java      | 38 ++++++++--------
 .../AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java         | 24 +++++-----
 .../commons/configuration2/BaseConfiguration.java  |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/BaseConfigurationXMLReader.java |  4 +-
 .../BaseHierarchicalConfiguration.java             | 30 ++++++-------
 .../configuration2/CombinedConfiguration.java      | 36 +++++++--------
 .../configuration2/CompositeConfiguration.java     | 10 ++---
 .../commons/configuration2/Configuration.java      |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/ConfigurationConverter.java     |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/ConfigurationDecoder.java       |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/ConfigurationLookup.java        |  2 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/ConfigurationMap.java   |  6 +--
 .../commons/configuration2/ConfigurationUtils.java | 16 +++----
 .../configuration2/ConfigurationXMLReader.java     | 14 +++---
 .../commons/configuration2/DataConfiguration.java  |  6 +--
 .../configuration2/DatabaseConfiguration.java      | 32 ++++++-------
 .../DynamicCombinedConfiguration.java              | 34 +++++++-------
 .../HierarchicalConfigurationConverter.java        |  2 +-
 .../HierarchicalConfigurationXMLReader.java        |  6 +--
 .../commons/configuration2/INIConfiguration.java   | 18 ++++----
 .../configuration2/ImmutableConfiguration.java     | 16 +++----
 .../ImmutableConfigurationInvocationHandler.java   |  2 +-
 .../ImmutableHierarchicalConfiguration.java        |  6 +--
 .../commons/configuration2/JNDIConfiguration.java  | 10 ++---
 .../commons/configuration2/MapConfiguration.java   |  4 +-
 .../PatternSubtreeConfigurationWrapper.java        |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/PrefixedKeysIterator.java       |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/PropertiesConfiguration.java    | 52 +++++++++++-----------
 .../PropertiesConfigurationLayout.java             | 48 ++++++++++----------
 .../configuration2/SubnodeConfiguration.java       | 10 ++---
 .../configuration2/SubsetConfiguration.java        | 10 ++---
 .../commons/configuration2/XMLConfiguration.java   | 34 +++++++-------
 .../commons/configuration2/XMLDocumentHelper.java  | 30 ++++++-------
 .../commons/configuration2/XMLListReference.java   |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/XMLPropertiesConfiguration.java |  4 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/YAMLConfiguration.java  |  2 +-
 .../beanutils/BeanCreationContext.java             |  8 ++--
 .../configuration2/beanutils/BeanDeclaration.java  |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/beanutils/BeanFactory.java      |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/beanutils/BeanHelper.java       | 22 ++++-----
 .../configuration2/beanutils/ConstructorArg.java   | 14 +++---
 .../beanutils/DefaultBeanFactory.java              | 16 +++----
 .../beanutils/XMLBeanDeclaration.java              | 34 +++++++-------
 .../builder/BasicBuilderParameters.java            | 14 +++---
 .../builder/BasicConfigurationBuilder.java         | 18 ++++----
 .../BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java        | 12 ++---
 .../builder/ConfigurationBuilder.java              |  2 +-
 .../builder/ConfigurationBuilderEvent.java         |  2 +-
 .../ConfigurationBuilderResultCreatedEvent.java    |  2 +-
 .../builder/CopyObjectDefaultHandler.java          |  2 +-
 .../builder/EventListenerProvider.java             |  2 +-
 .../builder/FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl.java    | 12 ++---
 .../builder/FileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java     |  8 ++--
 .../builder/ReloadingBuilderSupportListener.java   |  2 +-
 .../builder/ReloadingDetectorFactory.java          |  2 +-
 .../ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java    |  8 ++--
 .../builder/XMLBuilderParametersImpl.java          |  2 +-
 .../combined/BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java | 20 ++++-----
 .../combined/CombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java    | 18 ++++----
 .../combined/CombinedConfigurationBuilder.java     | 40 ++++++++---------
 .../combined/ConfigurationBuilderProvider.java     |  2 +-
 .../builder/combined/ConfigurationDeclaration.java | 12 ++---
 .../FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java |  8 ++--
 .../combined/MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl.java   |  4 +-
 .../combined/MultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java    | 20 ++++-----
 .../MultiFileConfigurationBuilderProvider.java     |  4 +-
 .../builder/combined/MultiWrapDynaBean.java        |  4 +-
 .../ReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java     |  2 +-
 .../ReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java    |  2 +-
 .../builder/fluent/Configurations.java             | 48 ++++++++++----------
 .../configuration2/builder/fluent/Parameters.java  | 24 +++++-----
 .../convert/AbstractListDelimiterHandler.java      |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/convert/ConversionHandler.java  |  4 +-
 .../convert/DefaultConversionHandler.java          | 16 +++----
 .../convert/DefaultListDelimiterHandler.java       |  2 +-
 .../convert/LegacyListDelimiterHandler.java        |  8 ++--
 .../convert/ListDelimiterHandler.java              |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/convert/PropertyConverter.java  | 52 +++++++++++-----------
 .../configuration2/convert/ValueTransformer.java   |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/event/BaseEventSource.java      |  6 +--
 .../event/ConfigurationErrorEvent.java             |  8 ++--
 .../configuration2/event/ConfigurationEvent.java   |  4 +-
 .../apache/commons/configuration2/event/Event.java |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/event/EventListenerList.java    |  2 +-
 .../event/EventListenerRegistrationData.java       |  4 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/event/EventType.java    |  4 +-
 .../interpol/ConfigurationInterpolator.java        | 22 ++++-----
 .../configuration2/interpol/ConstantLookup.java    |  6 +--
 .../configuration2/interpol/DefaultLookups.java    |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/interpol/EnvironmentLookup.java |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/interpol/ExprLookup.java        | 14 +++---
 .../interpol/InterpolatorSpecification.java        | 10 ++---
 .../commons/configuration2/interpol/Lookup.java    |  2 +-
 .../io/AbstractFileLocationStrategy.java           |  4 +-
 .../io/CombinedLocationStrategy.java               |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/io/ConfigurationLogger.java     |  8 ++--
 .../commons/configuration2/io/FileHandler.java     | 32 ++++++-------
 .../commons/configuration2/io/FileLocator.java     | 16 +++----
 .../configuration2/io/FileLocatorUtils.java        | 32 ++++++-------
 .../commons/configuration2/io/FileSystem.java      | 10 ++---
 .../commons/configuration2/io/FileUtils.java       |  2 +-
 .../io/HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java          |  8 ++--
 .../configuration2/io/URLConnectionOptions.java    |  6 +--
 .../plist/PropertyListConfiguration.java           |  6 +--
 .../plist/XMLPropertyListConfiguration.java        | 12 ++---
 .../reloading/FileHandlerReloadingDetector.java    | 12 ++---
 .../reloading/PeriodicReloadingTrigger.java        |  6 +--
 .../reloading/ReloadingController.java             |  2 +-
 .../reloading/ReloadingControllerSupport.java      |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/reloading/ReloadingEvent.java   |  2 +-
 .../reloading/VFSFileHandlerReloadingDetector.java |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/resolver/CatalogResolver.java   |  8 ++--
 .../spring/ConfigurationPropertiesFactoryBean.java |  6 +--
 .../configuration2/sync/ReadWriteSynchronizer.java |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/sync/SynchronizerSupport.java   |  2 +-
 .../tree/DefaultConfigurationKey.java              | 46 +++++++++----------
 .../tree/DefaultExpressionEngine.java              |  6 +--
 .../tree/DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols.java       | 16 +++----
 .../configuration2/tree/ExpressionEngine.java      |  4 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/ImmutableNode.java | 32 ++++++-------
 .../configuration2/tree/InMemoryNodeModel.java     | 34 +++++++-------
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/MergeCombiner.java |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/ModelTransaction.java      | 38 ++++++++--------
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/NodeAddData.java   |  4 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/NodeCombiner.java  |  4 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/NodeHandler.java   | 18 ++++----
 .../configuration2/tree/NodeHandlerDecorator.java  |  2 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/NodeModel.java     |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/NodeModelSupport.java      |  2 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/NodeSelector.java  |  4 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/NodeTracker.java   | 40 ++++++++---------
 .../configuration2/tree/NodeUpdateData.java        | 12 ++---
 .../configuration2/tree/OverrideCombiner.java      |  2 +-
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/QueryResult.java   | 10 ++---
 .../configuration2/tree/ReferenceNodeHandler.java  |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/ReferenceTracker.java      |  8 ++--
 .../configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeHandler.java    |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeModel.java      |  6 +--
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/TreeData.java      | 18 ++++----
 .../commons/configuration2/tree/UnionCombiner.java |  4 +-
 .../xpath/AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator.java   | 22 ++++-----
 .../tree/xpath/ConfigurationAttributePointer.java  | 20 ++++-----
 .../xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorAttribute.java  |  2 +-
 .../xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren.java   | 10 ++---
 .../tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodePointer.java       | 22 ++++-----
 .../xpath/ConfigurationNodePointerFactory.java     |  4 +-
 .../tree/xpath/XPathContextFactory.java            |  2 +-
 .../tree/xpath/XPathExpressionEngine.java          | 14 +++---
 .../configuration2/web/BaseWebConfiguration.java   |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/ConfigurationAssert.java        |  6 +--
 .../DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper.java           | 20 ++++-----
 .../configuration2/InterpolationTestHelper.java    |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/MockInitialContextFactory.java  |  8 ++--
 .../commons/configuration2/TempDirUtils.java       |  8 ++--
 .../TestAbstractConfigurationBasicFeatures.java    |  6 +--
 .../TestAbstractConfigurationSynchronization.java  |  2 +-
 .../TestAbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java     |  6 +--
 .../configuration2/TestCombinedConfiguration.java  |  6 +--
 .../configuration2/TestCompositeConfiguration.java |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/TestConfigurationConverter.java |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/TestConfigurationUtils.java     |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/TestDataConfiguration.java      |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/TestDatabaseConfiguration.java  |  4 +-
 .../TestDynamicCombinedConfiguration.java          |  2 +-
 .../TestHierarchicalConfiguration.java             |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/TestINIConfiguration.java       | 10 ++---
 .../configuration2/TestImmutableConfiguration.java |  2 +-
 .../TestPropertiesConfiguration.java               |  6 +--
 .../TestPropertiesConfigurationLayout.java         |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/TestSubnodeConfiguration.java   |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration.java       |  8 ++--
 .../configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration605.java    |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/TestXMLDocumentHelper.java      |  8 ++--
 .../configuration2/TestXMLListHandling.java        |  6 +--
 .../TestXMLPropertiesConfiguration.java            |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/beanutils/TestBeanHelper.java   |  4 +-
 .../beanutils/TestCombinedBeanDeclaration.java     |  4 +-
 .../beanutils/TestConfigurationDynaBean.java       |  2 +-
 .../TestConfigurationDynaBeanXMLConfig.java        |  2 +-
 .../beanutils/TestDefaultBeanFactory.java          |  4 +-
 .../beanutils/TestXMLBeanDeclaration.java          |  2 +-
 .../builder/BuilderEventListenerImpl.java          |  4 +-
 .../builder/TestBasicConfigurationBuilder.java     |  4 +-
 .../TestBuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java    |  2 +-
 .../builder/TestFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java |  2 +-
 ...TestReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java |  2 +-
 .../AbstractMultiFileConfigurationBuilderTest.java |  4 +-
 .../TestBaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java      |  8 ++--
 .../TestCombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java         |  2 +-
 .../combined/TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java | 14 +++---
 .../combined/TestConfigurationDeclaration.java     |  2 +-
 ...tFileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java |  4 +-
 .../TestMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java         |  4 +-
 .../builder/combined/TestMultiWrapDynaBean.java    |  2 +-
 ...adingCombinedConfigurationBuilderFileBased.java |  6 +--
 ...TestReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java |  2 +-
 .../builder/fluent/TestConfigurations.java         |  2 +-
 .../builder/fluent/TestParameters.java             |  2 +-
 .../convert/TestDefaultConversionHandler.java      |  2 +-
 .../event/AbstractEventListenerTestImpl.java       |  2 +-
 .../event/AbstractTestConfigurationEvents.java     |  2 +-
 .../event/ErrorListenerTestImpl.java               |  2 +-
 .../interpol/TestConfigurationInterpolator.java    |  4 +-
 .../interpol/TestConstantLookup.java               |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/interpol/TestExprLookup.java    |  2 +-
 .../interpol/TestInterpolatorSpecification.java    |  2 +-
 .../io/TestCombinedLocationStrategy.java           |  6 +--
 .../commons/configuration2/io/TestFileHandler.java | 12 ++---
 .../io/TestHomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java      |  2 +-
 .../plist/TestPropertyListConfiguration.java       |  2 +-
 .../reloading/TestCombinedReloadingController.java |  2 +-
 .../reloading/TestPeriodicReloadingTrigger.java    |  4 +-
 .../reloading/TestReloadingController.java         |  4 +-
 .../sync/TestReadWriteSynchronizer.java            |  6 +--
 .../configuration2/tree/AbstractCombinerTest.java  |  4 +-
 .../tree/AbstractImmutableNodeHandlerTest.java     |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/NodeStructureHelper.java   | 52 +++++++++++-----------
 .../tree/TestDefaultConfigurationKey.java          |  4 +-
 .../tree/TestDefaultExpressionEngine.java          | 12 ++---
 .../tree/TestDefaultExpressionEngineSymbols.java   |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/TestImmutableNode.java     |  8 ++--
 .../configuration2/tree/TestInMemoryNodeModel.java |  2 +-
 .../tree/TestInMemoryNodeModelReferences.java      |  2 +-
 .../tree/TestInMemoryNodeModelTrackedNodes.java    |  6 +--
 .../configuration2/tree/TestMergeCombiner.java     |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/TestNodeNameMatchers.java  |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/TestNodeSelector.java      |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/TestNodeTreeWalker.java    | 16 +++----
 .../configuration2/tree/TestNodeUpdateData.java    |  2 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/TestOverrideCombiner.java  |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/TestTrackedNodeModel.java  |  4 +-
 .../configuration2/tree/TestUnionCombiner.java     |  2 +-
 .../tree/xpath/AbstractXPathTest.java              |  4 +-
 .../TestConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren.java     |  4 +-
 .../tree/xpath/TestXPathExpressionEngine.java      |  4 +-
 .../TestJakartaServletRequestConfiguration.java    |  2 +-
 .../web/TestServletRequestConfiguration.java       |  2 +-
 237 files changed, 1061 insertions(+), 1061 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/AbstractConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/AbstractConfiguration.java
index 467980863..097987587 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/AbstractConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/AbstractConfiguration.java
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * @param <T> The type of the object to be checked.
      * @param key the key which caused the problem.
      * @param value the value to be checked.
-     * @return the passed in value for chaining this method call.
+     * @return The passed in value for chaining this method call.
      * @throws NoSuchElementException if the value is <strong>null</strong>.
      */
     private static <T> T checkNonNullValue(final String key, final T value) {
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      *
      * @param ci the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} in question.
      * @param targetConf the target configuration of the searched lookup.
-     * @return the found {@code Lookup} object or <strong>null</strong>.
+     * @return The found {@code Lookup} object or <strong>null</strong>.
      */
     private static Lookup findConfigurationLookup(final ConfigurationInterpolator ci, final ImmutableConfiguration targetConf) {
         for (final Lookup l : ci.getDefaultLookups()) {
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      *
      * @param target the target collection.
      * @param defaultValue the default collection.
-     * @return the initialized target collection.
+     * @return The initialized target collection.
      */
     private static <T> Collection<T> handleDefaultCollection(final Collection<T> target, final Collection<T> defaultValue) {
         if (defaultValue == null) {
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * @param key the key of the desired property.
      * @param defValue a default value.
      * @param throwOnMissing a flag whether an exception should be thrown for a missing value.
-     * @return the converted value.
+     * @return The converted value.
      */
     private <T> T convert(final Class<T> cls, final String key, final T defValue, final boolean throwOnMissing) {
         if (cls.isArray()) {
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * @param cls the component class of the array.
      * @param key the configuration key.
      * @param defaultValue an optional default value.
-     * @return the converted array.
+     * @return The converted array.
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the default value is not a compatible array.
      */
     private Object convertToArray(final Class<?> cls, final String key, final Object defaultValue) {
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * values have to be escaped.
      *
      * @param value the value to be encoded.
-     * @return the encoded value.
+     * @return The encoded value.
      */
     private Object encodeForCopy(final Object value) {
         if (value instanceof Collection) {
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * this configuration.
      *
      * @param ci the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} in question.
-     * @return the found {@code Lookup} object or <strong>null</strong>.
+     * @return The found {@code Lookup} object or <strong>null</strong>.
      */
     private Lookup findConfigurationLookup(final ConfigurationInterpolator ci) {
         return findConfigurationLookup(ci, this);
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * @param cls the target class.
      * @param key the key of the desired property.
      * @param defaultValue a default value.
-     * @return the converted value of this property.
+     * @return The converted value of this property.
      * @throws ConversionException if the conversion cannot be performed.
      */
     private <T> T getAndConvertProperty(final Class<T> cls, final String key, final T defaultValue) {
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      *
      * @param key the key of the property.
      * @param defaultValue the default value.
-     * @return the value of this key converted to a {@code Boolean}.
+     * @return The value of this key converted to a {@code Boolean}.
      * @throws ConversionException if the value cannot be converted to a {@code Boolean}.
      */
     @Override
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ConfigurationDecoder} used by this instance.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationDecoder}.
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationDecoder}.
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public ConfigurationDecoder getConfigurationDecoder() {
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ConversionHandler} used by this instance.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConversionHandler}.
+     * @return The {@code ConversionHandler}.
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public ConversionHandler getConversionHandler() {
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * resolve values from this configuration instance and support the
      * {@link ConfigurationInterpolator#getDefaultPrefixLookups() default prefix lookups}.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} associated with this configuration
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} associated with this configuration
      * @since 1.4
      * @see ConfigurationInterpolator#getDefaultPrefixLookups()
      */
@@ -990,7 +990,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ListDelimiterHandler} used by this instance.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ListDelimiterHandler}
+     * @return The {@code ListDelimiterHandler}
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public ListDelimiterHandler getListDelimiterHandler() {
@@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
     /**
      * Gets the logger used by this configuration object.
      *
-     * @return the logger
+     * @return The logger
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public ConfigurationLogger getLogger() {
@@ -1078,7 +1078,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * subclasses must define it to fetch the value of the desired property.
      *
      * @param key the key of the property in question.
-     * @return the (raw) value of this property.
+     * @return The (raw) value of this property.
      * @since 2.0
      */
     protected abstract Object getPropertyInternal(String key);
@@ -1138,7 +1138,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * {@code Synchronizer} has been set, a {@link NoOpSynchronizer} is returned. So, per default, instances of
      * {@code AbstractConfiguration} are not thread-safe unless a suitable {@code Synchronizer} is set!
      *
-     * @return the {@code Synchronizer} used by this instance.
+     * @return The {@code Synchronizer} used by this instance.
      * @since 2.0
      */
     @Override
@@ -1190,7 +1190,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} is set, the passed in value is returned without changes.
      *
      * @param value the value to interpolate.
-     * @return the value with variables substituted.
+     * @return The value with variables substituted.
      */
     protected Object interpolate(final Object value) {
         final ConfigurationInterpolator ci = getInterpolator();
@@ -1201,7 +1201,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * interpolate key names to handle ${key} stuff
      *
      * @param base string to interpolate.
-     * @return the key name with the ${key} substituted.
+     * @return The key name with the ${key} substituted.
      */
     protected String interpolate(final String base) {
         return Objects.toString(interpolate((Object) base), null);
@@ -1506,7 +1506,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractConfiguration extends BaseEventSource implements C
      * The base implementation provided here calculates the size based on the iterator returned by {@code getKeys()}. Sub
      * classes which can determine the size in a more efficient way should override this method.
      *
-     * @return the size of this configuration (i.e. the number of keys).
+     * @return The size of this configuration (i.e. the number of keys).
      */
     protected int sizeInternal() {
         int size = 0;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java
index a3cb17a25..bd0cf3607 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
         /**
          * Gets the list with all defined keys.
          *
-         * @return the list with the defined keys
+         * @return The list with the defined keys
          */
         public Set<String> getKeyList() {
             return keyList;
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
         /**
          * Returns the defined flag.
          *
-         * @return the defined flag
+         * @return The defined flag
          */
         public boolean isDefined() {
             return defined;
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
      * Creates a copy of this object. This new configuration object will contain copies of all nodes in the same structure.
      * Registered event listeners won't be cloned; so they are not registered at the returned copy.
      *
-     * @return the copy
+     * @return The copy
      * @since 1.2
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
     /**
      * Creates a clone of the node model. This method is called by {@code clone()}.
      *
-     * @return the clone of the {@code NodeModel}
+     * @return The clone of the {@code NodeModel}
      * @since 2.0
      */
     protected abstract NodeModel<T> cloneNodeModel();
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
      * Gets the expression engine used by this configuration. This method will never return <strong>null</strong>; if no specific
      * expression engine was set, the default expression engine will be returned.
      *
-     * @return the current expression engine
+     * @return The current expression engine
      * @since 1.3
      */
     @Override
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
      * key is not contained in this configuration, result is -1.
      *
      * @param key the key to be checked
-     * @return the maximum defined index for this key
+     * @return The maximum defined index for this key
      */
     @Override
     public final int getMaxIndex(final String key) {
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
      * Subclasses that need to adapt this operation have to override this method.
      *
      * @param key the key to be checked
-     * @return the maximum defined index for this key
+     * @return The maximum defined index for this key
      * @since 2.0
      */
     protected int getMaxIndexInternal(final String key) {
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
      * the model is granted without any synchronization. This is in contrast to the &quot;official&quot;
      * {@code getNodeModel()} method which is guarded by the configuration's {@code Synchronizer}.
      *
-     * @return the node model
+     * @return The node model
      */
     protected NodeModel<T> getModel() {
         return nodeModel;
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
      * Fetches the specified property. This task is delegated to the associated expression engine.
      *
      * @param key the key to be looked up
-     * @return the found value
+     * @return The found value
      */
     @Override
     protected Object getPropertyInternal(final String key) {
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
      * Actually obtains the name of the root element. This method is called by {@code getRootElementName()}. It just returns
      * the name of the root node. Subclasses that treat the root element name differently can override this method.
      *
-     * @return the name of this configuration's root element
+     * @return The name of this configuration's root element
      */
     protected String getRootElementNameInternal() {
         final NodeHandler<T> nodeHandler = getModel().getNodeHandler();
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
      *
      * @param result the {@code QueryResult}
      * @param handler the {@code NodeHandler}
-     * @return the value of this result (may be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The value of this result (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     private Object valueFromResult(final QueryResult<T> result, final NodeHandler<T> handler) {
         return result.isAttributeResult() ? result.getAttributeValue(handler) : handler.getValue(result.getNode());
@@ -781,7 +781,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHierarchicalConfiguration<T> extends AbstractConfi
     /**
      * Creates a {@code DefinedKeysVisitor} and visits all defined keys with it.
      *
-     * @return the visitor after all keys have been visited
+     * @return The visitor after all keys have been visited
      */
     private DefinedKeysVisitor visitDefinedKeys() {
         final DefinedKeysVisitor visitor = new DefinedKeysVisitor();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseConfiguration.java
index 4e910ee73..eedd47426 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseConfiguration.java
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public class BaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration implements Cloneabl
      * Creates a copy of this object. This implementation will create a deep clone, i.e. the map that stores the properties
      * is cloned, too. So changes performed at the copy won't affect the original and vice versa.
      *
-     * @return the copy
+     * @return The copy
      * @since 1.3
      */
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseConfigurationXMLReader.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseConfigurationXMLReader.java
index c82a4a1d2..0547eefeb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseConfigurationXMLReader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseConfigurationXMLReader.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationXMLReader extends ConfigurationXMLReader {
     /**
      * Gets the actual configuration to be processed.
      *
-     * @return the actual configuration
+     * @return The actual configuration
      */
     public Configuration getConfiguration() {
         return config;
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationXMLReader extends ConfigurationXMLReader {
     /**
      * Gets the configuration to be processed.
      *
-     * @return the actual configuration
+     * @return The actual configuration
      */
     @Override
     public Configuration getParsedConfiguration() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseHierarchicalConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseHierarchicalConfiguration.java
index e698f009e..5c3785279 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseHierarchicalConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/BaseHierarchicalConfiguration.java
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
         /**
          * Gets the result of this builder: the root node of the interpolated nodes hierarchy.
          *
-         * @return the resulting root node
+         * @return The resulting root node
          */
         public ImmutableNode getInterpolatedRoot() {
             return interpolatedRoot;
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
          *
          * @param node the current node to be processed
          * @param handler the {@code NodeHandler}
-         * @return the map with interpolated attributes
+         * @return The map with interpolated attributes
          */
         private Map<String, Object> interpolateAttributes(final ImmutableNode node, final NodeHandler<ImmutableNode> handler) {
             final Map<String, Object> attributes = new HashMap<>();
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
         /**
          * Returns the top-level element from the stack without removing it.
          *
-         * @return the top-level element from the stack
+         * @return The top-level element from the stack
          */
         private ImmutableNode.Builder peek() {
             return builderStack.get(0);
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
         /**
          * Pops the top-level element from the stack.
          *
-         * @return the element popped from the stack
+         * @return The element popped from the stack
          */
         private ImmutableNode.Builder pop() {
             return builderStack.remove(0);
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      * the root node of this configuration. Otherwise, a new, empty root node is used.
      *
      * @param c the configuration that is to be copied
-     * @return the {@code NodeModel} for the new configuration
+     * @return The {@code NodeModel} for the new configuration
      */
     private static NodeModel<ImmutableNode> createNodeModel(final HierarchicalConfiguration<ImmutableNode> c) {
         return new InMemoryNodeModel(obtainRootNode(c));
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      * called correctly.
      *
      * @param c the configuration that is to be copied
-     * @return the root node of this configuration
+     * @return The root node of this configuration
      */
     private static ImmutableNode obtainRootNode(final HierarchicalConfiguration<ImmutableNode> c) {
         return c != null ? c.getNodeModel().getNodeHandler().getRootNode() : null;
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      * Creates a listener which reacts on all changes on this configuration or one of its {@code SubnodeConfiguration}
      * instances. If such a change is detected, some updates have to be performed.
      *
-     * @return the newly created change listener
+     * @return The newly created change listener
      */
     private EventListener<ConfigurationEvent> createChangeListener() {
         return this::subnodeConfigurationChanged;
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      * creates a {@link SubnodeConfiguration} with a tracked node identified by the passed in key.
      *
      * @param key the key of the sub configuration
-     * @return the new sub configuration
+     * @return The new sub configuration
      */
     private BaseHierarchicalConfiguration createConnectedSubConfiguration(final String key) {
         final NodeSelector selector = getSubConfigurationNodeSelector(key);
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      *
      * @param parentModelSupport the parent node model support object
      * @param selectors the list of {@code NodeSelector} objects
-     * @return the list with sub configurations
+     * @return The list with sub configurations
      */
     private List<HierarchicalConfiguration<ImmutableNode>> createConnectedSubConfigurations(final InMemoryNodeModelSupport parentModelSupport,
         final Collection<NodeSelector> selectors) {
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      * sub configuration operates on a separate node model (although the nodes are initially shared).
      *
      * @param key the key of the sub configuration
-     * @return the new sub configuration
+     * @return The new sub configuration
      */
     private BaseHierarchicalConfiguration createIndependentSubConfiguration(final String key) {
         final List<ImmutableNode> targetNodes = fetchFilteredNodeResults(key);
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      * {@code BaseHierarchicalConfiguration}. Thus, it is independent from this configuration.
      *
      * @param node the root node for the sub configuration
-     * @return the initialized sub configuration
+     * @return The initialized sub configuration
      */
     private BaseHierarchicalConfiguration createIndependentSubConfigurationForNode(final ImmutableNode node) {
         final BaseHierarchicalConfiguration sub = new BaseHierarchicalConfiguration(new InMemoryNodeModel(node));
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      *
      * @param selector the {@code NodeSelector}
      * @param parentModelSupport the {@code InMemoryNodeModelSupport} object for the parent node model
-     * @return the newly created sub configuration
+     * @return The newly created sub configuration
      * @since 2.0
      */
     protected SubnodeConfiguration createSubConfigurationForTrackedNode(final NodeSelector selector, final InMemoryNodeModelSupport parentModelSupport) {
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      * assigned as value of the new root node.
      *
      * @param results the collection of query results
-     * @return the root node for the subset configuration
+     * @return The root node for the subset configuration
      */
     private ImmutableNode createSubsetRootNode(final Collection<QueryResult<ImmutableNode>> results) {
         final ImmutableNode.Builder builder = new ImmutableNode.Builder();
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      * Executes a query on the specified key and filters it for node results.
      *
      * @param key the key
-     * @return the filtered list with result nodes
+     * @return The filtered list with result nodes
      */
     private List<ImmutableNode> fetchFilteredNodeResults(final String key) {
         final NodeHandler<ImmutableNode> handler = getModel().getNodeHandler();
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ public class BaseHierarchicalConfiguration extends AbstractHierarchicalConfigura
      * whenever a sub configuration is to be created. This base implementation returns the model of this configuration. Sub
      * classes with different requirements for the parent models of sub configurations have to override it.
      *
-     * @return the parent model for a new sub configuration
+     * @return The parent model for a new sub configuration
      */
     protected InMemoryNodeModel getSubConfigurationParentModel() {
         return (InMemoryNodeModel) getModel();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/CombinedConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/CombinedConfiguration.java
index f3b07e9d7..23a827e72 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/CombinedConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/CombinedConfiguration.java
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
         /**
          * Gets the at position of this configuration.
          *
-         * @return the at position
+         * @return The at position
          */
         public String getAt() {
             return at;
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
         /**
          * Gets the stored configuration.
          *
-         * @return the configuration
+         * @return The configuration
          */
         public Configuration getConfiguration() {
             return configuration;
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
         /**
          * Gets the configuration's name.
          *
-         * @return the name
+         * @return The name
          */
         public String getName() {
             return name;
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
         /**
          * Gets the root node for this child configuration.
          *
-         * @return the root node of this child configuration
+         * @return The root node of this child configuration
          * @since 1.5
          */
         public ImmutableNode getRootNode() {
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
          * Obtains the root node of the wrapped configuration. If necessary, a hierarchical representation of the configuration
          * has to be created first.
          *
-         * @return the root node of the associated configuration
+         * @return The root node of the associated configuration
          */
         private ImmutableNode getRootNodeOfConfiguration() {
             getConfiguration().lock(LockMode.READ);
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
          * Gets the transformed root node of the stored configuration. The term &quot;transformed&quot; means that an
          * eventually defined at path has been applied.
          *
-         * @return the transformed root node
+         * @return The transformed root node
          */
         public ImmutableNode getTransformedRoot() {
             final ImmutableNode configRoot = getRootNodeOfConfiguration();
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
          * Prepends the at path to the given node.
          *
          * @param node the root node of the represented configuration
-         * @return the new root node including the at path
+         * @return The new root node including the at path
          */
         private ImmutableNode prependAtPath(final ImmutableNode node) {
             final ImmutableNode.Builder pathBuilder = new ImmutableNode.Builder();
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
      * cloned, too. For this to work, all contained configurations must be cloneable. Registered event listeners won't be
      * cloned. The clone will use the same node combiner than the original.
      *
-     * @return the copied object
+     * @return The copied object
      */
     @Override
     public Object clone() {
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
     /**
      * Creates the root node of this combined configuration.
      *
-     * @return the combined root node
+     * @return The combined root node
      */
     private ImmutableNode constructCombinedNode() {
         if (getNumberOfConfigurationsInternal() < 1) {
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
      * added to this combined configuration. The index of the first configuration is 0.
      *
      * @param index the index
-     * @return the configuration at this index
+     * @return The configuration at this index
      */
     public Configuration getConfiguration(final int index) {
         beginRead(true);
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
      * Gets the configuration with the given name. This can be <strong>null</strong> if no such configuration exists.
      *
      * @param name the name of the configuration
-     * @return the configuration with this name
+     * @return The configuration with this name
      */
     public Configuration getConfiguration(final String name) {
         beginRead(true);
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ExpressionEngine} for converting flat child configurations to hierarchical ones.
      *
-     * @return the conversion expression engine
+     * @return The conversion expression engine
      * @since 1.6
      */
     public ExpressionEngine getConversionExpressionEngine() {
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
     /**
      * Gets the node combiner that is used for creating the combined node structure.
      *
-     * @return the node combiner
+     * @return The node combiner
      */
     public NodeCombiner getNodeCombiner() {
         beginRead(true);
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
     /**
      * Gets the number of configurations that are contained in this combined configuration.
      *
-     * @return the number of contained configurations
+     * @return The number of contained configurations
      */
     public int getNumberOfConfigurations() {
         beginRead(true);
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
      * Gets the number of child configurations in this combined configuration. The internal list of child configurations
      * is accessed without synchronization.
      *
-     * @return the number of child configurations
+     * @return The number of child configurations
      */
     private int getNumberOfConfigurationsInternal() {
         return configurations.size();
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
      * </ul>
      *
      * @param key the key of a configuration property
-     * @return the configuration, to which this property belongs or <strong>null</strong> if the key cannot be resolved
+     * @return The configuration, to which this property belongs or <strong>null</strong> if the key cannot be resolved
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the key maps to multiple properties and the source cannot be determined, or if
      *         the key is <strong>null</strong>
      * @since 1.5
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
      * Removes the configuration with the specified name.
      *
      * @param name the name of the configuration to be removed
-     * @return the removed configuration (<strong>null</strong> if this configuration was not found)
+     * @return The removed configuration (<strong>null</strong> if this configuration was not found)
      */
     public Configuration removeConfiguration(final String name) {
         final Configuration conf = getConfiguration(name);
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ public class CombinedConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration impleme
      * Removes the configuration at the specified index.
      *
      * @param index the index
-     * @return the removed configuration
+     * @return The removed configuration
      */
     public Configuration removeConfigurationAt(final int index) {
         final ConfigData cd = configurations.remove(index);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/CompositeConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/CompositeConfiguration.java
index 8fa34021e..678b79241 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/CompositeConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/CompositeConfiguration.java
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ public class CompositeConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration implements Clo
      * this composite will also be cloned. This only works if all contained configurations support cloning; otherwise a
      * runtime exception will be thrown. Registered event handlers won't get cloned.
      *
-     * @return the copy
+     * @return The copy
      * @since 1.3
      */
     @Override
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ public class CompositeConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration implements Clo
      * Gets the configuration at the specified index.
      *
      * @param index The index of the configuration to retrieve
-     * @return the configuration at this index
+     * @return The configuration at this index
      */
     public Configuration getConfiguration(final int index) {
         return syncRead(() -> configList.get(index), false);
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ public class CompositeConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration implements Clo
     /**
      * Gets the &quot;in memory configuration&quot;. In this configuration changes are stored.
      *
-     * @return the in memory configuration
+     * @return The in memory configuration
      */
     public Configuration getInMemoryConfiguration() {
         return syncReadValue(inMemoryConfiguration, false);
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ public class CompositeConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration implements Clo
     /**
      * Gets the number of configurations.
      *
-     * @return the number of configuration
+     * @return The number of configuration
      */
     public int getNumberOfConfigurations() {
         return syncRead(configList::size, false);
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ public class CompositeConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration implements Clo
      * </ul>
      *
      * @param key the key to be checked
-     * @return the source configuration of this key
+     * @return The source configuration of this key
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the source configuration cannot be determined
      * @since 1.5
      */
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/Configuration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/Configuration.java
index 8c21124c8..f27564735 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/Configuration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/Configuration.java
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public interface Configuration extends ImmutableConfiguration, SynchronizerSuppo
      * Gets the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} object used by this {@code Configuration}. This object is responsible
      * for variable substitution.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     ConfigurationInterpolator getInterpolator();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationConverter.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationConverter.java
index 32f105a85..98847ebdb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationConverter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationConverter.java
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationConverter {
      * Helper method for joining all elements of a list to a string using the default value separator.
      *
      * @param list the list
-     * @return the resulting string
+     * @return The resulting string
      */
     private static String listToString(final List<?> list) {
         return StringUtils.join(list, DEFAULT_SEPARATOR);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationDecoder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationDecoder.java
index f9217bdf0..41ebeb95d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationDecoder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationDecoder.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public interface ConfigurationDecoder {
      * application; so it should be in a readable form.
      *
      * @param s the string to be decoded (not <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the decoded string
+     * @return The decoded string
      */
     String decode(String s);
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationLookup.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationLookup.java
index fe8a03f98..0048624ec 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationLookup.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationLookup.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class ConfigurationLookup implements Lookup {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ImmutableConfiguration} used by this object.
      *
-     * @return the associated {@code ImmutableConfiguration}
+     * @return The associated {@code ImmutableConfiguration}
      */
     public ImmutableConfiguration getConfiguration() {
         return configuration;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationMap.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationMap.java
index d72e933f1..bd43c5fee 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationMap.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationMap.java
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ public class ConfigurationMap extends AbstractMap<Object, Object> {
      * configuration.
      *
      * @param key the key
-     * @return the value of this key
+     * @return The value of this key
      * @see Map#get(Object)
      */
     @Override
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ public class ConfigurationMap extends AbstractMap<Object, Object> {
     /**
      * Gets the wrapped {@code Configuration} object.
      *
-     * @return the wrapped configuration
+     * @return The wrapped configuration
      * @since 1.2
      */
     public Configuration getConfiguration() {
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public class ConfigurationMap extends AbstractMap<Object, Object> {
      *
      * @param key the key (will be converted to a string)
      * @param value the value
-     * @return the old value of this key or <strong>null</strong> if it is new
+     * @return The old value of this key or <strong>null</strong> if it is new
      * @see Map#put(Object, Object)
      */
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationUtils.java
index 635edfb4b..11a4b4d81 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationUtils.java
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationUtils {
      * Errors that occur during the cloning process are re-thrown as runtime exceptions.
      *
      * @param obj the object to be cloned or null.
-     * @return the cloned object or null.
+     * @return The cloned object or null.
      * @throws CloneNotSupportedException if the object cannot be cloned.
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationUtils {
      * {@code Cloneable} interface, its {@code clone()} method will be invoked. Otherwise an exception will be thrown.
      *
      * @param config the configuration object to be cloned (can be <strong>null</strong>).
-     * @return the cloned configuration (<strong>null</strong> if the argument was <strong>null</strong>, too).
+     * @return The cloned configuration (<strong>null</strong> if the argument was <strong>null</strong>, too).
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if cloning is not supported for this object.
      * @since 1.3
      */
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationUtils {
      * caught and also cause this method to return the original object.
      *
      * @param obj the object to be cloned.
-     * @return the result of the cloning attempt.
+     * @return The result of the cloning attempt.
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public static Object cloneIfPossible(final Object obj) {
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationUtils {
      * If all attempts fail, a {@code ConfigurationRuntimeException} is thrown.
      *
      * @param sync the {@code Synchronizer} object to be cloned.
-     * @return the clone of this {@code Synchronizer}.
+     * @return The clone of this {@code Synchronizer}.
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if no clone can be created.
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <strong>null</strong> is passed in.
      */
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationUtils {
      * directly returned. Otherwise all properties are copied into a new hierarchical configuration.
      *
      * @param conf the configuration to convert.
-     * @return the new hierarchical configuration (the result is <strong>null</strong> if and only if the passed in configuration is
+     * @return The new hierarchical configuration (the result is <strong>null</strong> if and only if the passed in configuration is
      *         <strong>null</strong>).
      * @since 1.3
      */
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationUtils {
      *
      * @param conf the configuration to convert.
      * @param engine the {@code ExpressionEngine} for the hierarchical configuration or <strong>null</strong> for the default.
-     * @return the new hierarchical configuration (the result is <strong>null</strong> if and only if the passed in configuration is
+     * @return The new hierarchical configuration (the result is <strong>null</strong> if and only if the passed in configuration is
      *         <strong>null</strong>).
      * @since 1.6
      */
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationUtils {
      * tries the current thread's context class loader. If this fails, the class loader of this class is tried.
      *
      * @param clsName the name of the class to be loaded.
-     * @return the loaded class.
+     * @return The loaded class.
      * @throws ClassNotFoundException if the class cannot be resolved.
      * @since 2.0
      */
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationUtils {
      * {@code ConfigurationRuntimeException}.
      *
      * @param clsName the name of the class to be loaded.
-     * @return the loaded class.
+     * @return The loaded class.
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the class cannot be resolved.
      * @since 2.0
      */
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationXMLReader.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationXMLReader.java
index 6f4aeb665..2b3c75cbd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationXMLReader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationXMLReader.java
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public abstract class ConfigurationXMLReader implements XMLReader {
     /**
      * Gets the actually set content handler.
      *
-     * @return the content handler
+     * @return The content handler
      */
     @Override
     public ContentHandler getContentHandler() {
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public abstract class ConfigurationXMLReader implements XMLReader {
     /**
      * Gets the DTD handler. This class does not support DTD handlers, so this method always returns <strong>null</strong>.
      *
-     * @return the DTD handler
+     * @return The DTD handler
      */
     @Override
     public DTDHandler getDTDHandler() {
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ public abstract class ConfigurationXMLReader implements XMLReader {
      * Gets the entity resolver. This class does not support an entity resolver, so this method always returns
      * <strong>null</strong>.
      *
-     * @return the entity resolver
+     * @return The entity resolver
      */
     @Override
     public EntityResolver getEntityResolver() {
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public abstract class ConfigurationXMLReader implements XMLReader {
     /**
      * Gets the error handler. This class does not support an error handler, so this method always returns <strong>null</strong>.
      *
-     * @return the error handler
+     * @return The error handler
      */
     @Override
     public ErrorHandler getErrorHandler() {
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ public abstract class ConfigurationXMLReader implements XMLReader {
     /**
      * Gets a reference to the configuration that is parsed by this object.
      *
-     * @return the parsed configuration
+     * @return The parsed configuration
      */
     public abstract Configuration getParsedConfiguration();
 
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ public abstract class ConfigurationXMLReader implements XMLReader {
      * Dummy implementation of the interface method. No properties are supported, so this method always returns <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param name the name of the requested property
-     * @return the property value
+     * @return The property value
      */
     @Override
     public Object getProperty(final String name) {
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ public abstract class ConfigurationXMLReader implements XMLReader {
     /**
      * Gets the name to be used for the root element.
      *
-     * @return the name for the root element
+     * @return The name for the root element
      */
     public String getRootName() {
         return rootName;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DataConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DataConfiguration.java
index abe2756ae..f192f909b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DataConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DataConfiguration.java
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ public class DataConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the configuration decorated by this DataConfiguration.
      *
-     * @return the wrapped configuration
+     * @return The wrapped configuration
      */
     public Configuration getConfiguration() {
         return configuration;
@@ -867,7 +867,7 @@ public class DataConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the date format specified by the user in the DATE_FORMAT_KEY property, or the default format otherwise.
      *
-     * @return the default date format
+     * @return The default date format
      */
     private String getDefaultDateFormat() {
         return getString(DATE_FORMAT_KEY, DEFAULT_DATE_FORMAT);
@@ -1156,7 +1156,7 @@ public class DataConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      * Gets the original conversion handler set for this configuration. If this is not a
      * {@code DefaultConversionHandler}, result is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
-     * @return the original conversion handler or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The original conversion handler or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     private DefaultConversionHandler getOriginalConversionHandler() {
         final ConversionHandler handler = super.getConversionHandler();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DatabaseConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DatabaseConfiguration.java
index 878b669cb..5a64cd3db 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DatabaseConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DatabaseConfiguration.java
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
          *
          * @param sql the statement to be executed
          * @param nameCol a flag whether the configurationName column should be taken into account
-         * @return the prepared statement object
+         * @return The prepared statement object
          * @throws SQLException if an SQL error occurs
          */
         protected PreparedStatement createStatement(final String sql, final boolean nameCol) throws SQLException {
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
          * Afterwards it performs the necessary clean up. Exceptions that are thrown during the JDBC operation are caught and
          * transformed into configuration error events.
          *
-         * @return the result of the operation
+         * @return The result of the operation
          */
         public T execute() {
             T result = null;
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
          * Gets the current connection. This method can be called while {@code execute()} is running. It returns <strong>null</strong>
          * otherwise.
          *
-         * @return the current connection
+         * @return The current connection
          */
         protected Connection getConnection() {
             return connection;
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
          * @param sql the statement to be executed
          * @param nameCol a flag whether the configurationName column should be taken into account
          * @param params the parameters for the statement
-         * @return the initialized statement object
+         * @return The initialized statement object
          * @throws SQLException if an SQL error occurs
          */
         protected PreparedStatement initStatement(final String sql, final boolean nameCol, final Object... params) throws SQLException {
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
          * @param sql the statement to be executed
          * @param nameCol a flag whether the configurationName column should be taken into account
          * @param params the parameters for the statement
-         * @return the {@code ResultSet} produced by the query
+         * @return The {@code ResultSet} produced by the query
          * @throws SQLException if an SQL error occurs
          */
         protected ResultSet openResultSet(final String sql, final boolean nameCol, final Object... params) throws SQLException {
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
          * Performs the JDBC operation. This method is called by {@code execute()} after this object has been fully initialized.
          * Here the actual JDBC logic has to be placed.
          *
-         * @return the result of the operation
+         * @return The result of the operation
          * @throws SQLException if an SQL error occurs
          */
         protected abstract T performOperation() throws SQLException;
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      * Converts a CLOB to a string.
      *
      * @param clob the CLOB to be converted
-     * @return the extracted string value
+     * @return The extracted string value
      * @throws SQLException if an error occurs
      */
     private static Object convertClob(final Clob clob) throws SQLException {
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      * {@code CLOB}, text is extracted as string.
      *
      * @param rs the current {@code ResultSet}
-     * @return the value of the property column
+     * @return The value of the property column
      * @throws SQLException if an error occurs
      */
     protected Object extractPropertyValue(final ResultSet rs) throws SQLException {
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the name of this configuration instance.
      *
-     * @return the name of this configuration
+     * @return The name of this configuration
      */
     public String getConfigurationName() {
         return configurationName;
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the table column with the configuration name.
      *
-     * @return the name of the configuration name column
+     * @return The name of the configuration name column
      */
     public String getConfigurationNameColumn() {
         return configurationNameColumn;
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the used {@code DataSource} object.
      *
-     * @return the data source
+     * @return The data source
      * @since 1.4
      * @deprecated Use {@link #getDataSource()}
      */
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code DataSource} for obtaining database connections.
      *
-     * @return the {@code DataSource}
+     * @return The {@code DataSource}
      */
     public DataSource getDataSource() {
         return dataSource;
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the column containing the configuration keys.
      *
-     * @return the name of the key column
+     * @return The name of the key column
      */
     public String getKeyColumn() {
         return keyColumn;
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      * the {@code propertyValue} is undefined.
      *
      * @param key the key of the desired property
-     * @return the value of this property
+     * @return The value of this property
      */
     @Override
     protected Object getPropertyInternal(final String key) {
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the table containing configuration data.
      *
-     * @return the name of the table to be queried
+     * @return The name of the table to be queried
      */
     public String getTable() {
         return table;
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the column containing the configuration values.
      *
-     * @return the name of the value column
+     * @return The name of the value column
      */
     public String getValueColumn() {
         return valueColumn;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DynamicCombinedConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DynamicCombinedConfiguration.java
index 4ae66f312..0e35c5543 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DynamicCombinedConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DynamicCombinedConfiguration.java
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
         /**
          * Gets the at position of this configuration.
          *
-         * @return the at position
+         * @return The at position
          */
         public String getAt() {
             return at;
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
         /**
          * Gets the stored configuration.
          *
-         * @return the configuration
+         * @return The configuration
          */
         public Configuration getConfiguration() {
             return configuration;
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
         /**
          * Gets the configuration's name.
          *
-         * @return the name
+         * @return The name
          */
         public String getName() {
             return name;
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
         /**
          * Gets the current configuration.
          *
-         * @return the current configuration
+         * @return The current configuration
          */
         public CombinedConfiguration getCurrentConfiguration() {
             return currentConfiguration;
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
         /**
          * Gets the current key.
          *
-         * @return the current key
+         * @return The current key
          */
         public String getKey() {
             return key;
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
     /**
      * Creates a new, uninitialized child configuration.
      *
-     * @return the new child configuration
+     * @return The new child configuration
      */
     private CombinedConfiguration createChildConfiguration() {
         return new CombinedConfiguration(getNodeCombiner());
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
      * initialized, and associated with the current thread. The member for the current configuration is undefined if for the
      * current key no configuration exists yet.
      *
-     * @return the {@code CurrentConfigHolder} instance for the current thread
+     * @return The {@code CurrentConfigHolder} instance for the current thread
      */
     private CurrentConfigHolder ensureCurrentConfiguration() {
         CurrentConfigHolder cch = CURRENT_CONFIG.get();
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
      * added to this combined configuration. The index of the first configuration is 0.
      *
      * @param index the index
-     * @return the configuration at this index
+     * @return The configuration at this index
      */
     @Override
     public Configuration getConfiguration(final int index) {
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
      * Gets the configuration with the given name. This can be <strong>null</strong> if no such configuration exists.
      *
      * @param name the name of the configuration
-     * @return the configuration with this name
+     * @return The configuration with this name
      */
     @Override
     public Configuration getConfiguration(final String name) {
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
      * a thread-local variable. Some methods of this class call this method directly without requesting a lock before. To
      * deal with this, we always request an additional read lock.
      *
-     * @return the current configuration
+     * @return The current configuration
      */
     private CombinedConfiguration getCurrentConfig() {
         CombinedConfiguration config;
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the key pattern for the CombinedConfiguration map.
      *
-     * @return the key pattern for the CombinedConfiguration map.
+     * @return The key pattern for the CombinedConfiguration map.
      */
     public String getKeyPattern() {
         return this.keyPattern;
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the node combiner that is used for creating the combined node structure.
      *
-     * @return the node combiner
+     * @return The node combiner
      */
     @Override
     public NodeCombiner getNodeCombiner() {
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the number of configurations that are contained in this combined configuration.
      *
-     * @return the number of contained configurations
+     * @return The number of contained configurations
      */
     @Override
     public int getNumberOfConfigurations() {
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
      * </ul>
      *
      * @param key the key of a configuration property
-     * @return the configuration, to which this property belongs or <strong>null</strong> if the key cannot be resolved
+     * @return The configuration, to which this property belongs or <strong>null</strong> if the key cannot be resolved
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the key maps to multiple properties and the source cannot be determined, or if
      *         the key is <strong>null</strong>
      */
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
      * returns an object which shares the prefix lookups from this configuration's {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}, but
      * does not define any other lookups.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
      */
     private ConfigurationInterpolator initLocalInterpolator() {
         return new ConfigurationInterpolator() {
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
      * Removes the configuration with the specified name.
      *
      * @param name the name of the configuration to be removed
-     * @return the removed configuration (<strong>null</strong> if this configuration was not found)
+     * @return The removed configuration (<strong>null</strong> if this configuration was not found)
      */
     @Override
     public Configuration removeConfiguration(final String name) {
@@ -842,7 +842,7 @@ public class DynamicCombinedConfiguration extends CombinedConfiguration {
      * Removes the configuration at the specified index.
      *
      * @param index the index
-     * @return the removed configuration
+     * @return The removed configuration
      */
     @Override
     public Configuration removeConfigurationAt(final int index) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/HierarchicalConfigurationConverter.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/HierarchicalConfigurationConverter.java
index 371c2b247..261eb46e0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/HierarchicalConfigurationConverter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/HierarchicalConfigurationConverter.java
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ abstract class HierarchicalConfigurationConverter {
      * @param keyAct the actual key
      * @param config the configuration to process
      * @param keySet the set with the processed keys
-     * @return the name of the last element on the path
+     * @return The name of the last element on the path
      */
     protected String openElements(final DefaultConfigurationKey keyLast, final DefaultConfigurationKey keyAct, final Configuration config,
         final Set<String> keySet) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/HierarchicalConfigurationXMLReader.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/HierarchicalConfigurationXMLReader.java
index 9e0e88157..c5b0df3f5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/HierarchicalConfigurationXMLReader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/HierarchicalConfigurationXMLReader.java
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public class HierarchicalConfigurationXMLReader<T> extends ConfigurationXMLReade
          *
          * @param node the node to be checked
          * @param handler the node handler
-         * @return the name for this node
+         * @return The name for this node
          */
         private String nodeName(final T node, final NodeHandler<T> handler) {
             final String nodeName = handler.nodeName(node);
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ public class HierarchicalConfigurationXMLReader<T> extends ConfigurationXMLReade
     /**
      * Gets the configuration object to be parsed.
      *
-     * @return the configuration object to be parsed
+     * @return The configuration object to be parsed
      */
     public HierarchicalConfiguration<T> getConfiguration() {
         return configuration;
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public class HierarchicalConfigurationXMLReader<T> extends ConfigurationXMLReade
     /**
      * Gets the configuration object to be processed.
      *
-     * @return the actual configuration object
+     * @return The actual configuration object
      */
     @Override
     public Configuration getParsedConfiguration() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/INIConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/INIConfiguration.java
index 2d8ac3d26..c604420be 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/INIConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/INIConfiguration.java
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ public class INIConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      *
      * @param rootBuilder the builder for the top-level section
      * @param sectionBuilders a map storing the section builders
-     * @return the root node of the newly created hierarchy
+     * @return The root node of the newly created hierarchy
      */
     private static ImmutableNode createNewRootNode(final ImmutableNode.Builder rootBuilder, final Map<String, ImmutableNode.Builder> sectionBuilders) {
         sectionBuilders.forEach((k, v) -> rootBuilder.addChild(v.name(k).create()));
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ public class INIConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      *
      * @param line the line to be investigated
      * @param separators a string with the separator characters to look for
-     * @return the lowest index of a separator character or -1 if no separator is found
+     * @return The lowest index of a separator character or -1 if no separator is found
      */
     private static int findFirstOccurrence(final String line, final String separators) {
         int index = -1;
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ public class INIConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      *
      * @param line the line to be investigated
      * @param quoteIndex the index of the quote character
-     * @return the index of the separator before the quote or &lt; 0 if there is none
+     * @return The index of the separator before the quote or &lt; 0 if there is none
      */
     private static int findSeparatorBeforeQuote(final String line, final int quoteIndex) {
         int index = quoteIndex - 1;
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ public class INIConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * Escapes comment characters in the given value.
      *
      * @param value the value to be escaped
-     * @return the value with comment characters escaped
+     * @return The value with comment characters escaped
      */
     private String escapeComments(final String value) {
         final String commentChars = getCommentLeadingCharsUsedInInput();
@@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ public class INIConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * correct separator. If there are quoting characters, they are taken into account, too.
      *
      * @param line the line to be checked
-     * @return the index of the separator character or -1 if none is found
+     * @return The index of the separator character or -1 if none is found
      */
     private int findSeparator(final String line) {
         int index = findSeparatorBeforeQuote(line, findFirstOccurrence(line, QUOTE_CHARACTERS));
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ public class INIConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * Gets comment leading separator used in INI reading. see {@code setCommentLeadingCharsUsedInInput} for further
      * explanation
      *
-     * @return the current separator for reading the INI input
+     * @return The current separator for reading the INI input
      * @since 2.5
      */
     public String getCommentLeadingCharsUsedInInput() {
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ public class INIConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
     /**
      * Creates a sub configuration for the global section of the represented INI configuration.
      *
-     * @return the sub configuration for the global section
+     * @return The sub configuration for the global section
      */
     private SubnodeConfiguration getGlobalSection() {
         final InMemoryNodeModel parentModel = getSubConfigurationParentModel();
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ public class INIConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
     /**
      * Gets separator used in INI reading. see {@code setSeparatorUsedInInput} for further explanation
      *
-     * @return the current separator for reading the INI input
+     * @return The current separator for reading the INI input
      * @since 2.5
      */
     public String getSeparatorUsedInInput() {
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ public class INIConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
     /**
      * Gets separator used in INI output. see {@code setSeparatorUsedInOutput} for further explanation
      *
-     * @return the current separator for writing the INI output
+     * @return The current separator for writing the INI output
      * @since 2.2
      */
     public String getSeparatorUsedInOutput() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableConfiguration.java
index d4b23ba59..ce35341ad 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableConfiguration.java
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public interface ImmutableConfiguration {
      * @param <T> The target type of the value
      * @param cls the target class of the value
      * @param key the key of the value
-     * @return the value of the requested type for the key
+     * @return The value of the requested type for the key
      * @throws java.util.NoSuchElementException if the key doesn't map to an existing object and
      *         {@code throwExceptionOnMissing=true}
      * @throws org.apache.commons.configuration2.ex.ConversionException if the value is not compatible with the requested
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public interface ImmutableConfiguration {
      * @param cls the target class of the value
      * @param key the key of the value
      * @param defaultValue the default value
-     * @return the value of the requested type for the key
+     * @return The value of the requested type for the key
      * @throws org.apache.commons.configuration2.ex.ConversionException if the value is not compatible with the requested
      *         type
      *
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ public interface ImmutableConfiguration {
      * @param cls the element class of the result list
      * @param key the configuration key
      * @param target the target collection (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the collection to which data was added
+     * @return The collection to which data was added
      * @throws org.apache.commons.configuration2.ex.ConversionException if the conversion is not possible
      * @since 2.0
      */
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ public interface ImmutableConfiguration {
      * @param key the configuration key
      * @param target the target collection (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @param defaultValue the default value (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the collection to which data was added
+     * @return The collection to which data was added
      * @throws org.apache.commons.configuration2.ex.ConversionException if the conversion is not possible
      * @since 2.0
      */
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ public interface ImmutableConfiguration {
      * default decoder is obtained.
      *
      * @param key the configuration key
-     * @return the plain string value of the specified encoded property
+     * @return The plain string value of the specified encoded property
      */
     String getEncodedString(String key);
 
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ public interface ImmutableConfiguration {
      *
      * @param key the configuration key
      * @param decoder the {@code ConfigurationDecoder} (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the plain string value of the specified encoded property
+     * @return The plain string value of the specified encoded property
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if a <strong>null</strong> decoder is passed
      */
     String getEncodedString(String key, ConfigurationDecoder decoder);
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ public interface ImmutableConfiguration {
      * will stay constant over time (i.e. further update operations on the configuration may change its internal state).
      *
      * @param key property to retrieve
-     * @return the value to which this configuration maps the specified key, or null if the configuration contains no
+     * @return The value to which this configuration maps the specified key, or null if the configuration contains no
      *         mapping for this key.
      */
     Object getProperty(String key);
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ public interface ImmutableConfiguration {
      * efficient; for some implementations it may be expensive to determine the size. Especially, if you just want to check
      * whether a configuration is empty, it is preferable to use the {@link #isEmpty()} method.
      *
-     * @return the number of keys stored in this configuration
+     * @return The number of keys stored in this configuration
      */
     int size();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableConfigurationInvocationHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableConfigurationInvocationHandler.java
index 6f223084b..5c513ff04 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableConfigurationInvocationHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableConfigurationInvocationHandler.java
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ final class ImmutableConfigurationInvocationHandler implements InvocationHandler
      * if necessary so that the underlying configuration cannot be manipulated.
      *
      * @param result the result object
-     * @return the processed result object
+     * @return The processed result object
      */
     private static Object handleResult(final Object result) {
         if (result instanceof Iterator) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableHierarchicalConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableHierarchicalConfiguration.java
index 38ad2a22d..353358db4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableHierarchicalConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ImmutableHierarchicalConfiguration.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public interface ImmutableHierarchicalConfiguration extends ImmutableConfigurati
      * Gets the expression engine used by this configuration. This method will never return <strong>null</strong>; if no specific
      * expression engine was set, the default expression engine will be returned.
      *
-     * @return the current expression engine
+     * @return The current expression engine
      */
     ExpressionEngine getExpressionEngine();
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public interface ImmutableHierarchicalConfiguration extends ImmutableConfigurati
      * can then be addressed separately by specifying indices from 0 to the return value of this method.
      *
      * @param key the key to be checked
-     * @return the maximum defined index for this key
+     * @return The maximum defined index for this key
      */
     int getMaxIndex(String key);
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public interface ImmutableHierarchicalConfiguration extends ImmutableConfigurati
      * returned by this method is specific to a concrete implementation. For instance, an XML configuration might return the
      * name of the document element.
      *
-     * @return the name of the root element of this configuration
+     * @return The name of the root element of this configuration
      */
     String getRootElementName();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/JNDIConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/JNDIConfiguration.java
index 31bc6e798..f61fd367a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/JNDIConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/JNDIConfiguration.java
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ public class JNDIConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the base context with the prefix applied.
      *
-     * @return the base context
+     * @return The base context
      * @throws NamingException if an error occurs
      */
     public Context getBaseContext() throws NamingException {
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ public class JNDIConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the initial context used by this configuration. This context is independent of the prefix specified.
      *
-     * @return the initial context
+     * @return The initial context
      */
     public Context getContext() {
         return context;
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ public class JNDIConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the prefix.
      *
-     * @return the prefix
+     * @return The prefix
      */
     public String getPrefix() {
         return prefix;
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ public class JNDIConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      * Gets the value of the specified property.
      *
      * @param key the key of the property
-     * @return the value of this property
+     * @return The value of this property
      */
     @Override
     protected Object getPropertyInternal(String key) {
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ public class JNDIConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Returns a flag whether this configuration is empty.
      *
-     * @return the empty flag
+     * @return The empty flag
      */
     @Override
     protected boolean isEmptyInternal() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/MapConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/MapConfiguration.java
index 64db1061c..eb8aacec8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/MapConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/MapConfiguration.java
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public class MapConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration implements Cloneable
     /**
      * Returns a copy of this object. The returned configuration will contain the same properties as the original. Event listeners are not cloned.
      *
-     * @return the copy.
+     * @return The copy.
      * @since 1.3
      */
     @Override
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ public class MapConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration implements Cloneable
     /**
      * Gets the Map decorated by this configuration.
      *
-     * @return the map this configuration is based onto.
+     * @return The map this configuration is based onto.
      */
     public Map<String, Object> getMap() {
         return map;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PatternSubtreeConfigurationWrapper.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PatternSubtreeConfigurationWrapper.java
index e5c5017e2..9d5dea463 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PatternSubtreeConfigurationWrapper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PatternSubtreeConfigurationWrapper.java
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public class PatternSubtreeConfigurationWrapper extends BaseHierarchicalConfigur
      * Returns the wrapped configuration as a {@code FileBased} object. If this cast is not possible, an exception is
      * thrown.
      *
-     * @return the wrapped configuration as {@code FileBased}
+     * @return The wrapped configuration as {@code FileBased}
      * @throws ConfigurationException if the wrapped configuration does not implement {@code FileBased}
      */
     private FileBased fetchFileBased() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ public class PatternSubtreeConfigurationWrapper extends BaseHierarchicalConfigur
      * string.
      *
      * @param pattern the pattern string
-     * @return the string with variables replaced
+     * @return The string with variables replaced
      */
     private String substitute(final String pattern) {
         return Objects.toString(getInterpolator().interpolate(pattern), null);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PrefixedKeysIterator.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PrefixedKeysIterator.java
index 28daa44f1..37fa19f6b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PrefixedKeysIterator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PrefixedKeysIterator.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ final class PrefixedKeysIterator implements Iterator<String> {
     /**
      * Returns the next element in the iteration. This is the next key that matches the specified prefix.
      *
-     * @return the next element in the iteration
+     * @return The next element in the iteration
      * @throws NoSuchElementException if there is no next element
      */
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PropertiesConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PropertiesConfiguration.java
index 48f630f67..b6aac8a89 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PropertiesConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PropertiesConfiguration.java
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          * file.
          *
          * @param in the underlying reader (of the properties file)
-         * @return the {@code PropertiesReader} for loading the configuration
+         * @return The {@code PropertiesReader} for loading the configuration
          */
         PropertiesReader createPropertiesReader(Reader in);
 
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          *
          * @param out the underlying writer (to the properties file)
          * @param handler the list delimiter delimiter for list parsing
-         * @return the {@code PropertiesWriter} for saving the configuration
+         * @return The {@code PropertiesWriter} for saving the configuration
          */
         PropertiesWriter createPropertiesWriter(Writer out, ListDelimiterHandler handler);
     }
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
         /**
          * Gets the comment lines that have been read for the last property.
          *
-         * @return the comment lines for the last property returned by {@code readProperty()}
+         * @return The comment lines for the last property returned by {@code readProperty()}
          * @since 1.3
          */
         public List<String> getCommentLines() {
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          * Gets the name of the last read property. This method can be called after {@link #nextProperty()} was invoked and
          * its return value was <strong>true</strong>.
          *
-         * @return the name of the last read property
+         * @return The name of the last read property
          * @since 1.3
          */
         public String getPropertyName() {
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          * Gets the separator that was used for the last read property. The separator can be stored so that it can later be
          * restored when saving the configuration.
          *
-         * @return the separator for the last read property
+         * @return The separator for the last read property
          * @since 1.7
          */
         public String getPropertySeparator() {
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          * Gets the value of the last read property. This method can be called after {@link #nextProperty()} was invoked and
          * its return value was <strong>true</strong>.
          *
-         * @return the value of the last read property
+         * @return The value of the last read property
          * @since 1.3
          */
         public String getPropertyValue() {
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          * Performs unescaping on the given property name.
          *
          * @param name the property name
-         * @return the unescaped property name
+         * @return The unescaped property name
          * @since 2.4
          */
         protected String unescapePropertyName(final String name) {
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          * Performs unescaping on the given property value.
          *
          * @param value the property value
-         * @return the unescaped property value
+         * @return The unescaped property value
          * @since 2.4
          */
         protected String unescapePropertyValue(final String value) {
@@ -811,7 +811,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          * each property key. It ensures that separator characters contained in the key are escaped.
          *
          * @param key the key
-         * @return the escaped key
+         * @return The escaped key
          * @since 2.0
          */
         protected String escapeKey(final String key) {
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          *
          * @param key the property key
          * @param value the value
-         * @return the separator to be used
+         * @return The separator to be used
          * @since 1.7
          */
         protected String fetchSeparator(final String key, final Object value) {
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
         /**
          * Gets the current property separator.
          *
-         * @return the current property separator
+         * @return The current property separator
          * @since 1.7
          */
         public String getCurrentSeparator() {
@@ -860,7 +860,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
          * Gets the delimiter handler for properties with multiple values. This object is used to escape property values so
          * that they can be read in correctly the next time they are loaded.
          *
-         * @return the delimiter handler for properties with multiple values
+         * @return The delimiter handler for properties with multiple values
          * @since 2.0
          */
         public ListDelimiterHandler getDelimiterHandler() {
@@ -870,7 +870,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
         /**
          * Gets the global property separator.
          *
-         * @return the global property separator
+         * @return The global property separator
          * @since 1.7
          */
         public String getGlobalSeparator() {
@@ -880,7 +880,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
         /**
          * Gets the line separator.
          *
-         * @return the line separator
+         * @return The line separator
          * @since 1.7
          */
         public String getLineSeparator() {
@@ -1073,7 +1073,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
      * Returns the number of trailing backslashes. This is sometimes needed for the correct handling of escape characters.
      *
      * @param line the string to investigate
-     * @return the number of trailing backslashes
+     * @return The number of trailing backslashes
      */
     private static int countTrailingBS(final String line) {
         int bsCount = 0;
@@ -1161,7 +1161,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
      * drop escaped separators (i.e '\,').
      *
      * @param str the {@code String} to unescape, may be null
-     * @return the processed string
+     * @return The processed string
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the Writer is {@code null}
      */
     protected static String unescapeJava(final String str) {
@@ -1179,7 +1179,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
      * @param str the {@code String} to unescape, may be null
      * @param jupCompatible whether unescaping is compatible with {@link java.util.Properties}; otherwise the classic
      *        behavior is used
-     * @return the processed string
+     * @return The processed string
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the Writer is {@code null}
      */
     protected static String unescapeJava(final String str, final boolean jupCompatible) {
@@ -1290,7 +1290,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
     /**
      * Creates a copy of this object.
      *
-     * @return the copy
+     * @return The copy
      */
     @Override
     public Object clone() {
@@ -1304,7 +1304,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
     /**
      * Creates a standard layout object. This configuration is initialized with such a standard layout.
      *
-     * @return the newly created layout object
+     * @return The newly created layout object
      */
     private PropertiesConfigurationLayout createLayout() {
         return new PropertiesConfigurationLayout();
@@ -1313,7 +1313,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
     /**
      * Gets the footer comment. This is a comment at the very end of the file.
      *
-     * @return the footer comment
+     * @return The footer comment
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public String getFooter() {
@@ -1323,7 +1323,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
     /**
      * Gets the comment header.
      *
-     * @return the comment header
+     * @return The comment header
      * @since 1.1
      */
     public String getHeader() {
@@ -1333,7 +1333,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
     /**
      * Gets the current include listener, never null.
      *
-     * @return the current include listener, never null.
+     * @return The current include listener, never null.
      * @since 2.6
      */
     public ConfigurationConsumer<ConfigurationException> getIncludeListener() {
@@ -1343,7 +1343,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
     /**
      * Gets the {@code IOFactory} to be used for creating readers and writers when loading or saving this configuration.
      *
-     * @return the {@code IOFactory}
+     * @return The {@code IOFactory}
      * @since 1.7
      */
     public IOFactory getIOFactory() {
@@ -1353,7 +1353,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
     /**
      * Gets the associated layout object.
      *
-     * @return the associated layout object
+     * @return The associated layout object
      * @since 1.3
      */
     public PropertiesConfigurationLayout getLayout() {
@@ -1363,7 +1363,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
     /**
      * Gets the file locator.
      *
-     * @return the file locator.
+     * @return The file locator.
      * @since 2.15.0
      */
     public FileLocator getLocator() {
@@ -1473,7 +1473,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements FileBa
      *
      * @param basePath the base path
      * @param fileName the file name
-     * @return the URL of the include file or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
+     * @return The URL of the include file or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
      */
     private URL locateIncludeFile(final String basePath, final String fileName) {
         final FileLocator includeLocator = FileLocatorUtils.fileLocator(locator).sourceURL(null).basePath(basePath).fileName(fileName).create();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PropertiesConfigurationLayout.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PropertiesConfigurationLayout.java
index 6312eb7a0..25ad37940 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PropertiesConfigurationLayout.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/PropertiesConfigurationLayout.java
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
         /**
          * Creates a copy of this object.
          *
-         * @return the copy
+         * @return The copy
          */
         @Override
         public PropertyLayoutData clone() {
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
         /**
          * Gets the number of blank lines before this property.
          *
-         * @return the number of blank lines before this property
+         * @return The number of blank lines before this property
          * @deprecated Use {#link {@link #getBlankLines()}}.
          */
         @Deprecated
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
         /**
          * Gets the number of blank lines before this property.
          *
-         * @return the number of blank lines before this property
+         * @return The number of blank lines before this property
          * @since 2.8.0
          */
         public int getBlankLines() {
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
         /**
          * Gets the comment for this property. The comment is returned as it is, without processing of comment characters.
          *
-         * @return the comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+         * @return The comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
          */
         public String getComment() {
             return Objects.toString(comment, null);
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
         /**
          * Gets the separator that was used for this property.
          *
-         * @return the property separator
+         * @return The property separator
          */
         public String getSeparator() {
             return separator;
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
         /**
          * Returns the single line flag.
          *
-         * @return the single line flag
+         * @return The single line flag
          */
         public boolean isSingleLine() {
             return singleLine;
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      *
      * @param comment the comment string to be processed
      * @param commentChar determines the presence of comment characters
-     * @return the canonical comment string (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The canonical comment string (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     private static String constructCanonicalComment(final String comment, final boolean commentChar) {
         return comment == null ? null : trimComment(comment, commentChar);
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      *
      * @param s the comment line
      * @param comment if <strong>true</strong>, a comment character will always be enforced; if <strong>false</strong>, it will be removed
-     * @return the line without comment character
+     * @return The line without comment character
      */
     static String stripCommentChar(final String s, final boolean comment) {
         if (StringUtils.isBlank(s) || isCommentLine(s) == comment) {
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      *
      * @param s the string to be processed
      * @param comment if <strong>true</strong>, a comment character will always be enforced; if <strong>false</strong>, it will be removed
-     * @return the trimmed comment
+     * @return The trimmed comment
      */
     static String trimComment(final String s, final boolean comment) {
         final StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder(s.length());
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * line in the passed in list, which does not belong to the header comment.
      *
      * @param commentLines the comment lines
-     * @return the index of the next line after the header comment
+     * @return The index of the next line after the header comment
      */
     private int checkHeaderComment(final List<String> commentLines) {
         if (loadCounter.get() == 1 && layoutData.isEmpty()) {
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * @param commentLines a list with comment lines
      * @param from the start index
      * @param to the end index (inclusive)
-     * @return the comment string (<strong>null</strong> if it is undefined)
+     * @return The comment string (<strong>null</strong> if it is undefined)
      */
     private String extractComment(final List<String> commentLines, final int from, final int to) {
         if (to < from) {
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * with default values.
      *
      * @param key the key
-     * @return the corresponding layout data object
+     * @return The corresponding layout data object
      */
     private PropertyLayoutData fetchLayoutData(final String key) {
         if (key == null) {
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * Gets the number of blank lines before this property key. If this key does not exist, 0 will be returned.
      *
      * @param key the property key
-     * @return the number of blank lines before the property definition for this key
+     * @return The number of blank lines before the property definition for this key
      * @deprecated Use {@link #getBlankLinesBefore(String)}.
      */
     @Deprecated
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * Gets the number of blank lines before this property key. If this key does not exist, 0 will be returned.
      *
      * @param key the property key
-     * @return the number of blank lines before the property definition for this key
+     * @return The number of blank lines before the property definition for this key
      */
     public int getBlankLinesBefore(final String key) {
         return fetchLayoutData(key).getBlankLines();
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      *
      * @param key the key of the property
      * @param commentChar determines whether all lines should start with comment characters or not
-     * @return the canonical comment for this key (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The canonical comment for this key (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public String getCanonicalComment(final String key, final boolean commentChar) {
         return constructCanonicalComment(getComment(key), commentChar);
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * {@code getCanonicalHeaderComment()}, but reads the footer comment.
      *
      * @param commentChar determines the presence of comment characters
-     * @return the footer comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The footer comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @see #getCanonicalHeaderComment(boolean)
      * @since 2.0
      */
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * parameter it can be specified whether comment characters should be stripped or be always present.
      *
      * @param commentChar determines the presence of comment characters
-     * @return the header comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The header comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public String getCanonicalHeaderComment(final boolean commentChar) {
         return constructCanonicalComment(getHeaderComment(), commentChar);
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * {@code setComment()} or when it was loaded from a properties file). No modifications are performed.
      *
      * @param key the key of the property
-     * @return the comment for this key (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The comment for this key (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public String getComment(final String key) {
         return fetchLayoutData(key).getComment();
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * Gets the footer comment of the represented properties file. This method returns the footer comment exactly as it
      * was set using {@code setFooterComment()} or extracted from the loaded properties file.
      *
-     * @return the footer comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The footer comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public String getFooterComment() {
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
     /**
      * Gets the global separator.
      *
-     * @return the global properties separator
+     * @return The global properties separator
      * @since 1.7
      */
     public String getGlobalSeparator() {
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * Gets the header comment of the represented properties file. This method returns the header comment exactly as it
      * was set using {@code setHeaderComment()} or extracted from the loaded properties file.
      *
-     * @return the header comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The header comment (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public String getHeaderComment() {
         return headerComment;
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
     /**
      * Gets the line separator.
      *
-     * @return the line separator
+     * @return The line separator
      * @since 1.7
      */
     public String getLineSeparator() {
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
      * Gets the separator for the property with the given key.
      *
      * @param key the property key
-     * @return the property separator for this property
+     * @return The property separator for this property
      * @since 1.7
      */
     public String getSeparator(final String key) {
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ public class PropertiesConfigurationLayout implements EventListener<Configuratio
     /**
      * Returns the &quot;force single line&quot; flag.
      *
-     * @return the force single line flag
+     * @return The force single line flag
      * @see #setForceSingleLine(boolean)
      */
     public boolean isForceSingleLine() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/SubnodeConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/SubnodeConfiguration.java
index 84cf930f9..0027fec85 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/SubnodeConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/SubnodeConfiguration.java
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public class SubnodeConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration {
      * {@inheritDoc} This implementation returns a copy of the current node model with the same settings. However, it has to
      * be ensured that the track count for the node selector is increased.
      *
-     * @return the node model for the clone
+     * @return The node model for the clone
      */
     @Override
     protected NodeModel<ImmutableNode> cloneNodeModel() {
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ public class SubnodeConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the parent configuration of this subnode configuration.
      *
-     * @return the parent configuration
+     * @return The parent configuration
      */
     public BaseHierarchicalConfiguration getParent() {
         return parent;
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ public class SubnodeConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration {
      * top-level node model can be obtained. It works even in constellations where a {@code SubnodeConfiguration} has been
      * created from another {@code SubnodeConfiguration}.
      *
-     * @return the root node model
+     * @return The root node model
      * @since 2.2
      */
     public InMemoryNodeModel getRootNodeModel() {
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public class SubnodeConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the selector to the root node of this configuration.
      *
-     * @return the {@code NodeSelector} to the root node
+     * @return The {@code NodeSelector} to the root node
      */
     public NodeSelector getRootSelector() {
         return rootSelector;
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ public class SubnodeConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration {
     /**
      * Convenience method that returns the tracked model used by this sub configuration.
      *
-     * @return the {@code TrackedNodeModel}
+     * @return The {@code TrackedNodeModel}
      */
     private TrackedNodeModel getTrackedModel() {
         return (TrackedNodeModel) getModel();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/SubsetConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/SubsetConfiguration.java
index 7fb3b5fdc..e05ce7577 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/SubsetConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/SubsetConfiguration.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class SubsetConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
          * Returns the next element in the iteration. This is the next key from the parent configuration, transformed to
          * correspond to the point of view of this subset configuration.
          *
-         * @return the next element
+         * @return The next element
          */
         @Override
         public String next() {
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public class SubsetConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      * Gets the key in the subset configuration associated to the specified key in the parent configuration.
      *
      * @param key The key in the parent configuration.
-     * @return the key in the context of this subset configuration
+     * @return The key in the context of this subset configuration
      */
     protected String getChildKey(final String key) {
         if (!key.startsWith(prefix)) {
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public class SubsetConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the parent configuration for this subset.
      *
-     * @return the parent configuration
+     * @return The parent configuration
      */
     public Configuration getParent() {
         return parent;
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ public class SubsetConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      * Gets the key in the parent configuration associated to the specified key in this subset.
      *
      * @param key The key in the subset.
-     * @return the key as to be used by the parent
+     * @return The key as to be used by the parent
      */
     protected String getParentKey(final String key) {
         if (StringUtils.isEmpty(key)) {
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ public class SubsetConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     /**
      * Gets the prefix used to select the properties in the parent configuration.
      *
-     * @return the prefix used by this subset
+     * @return The prefix used by this subset
      */
     public String getPrefix() {
         return prefix;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLConfiguration.java
index 0cb9d7365..4af920107 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLConfiguration.java
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
          * node at all.
          *
          * @param elem the element.
-         * @return the first and only text node.
+         * @return The first and only text node.
          */
         private static Text findTextNodeForUpdate(final Element elem) {
             Text result = null;
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
          *
          * @param node the node.
          * @param refHandler the {@code ReferenceNodeHandler}.
-         * @return the element of this node.
+         * @return The element of this node.
          */
         private Element getElement(final ImmutableNode node, final ReferenceNodeHandler refHandler) {
             final Element elementNew = newElements.get(node);
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      *
      * @param parent the parent node.
      * @param name the name in question.
-     * @return the number of child elements with this name.
+     * @return The number of child elements with this name.
      */
     private static int countChildElements(final Node parent, final String name) {
         final NodeList childNodes = parent.getChildNodes();
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * @param content the text content of this node.
      * @param hasChildren a flag whether the node has children.
      * @param trimFlag the trim flag.
-     * @return the value to be stored for this node.
+     * @return The value to be stored for this node.
      */
     private static String determineValue(final String content, final boolean hasChildren, final boolean trimFlag) {
         final boolean shouldTrim = trimFlag || StringUtils.isBlank(content) && hasChildren;
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * @param trim     flag whether texts of elements should be trimmed.
      * @param attrmap  a map with the attributes of the current node.
      * @param elemRefs a map for assigning references objects to nodes; can be <strong>null</strong>, then reference objects are irrelevant.
-     * @return the first child node added to the parent.
+     * @return The first child node added to the parent.
      */
     private ImmutableNode createChildNodeWithValue(final ImmutableNode.Builder parent, final ImmutableNode.Builder child, final Element elem,
         final String value, final boolean trim, final Map<String, String> attrmap, final Map<ImmutableNode, Object> elemRefs) {
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
     /**
      * Creates a DOM document from the internal tree of configuration nodes.
      *
-     * @return the new document.
+     * @return The new document.
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs.
      */
     private Document createDocument() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * Depending on the value of the validating flag this builder will be a validating or a non validating
      * {@code DocumentBuilder}.
      *
-     * @return the {@code DocumentBuilder} for loading configuration files.
+     * @return The {@code DocumentBuilder} for loading configuration files.
      * @throws ParserConfigurationException if an error occurs.
      * @since 1.2
      */
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * default settings like indentation mode and the DOCTYPE. Derived classes may overload this method if they have
      * specific needs.
      *
-     * @return the transformer to use for a save operation.
+     * @return The transformer to use for a save operation.
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs.
      * @since 1.3
      */
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * Gets the XML document this configuration was loaded from. The return value is <strong>null</strong> if this configuration
      * was not loaded from a XML document.
      *
-     * @return the XML document this configuration was loaded from.
+     * @return The XML document this configuration was loaded from.
      */
     public Document getDocument() {
         final XMLDocumentHelper docHelper = getDocumentHelper();
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * Gets the {@code DocumentBuilder} object that is used for loading documents. If no specific builder has been set,
      * this method returns <strong>null</strong>.
      *
-     * @return the {@code DocumentBuilder} for loading new documents.
+     * @return The {@code DocumentBuilder} for loading new documents.
      * @since 1.2
      */
     public DocumentBuilder getDocumentBuilder() {
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
     /**
      * Gets the helper object for managing the underlying document.
      *
-     * @return the {@code XMLDocumentHelper}.
+     * @return The {@code XMLDocumentHelper}.
      */
     private XMLDocumentHelper getDocumentHelper() {
         final ReferenceNodeHandler handler = getReferenceHandler();
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * Gets the public ID of the DOCTYPE declaration from the loaded XML document. This is <strong>null</strong> if no document has
      * been loaded yet or if the document does not contain a DOCTYPE declaration with a public ID.
      *
-     * @return the public ID.
+     * @return The public ID.
      * @since 1.3
      */
     public String getPublicID() {
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
     /**
      * Gets the extended node handler with support for references.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ReferenceNodeHandler}.
+     * @return The {@code ReferenceNodeHandler}.
      */
     private ReferenceNodeHandler getReferenceHandler() {
         return getSubConfigurationParentModel().getReferenceNodeHandler();
@@ -811,7 +811,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * document's root element is returned. Otherwise it is possible to set a name for the root element that will be used
      * when this configuration is stored.
      *
-     * @return the name of the root element.
+     * @return The name of the root element.
      */
     @Override
     protected String getRootElementNameInternal() {
@@ -826,7 +826,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
      * Gets the system ID of the DOCTYPE declaration from the loaded XML document. This is <strong>null</strong> if no document has
      * been loaded yet or if the document does not contain a DOCTYPE declaration with a system ID.
      *
-     * @return the system ID.
+     * @return The system ID.
      * @since 1.3
      */
     public String getSystemID() {
@@ -890,7 +890,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
     /**
      * Returns the value of the schemaValidation flag.
      *
-     * @return the schemaValidation flag.
+     * @return The schemaValidation flag.
      * @since 1.7
      */
     public boolean isSchemaValidation() {
@@ -900,7 +900,7 @@ public class XMLConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration implements F
     /**
      * Returns the value of the validating flag.
      *
-     * @return the validating flag.
+     * @return The validating flag.
      * @since 1.2
      */
     public boolean isValidating() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLDocumentHelper.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLDocumentHelper.java
index 95584f6c2..6dca9c4c4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLDocumentHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLDocumentHelper.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
      * Creates a copy of the specified document.
      *
      * @param doc the {@code Document}
-     * @return the copy of this document
+     * @return The copy of this document
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static Document copyDocument(final Document doc) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
      * {@code ConfigurationException} exceptions.
      *
      * @param factory the {@code DocumentBuilderFactory}
-     * @return the newly created {@code DocumentBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code DocumentBuilder}
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     static DocumentBuilder createDocumentBuilder(final DocumentBuilderFactory factory) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
     /**
      * Creates a new {@code DocumentBuilderFactory} instance.
      *
-     * @return the new factory object
+     * @return The new factory object
      */
     private static DocumentBuilderFactory createDocumentBuilderFactory() {
         return DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
      *
      * @param doc1 the source document
      * @param doc2 the destination document
-     * @return the element mapping
+     * @return The element mapping
      */
     private static Map<Node, Node> createElementMapping(final Document doc1, final Document doc2) {
         final Map<Node, Node> mapping = new HashMap<>();
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
     /**
      * Creates a new {@code Transformer} object. No initializations are performed on the new instance.
      *
-     * @return the new {@code Transformer}
+     * @return The new {@code Transformer}
      * @throws ConfigurationException if the {@code Transformer} could not be created
      */
     public static Transformer createTransformer() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
      * Creates a {@code Transformer} using the specified factory.
      *
      * @param factory the {@code TransformerFactory}
-     * @return the newly created {@code Transformer}
+     * @return The newly created {@code Transformer}
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     static Transformer createTransformer(final TransformerFactory factory) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
     /**
      * Creates a new {@code TransformerFactory}.
      *
-     * @return the {@code TransformerFactory}
+     * @return The {@code TransformerFactory}
      */
     static TransformerFactory createTransformerFactory() {
         return TransformerFactory.newInstance();
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
     /**
      * Creates an empty element mapping.
      *
-     * @return the empty mapping
+     * @return The empty mapping
      */
     private static Map<Node, Node> emptyElementMapping() {
         return Collections.emptyMap();
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
      * The new document has a root element with the given element name. This element has no further child nodes.
      *
      * @param rootElementName the name of the root element
-     * @return the newly created instance
+     * @return The newly created instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs when creating the document
      */
     public static XMLDocumentHelper forNewDocument(final String rootElementName) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
      * </ul>
      *
      * @param srcDoc the source document
-     * @return the newly created instance
+     * @return The newly created instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     public static XMLDocumentHelper forSourceDocument(final Document srcDoc) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
      * Creates a copy of this object. This copy contains a copy of the document and an element mapping which allows mapping
      * elements from the source document to elements of the copied document.
      *
-     * @return the copy
+     * @return The copy
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     public XMLDocumentHelper createCopy() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code Document} managed by this helper.
      *
-     * @return the wrapped {@code Document}
+     * @return The wrapped {@code Document}
      */
     public Document getDocument() {
         return document;
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
      * which correspond to elements in the source document. If this instance has not been created from a source document,
      * the mapping is empty.
      *
-     * @return the element mapping to the source document
+     * @return The element mapping to the source document
      */
     public Map<Node, Node> getElementMapping() {
         return elementMapping;
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
     /**
      * Gets the public ID of the source document.
      *
-     * @return the public ID of the source document
+     * @return The public ID of the source document
      */
     public String getSourcePublicID() {
         return sourcePublicID;
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ final class XMLDocumentHelper {
     /**
      * Gets the system ID of the source document.
      *
-     * @return the system ID of the source document
+     * @return The system ID of the source document
      */
     public String getSourceSystemID() {
         return sourceSystemID;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLListReference.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLListReference.java
index 4cc899ad3..5e263536f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLListReference.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLListReference.java
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ final class XMLListReference {
     /**
      * Gets the associated element.
      *
-     * @return the associated XML element
+     * @return The associated XML element
      */
     public Element getElement() {
         return element;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLPropertiesConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLPropertiesConfiguration.java
index daa7b22af..c1cb87460 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLPropertiesConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/XMLPropertiesConfiguration.java
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ public class XMLPropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements Fil
      * Escapes a property value before it is written to disk.
      *
      * @param value the value to be escaped
-     * @return the escaped value
+     * @return The escaped value
      */
     private String escapeValue(final Object value) {
         final String v = StringEscapeUtils.escapeXml10(String.valueOf(value));
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ public class XMLPropertiesConfiguration extends BaseConfiguration implements Fil
     /**
      * Gets the header comment of this configuration.
      *
-     * @return the header comment
+     * @return The header comment
      */
     public String getHeader() {
         return header;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/YAMLConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/YAMLConfiguration.java
index 6ca91be29..acc8b624d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/YAMLConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/YAMLConfiguration.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public class YAMLConfiguration extends AbstractYAMLBasedConfiguration implements
      * Creates a {@code Yaml} object for reading a Yaml file. The object is configured with some default settings.
      *
      * @param options options for loading the file
-     * @return the {@code Yaml} instance for loading a file
+     * @return The {@code Yaml} instance for loading a file
      */
     private static Yaml createYamlForReading(final LoaderOptions options) {
         return new Yaml(new SafeConstructor(options), new Representer(new DumperOptions()), new DumperOptions(), options);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanCreationContext.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanCreationContext.java
index d5b3e3066..69b02d044 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanCreationContext.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanCreationContext.java
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@ public interface BeanCreationContext {
      * for the initialization of the bean that is actually created.
      *
      * @param data the {@code BeanDeclaration} describing the bean
-     * @return the bean created based on this declaration
+     * @return The bean created based on this declaration
      */
     Object createBean(BeanDeclaration data);
 
     /**
      * Gets the class of the bean to be created.
      *
-     * @return the bean class
+     * @return The bean class
      */
     Class<?> getBeanClass();
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public interface BeanCreationContext {
      * Gets the {@code BeanDeclaration} with the data for the new bean. This data is used to initialize the bean's
      * properties.
      *
-     * @return the {@code BeanDeclaration} defining the bean to be created
+     * @return The {@code BeanDeclaration} defining the bean to be created
      */
     BeanDeclaration getBeanDeclaration();
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public interface BeanCreationContext {
      * Gets the (optional) parameter object for the bean factory. This is a mechanism which can be used to pass custom
      * parameters to a {@link BeanFactory}.
      *
-     * @return the parameter for the bean factory
+     * @return The parameter for the bean factory
      */
     Object getParameter();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanDeclaration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanDeclaration.java
index 8a3766239..05105bd45 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanDeclaration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanDeclaration.java
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public interface BeanDeclaration {
      * Gets the name of the bean class, from which an instance is to be created. This value must be defined unless a
      * default class is provided for the bean creation operation.
      *
-     * @return the name of the bean class
+     * @return The name of the bean class
      */
     String getBeanClassName();
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public interface BeanDeclaration {
      * Gets the name of the {@code BeanFactory} that should be used for creating the bean instance. This can be
      * <strong>null</strong>, then a default factory will be used.
      *
-     * @return the name of the bean factory
+     * @return The name of the bean factory
      */
     String getBeanFactoryName();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanFactory.java
index a12ed9f44..8f3dc5fb9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanFactory.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public interface BeanFactory {
      * the bean. It is up to a concrete implementation how the bean is created and initialized.
      *
      * @param bcc the context object for the bean to be created
-     * @return the new bean instance (should not be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The new bean instance (should not be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @throws Exception if an error occurs (the helper classes for creating beans will catch this generic exception and
      *         wrap it in a configuration exception)
      */
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public interface BeanFactory {
      * declarations using this factory do not need to provide the name of the bean class. In such a case an instance of the
      * default class will be created.
      *
-     * @return the default class of this factory or <strong>null</strong> if there is none
+     * @return The default class of this factory or <strong>null</strong> if there is none
      */
     Class<?> getDefaultBeanClass();
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanHelper.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanHelper.java
index adee74e72..ac369d021 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/BeanHelper.java
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      *
      * @param propName the name of the collection property
      * @param propertyClass the type of the property
-     * @return the newly created collection
+     * @return The newly created collection
      */
     private static Collection<Object> createPropertyCollection(final String propName, final Class<?> propertyClass) {
         final Collection<Object> beanCollection;
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      * @param data the bean declaration
      * @param defaultClass the default class
      * @param factory the bean factory to use
-     * @return the class of the bean to be created
+     * @return The class of the bean to be created
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the class cannot be determined
      */
     private static Class<?> fetchBeanClass(final BeanDeclaration data, final Class<?> defaultClass, final BeanFactory factory) {
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      * Initializes the shared {@code BeanUtilsBean} instance. This method sets up custom bean introspection in a way that
      * fluent parameter interfaces are supported.
      *
-     * @return the {@code BeanUtilsBean} instance to be used for all property set operations
+     * @return The {@code BeanUtilsBean} instance to be used for all property set operations
      */
     private static BeanUtilsBean initBeanUtilsBean() {
         final PropertyUtilsBean propUtilsBean = new PropertyUtilsBean();
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      * necessary, they can be made at a single place.
      *
      * @param name the name of the class to be loaded
-     * @return the class object for the specified name
+     * @return The class object for the specified name
      * @throws ClassNotFoundException if the class cannot be loaded
      */
     static Class<?> loadClass(final String name) throws ClassNotFoundException {
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      * {@code createBean(data, null);}.
      *
      * @param data the bean declaration
-     * @return the new bean
+     * @return The new bean
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if an error occurs
      */
     public Object createBean(final BeanDeclaration data) {
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      *
      * @param data the bean declaration
      * @param defaultClass the class to be used when in the declaration no class is specified
-     * @return the new bean
+     * @return The new bean
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if an error occurs
      */
     public Object createBean(final BeanDeclaration data, final Class<?> defaultClass) {
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      * @param defaultClass the default class to use
      * @param param an additional parameter that will be passed to the bean factory; some factories may support parameters
      *        and behave different depending on the value passed in here
-     * @return the new bean
+     * @return The new bean
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if an error occurs
      */
     public Object createBean(final BeanDeclaration data, final Class<?> defaultClass, final Object param) {
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      * @param param an additional parameter that will be passed to the bean factory; some factories may support parameters
      *        and behave different depending on the value passed in here
      * @param factory the current bean factory
-     * @return the {@code BeanCreationContext}
+     * @return The {@code BeanCreationContext}
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the bean class cannot be determined
      */
     private BeanCreationContext createBeanCreationContext(final BeanDeclaration data, final Class<?> defaultClass, final Object param,
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      * Deregisters the bean factory with the given name. After that this factory cannot be used any longer.
      *
      * @param name the name of the factory to be deregistered
-     * @return the factory that was registered under this name; <strong>null</strong> if there was no such factory
+     * @return The factory that was registered under this name; <strong>null</strong> if there was no such factory
      */
     public BeanFactory deregisterBeanFactory(final String name) {
         return beanFactories.remove(name);
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
      * specified in the bean declaration. If this is not the case, the default bean factory will be used.
      *
      * @param data the bean declaration
-     * @return the bean factory to use
+     * @return The bean factory to use
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the factory cannot be determined
      */
     private BeanFactory fetchBeanFactory(final BeanDeclaration data) {
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ public final class BeanHelper {
     /**
      * Gets the default bean factory.
      *
-     * @return the default bean factory
+     * @return The default bean factory
      */
     public BeanFactory getDefaultBeanFactory() {
         return defaultBeanFactory;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/ConstructorArg.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/ConstructorArg.java
index fc6f6e188..5a097ee03 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/ConstructorArg.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/ConstructorArg.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public final class ConstructorArg {
      * argument is the resolved {@code BeanDeclaration}.
      *
      * @param decl the {@code BeanDeclaration}
-     * @return the newly created instance of this class
+     * @return The newly created instance of this class
      * @throws NullPointerException if the {@code BeanDeclaration} is <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public static ConstructorArg forBeanDeclaration(final BeanDeclaration decl) {
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public final class ConstructorArg {
      *
      * @param beanDeclaration the {@code BeanDeclaration}
      * @param typeName the name of the data type of this argument
-     * @return the newly created instance of this class
+     * @return The newly created instance of this class
      * @throws NullPointerException if the {@code BeanDeclaration} is <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public static ConstructorArg forBeanDeclaration(final BeanDeclaration beanDeclaration, final String typeName) {
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public final class ConstructorArg {
      * constructor invocation.
      *
      * @param value the value of this constructor argument (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the newly created instance of this class
+     * @return The newly created instance of this class
      */
     public static ConstructorArg forValue(final Object value) {
         return forValue(value, null);
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public final class ConstructorArg {
      *
      * @param value the value of this constructor argument (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @param typeName the name of the data type of this argument
-     * @return the newly created instance of this class
+     * @return The newly created instance of this class
      */
     public static ConstructorArg forValue(final Object value, final String typeName) {
         return new ConstructorArg(null, value, typeName);
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ public final class ConstructorArg {
      * this constructor argument does not have a bean declaration as value; in this case, the value can be queried using the
      * {@link #getValue()} method.
      *
-     * @return the referenced {@code BeanDeclaration} or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The referenced {@code BeanDeclaration} or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public BeanDeclaration getBeanDeclaration() {
         return beanDeclaration;
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ public final class ConstructorArg {
      * a specific constructor if there are ambiguities. Note that it does not necessarily has to match the data type of this
      * argument's value because a type conversion may be performed before invoking the constructor.
      *
-     * @return the data type name of this argument if defined or <strong>null</strong> otherwise
+     * @return The data type name of this argument if defined or <strong>null</strong> otherwise
      */
     public String getTypeName() {
         return typeName;
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ public final class ConstructorArg {
      * returns <strong>false</strong>. Note that a return value of <strong>null</strong> is legal (to pass <strong>null</strong> to a constructor
      * argument).
      *
-     * @return the simple value of this constructor argument
+     * @return The simple value of this constructor argument
      */
     public Object getValue() {
         return value;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/DefaultBeanFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/DefaultBeanFactory.java
index 5557f4a83..4df24490a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/DefaultBeanFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/DefaultBeanFactory.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public class DefaultBeanFactory implements BeanFactory {
      * @param beanClass the affected bean class
      * @param data the bean declaration
      * @param msg an error message
-     * @return the exception with the error message
+     * @return The exception with the error message
      */
     private static ConfigurationRuntimeException constructorMatchingException(final Class<?> beanClass, final BeanDeclaration data, final String msg) {
         return new ConfigurationRuntimeException(FMT_CTOR_ERROR, msg, beanClass.getName(), getConstructorArgs(data).toString());
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public class DefaultBeanFactory implements BeanFactory {
      * @param beanClass the class of the bean to be created
      * @param data the current {@code BeanDeclaration}
      * @param <T> The type of the bean to be created
-     * @return the single matching constructor
+     * @return The single matching constructor
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if no single matching constructor can be found
      * @throws NullPointerException if the bean class or bean declaration are <strong>null</strong>
      */
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ public class DefaultBeanFactory implements BeanFactory {
      * Gets constructor arguments from a bean declaration. Deals with <strong>null</strong> values.
      *
      * @param data the bean declaration
-     * @return the collection with constructor arguments (never <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The collection with constructor arguments (never <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     private static Collection<ConstructorArg> getConstructorArgs(final BeanDeclaration data) {
         Collection<ConstructorArg> args = data.getConstructorArgs();
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ public class DefaultBeanFactory implements BeanFactory {
      * Fetches constructor arguments from the given bean declaration. Handles <strong>null</strong> values safely.
      *
      * @param data the bean declaration
-     * @return the collection with constructor arguments (never <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The collection with constructor arguments (never <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     private static Collection<ConstructorArg> nullSafeConstructorArgs(final BeanDeclaration data) {
         Collection<ConstructorArg> args = data.getConstructorArgs();
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ public class DefaultBeanFactory implements BeanFactory {
      * to change specific functionality of the base class.
      *
      * @param bcc the context object defining the bean to be created
-     * @return the new bean instance
+     * @return The new bean instance
      * @throws Exception if an error occurs
      */
     @Override
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ public class DefaultBeanFactory implements BeanFactory {
      * of the specified class.
      *
      * @param bcc the context object defining the bean to be created
-     * @return the new bean instance
+     * @return The new bean instance
      * @throws Exception if an error occurs
      */
     protected Object createBeanInstance(final BeanCreationContext bcc) throws Exception {
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ public class DefaultBeanFactory implements BeanFactory {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ConversionHandler} used by this object.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConversionHandler}
+     * @return The {@code ConversionHandler}
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public ConversionHandler getConversionHandler() {
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ public class DefaultBeanFactory implements BeanFactory {
     /**
      * Gets the default bean class used by this factory. This is always <strong>null</strong> for this implementation.
      *
-     * @return the default bean class
+     * @return The default bean class
      */
     @Override
     public Class<?> getDefaultBeanClass() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/XMLBeanDeclaration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/XMLBeanDeclaration.java
index 4b066f76d..cb0620e74 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/XMLBeanDeclaration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/XMLBeanDeclaration.java
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
          * characters affected have to be escaped accordingly.
          *
          * @param config the configuration
-         * @return the escaped node name
+         * @return The escaped node name
          */
         String escapedNodeName(final HierarchicalConfiguration<?> config) {
             return config.getExpressionEngine().nodeKey(node, StringUtils.EMPTY, nodeHandler);
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
          * Gets the value of the attribute with the given name of the wrapped node.
          *
          * @param key the key of the attribute
-         * @return the value of this attribute
+         * @return The value of this attribute
          */
         Object getAttribute(final String key) {
             return nodeHandler.getAttributeValue(node, key);
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
         /**
          * Gets a set with the names of the attributes of the wrapped node.
          *
-         * @return the attribute names of this node
+         * @return The attribute names of this node
          */
         Set<String> getAttributes() {
             return nodeHandler.getAttributes(node);
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
         /**
          * Returns the name of the wrapped node.
          *
-         * @return the node name
+         * @return The node name
          */
         String nodeName() {
             return nodeHandler.nodeName(node);
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
          * Wraps the passed in list of nodes in {@code NodeData} objects.
          *
          * @param nodes the list with nodes
-         * @return the wrapped nodes
+         * @return The wrapped nodes
          */
         List<NodeData<T>> wrapInNodeData(final List<T> nodes) {
             return nodes.stream().map(n -> new NodeData<>(n, nodeHandler)).collect(Collectors.toList());
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
      *
      * @param config the configuration
      * @param <T> The type of the nodes
-     * @return the {@code NodeData} object
+     * @return The {@code NodeData} object
      */
     private static <T> NodeData<T> createNodeDataFromConfiguration(final HierarchicalConfiguration<T> config) {
         final NodeHandler<T> handler = config.getNodeModel().getNodeHandler();
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
      * properly initialized from the passed in node.
      *
      * @param nodeData the child node, for which a {@code BeanDeclaration} is to be created
-     * @return the {@code BeanDeclaration} for this child node
+     * @return The {@code BeanDeclaration} for this child node
      */
     BeanDeclaration createBeanDeclaration(final NodeData<?> nodeData) {
         for (final HierarchicalConfiguration<?> config : getConfiguration().configurationsAt(nodeData.escapedNodeName(getConfiguration()))) {
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
      * Creates a {@code ConstructorArg} object for the specified configuration node.
      *
      * @param child the configuration node
-     * @return the corresponding {@code ConstructorArg} object
+     * @return The corresponding {@code ConstructorArg} object
      */
     private ConstructorArg createConstructorArg(final NodeData<?> child) {
         final String type = getAttribute(child, ATTR_CTOR_TYPE);
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
      *
      * @param nodeData the node
      * @param attribute the name of the attribute
-     * @return the string value of this attribute (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The string value of this attribute (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     private String getAttribute(final NodeData<?> nodeData, final String attribute) {
         final Object value = nodeData.getAttribute(attribute);
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Gets a set with the names of the attributes of the configuration node holding the data of this bean declaration.
      *
-     * @return the attribute names of the underlying configuration node
+     * @return The attribute names of the underlying configuration node
      */
     protected Set<String> getAttributeNames() {
         return getNode().getAttributes();
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
      * Gets the name of the class of the bean to be created. This information is obtained from the {@code config-class}
      * attribute.
      *
-     * @return the name of the bean's class
+     * @return The name of the bean's class
      */
     @Override
     public String getBeanClassName() {
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the bean factory. This information is fetched from the {@code config-factory} attribute.
      *
-     * @return the name of the bean factory
+     * @return The name of the bean factory
      */
     @Override
     public String getBeanFactoryName() {
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Gets a parameter for the bean factory. This information is fetched from the {@code config-factoryParam} attribute.
      *
-     * @return the parameter for the bean factory
+     * @return The parameter for the bean factory
      */
     @Override
     public Object getBeanFactoryParameter() {
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Gets the configuration object this bean declaration is based on.
      *
-     * @return the associated configuration
+     * @return The associated configuration
      */
     public HierarchicalConfiguration<?> getConfiguration() {
         return configuration;
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
      * Gets the name of the default bean class. This class is used if no bean class is specified in the configuration. It
      * may be <strong>null</strong> if no default class was set.
      *
-     * @return the default bean class name
+     * @return The default bean class name
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public String getDefaultBeanClassName() {
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Gets the data about the associated node.
      *
-     * @return the node with the bean declaration
+     * @return The node with the bean declaration
      */
     NodeData<?> getNode() {
         return nodeData;
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ public class XMLBeanDeclaration implements BeanDeclaration {
      * configuration's parent. If sub classes need a different interpolation mechanism, they should override this method.
      *
      * @param value the value that is to be interpolated
-     * @return the interpolated value
+     * @return The interpolated value
      */
     protected Object interpolate(final Object value) {
         final ConfigurationInterpolator interpolator = getConfiguration().getInterpolator();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BasicBuilderParameters.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BasicBuilderParameters.java
index b7f3c146d..648f72843 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BasicBuilderParameters.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BasicBuilderParameters.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public class BasicBuilderParameters implements Cloneable, BuilderParameters, Bas
      * like {@link #fetchAndCheckPrefixLookups(Map)}, but tests the default lookups collection.
      *
      * @param params the map with parameters
-     * @return the collection with default lookups (may be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The collection with default lookups (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if invalid data is found
      */
     private static Collection<? extends Lookup> fetchAndCheckDefaultLookups(final Map<String, Object> params) {
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public class BasicBuilderParameters implements Cloneable, BuilderParameters, Bas
      * map that the key for the prefix lookups actually points to a map containing keys and values of expected data types.
      *
      * @param params the parameters map
-     * @return the obtained map with prefix lookups
+     * @return The obtained map with prefix lookups
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the map contains invalid data
      */
     private static Map<String, ? extends Lookup> fetchAndCheckPrefixLookups(final Map<String, Object> params) {
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public class BasicBuilderParameters implements Cloneable, BuilderParameters, Bas
      * found, result is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param params the map with parameters (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the {@code BeanHelper} stored in this map or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The {@code BeanHelper} stored in this map or <strong>null</strong>
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the map is <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public static BeanHelper fetchBeanHelper(final Map<String, Object> params) {
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public class BasicBuilderParameters implements Cloneable, BuilderParameters, Bas
      * Obtains the collection with default lookups from the parameters map.
      *
      * @param params the map with parameters
-     * @return the collection with default lookups (may be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The collection with default lookups (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     private static Collection<? extends Lookup> fetchDefaultLookups(final Map<String, Object> params) {
         // This is safe to cast because we either have full control over the map
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ public class BasicBuilderParameters implements Cloneable, BuilderParameters, Bas
      * @param key the key of the parameter
      * @param expClass the expected class of the parameter value
      * @param <T> The parameter type
-     * @return the value of the parameter in the correct data type
+     * @return The value of the parameter in the correct data type
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the parameter is not of the expected type
      */
     private static <T> T fetchParameter(final Map<String, Object> params, final String key, final Class<T> expClass) {
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ public class BasicBuilderParameters implements Cloneable, BuilderParameters, Bas
      * Obtains the map with prefix lookups from the parameters map.
      *
      * @param params the map with parameters
-     * @return the map with prefix lookups (may be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The map with prefix lookups (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     private static Map<String, ? extends Lookup> fetchPrefixLookups(final Map<String, Object> params) {
         // This is safe to cast because we either have full control over the map
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ public class BasicBuilderParameters implements Cloneable, BuilderParameters, Bas
      * specific property is to be accessed. If the given key is not found, result is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param key the key of the property in question
-     * @return the value of the property with this key or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The value of the property with this key or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     protected Object fetchProperty(final String key) {
         return properties.get(key);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BasicConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BasicConfigurationBuilder.java
index 5848a3ace..e957c355e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BasicConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BasicConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ public class BasicConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> impleme
      * the exception is ignored, and the newly created, uninitialized configuration is returned. Note that this method is
      * called in a synchronized block.
      *
-     * @return the newly created result object
+     * @return The newly created result object
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected T createResult() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ public class BasicConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> impleme
      * exceptions will be thrown when the result object is created. Note: This method is invoked in a synchronized block.
      *
      * @param params a snapshot of the current initialization parameters
-     * @return the {@code BeanDeclaration} for creating result objects
+     * @return The {@code BeanDeclaration} for creating result objects
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected BeanDeclaration createResultDeclaration(final Map<String, Object> params) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ public class BasicConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> impleme
      * {@link BeanDeclaration} returned by {@link #getResultDeclaration()}. Note: This method is invoked in a synchronized
      * block.
      *
-     * @return the newly created, yet uninitialized result object
+     * @return The newly created, yet uninitialized result object
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an exception occurs
      */
     protected T createResultInstance() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ public class BasicConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> impleme
      * builder was configured with a specific {@code BeanHelper} instance. If so, this instance is used. Otherwise, the
      * default {@code BeanHelper} is returned.
      *
-     * @return the {@code BeanHelper} to be used
+     * @return The {@code BeanHelper} to be used
      */
     protected final BeanHelper fetchBeanHelper() {
         final BeanHelper helper = BasicBuilderParameters.fetchBeanHelper(getParameters());
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ public class BasicConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> impleme
      * Returns an {@code EventSource} for the current result object. If there is no current result or if it does not extend
      * {@code EventSource}, a dummy event source is returned.
      *
-     * @return the {@code EventSource} for the current result object
+     * @return The {@code EventSource} for the current result object
      */
     private EventSource fetchEventSource() {
         return ConfigurationUtils.asEventSource(result, true);
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ public class BasicConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> impleme
      * Gets a map with initialization parameters where all parameters starting with the reserved prefix have been
      * filtered out.
      *
-     * @return the filtered parameters map
+     * @return The filtered parameters map
      */
     private Map<String, Object> getFilteredParameters() {
         final Map<String, Object> filteredMap = new HashMap<>(getParameters());
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ public class BasicConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> impleme
     /**
      * Gets the result class of this builder. The objects produced by this builder have the class returned here.
      *
-     * @return the result class of this builder
+     * @return The result class of this builder
      */
     public Class<? extends T> getResultClass() {
         return resultClass;
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ public class BasicConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> impleme
      * Gets the {@code BeanDeclaration} that is used to create and initialize result objects. The declaration is created
      * on first access (by invoking {@link #createResultDeclaration(Map)}) based on the current initialization parameters.
      *
-     * @return the {@code BeanDeclaration} for dynamically creating a result object
+     * @return The {@code BeanDeclaration} for dynamically creating a result object
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected final synchronized BeanDeclaration getResultDeclaration() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ public class BasicConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> impleme
     /**
      * Returns the <em>allowFailOnInit</em> flag. See the header comment for information about this flag.
      *
-     * @return the <em>allowFailOnInit</em> flag
+     * @return The <em>allowFailOnInit</em> flag
      */
     public boolean isAllowFailOnInit() {
         return allowFailOnInit;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java
index 69d607af9..d3aa29590 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public class BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory {
          *
          * @param method the method to be invoked
          * @param args method arguments
-         * @return the return value of the method
+         * @return The return value of the method
          * @throws Exception if an error occurs
          */
         private Object handleConfigurationInvocation(final Method method, final Object[] args) throws ReflectiveOperationException, ConfigurationException {
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public class BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory {
          *
          * @param method the method to be invoked
          * @param args method arguments
-         * @return the return value of the method
+         * @return The return value of the method
          * @throws ReflectiveOperationException if an error occurs
          */
         private Object handleEventSourceInvocation(final Method method, final Object... args) throws ReflectiveOperationException {
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public class BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory {
          * @param proxy the proxy object
          * @param method the method to be invoked
          * @param args method arguments
-         * @return the return value of the method
+         * @return The return value of the method
          * @throws ReflectiveOperationException if an error occurs
          * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
          */
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ public class BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory {
      *        must not be <strong>null</strong>
      * @param builder the wrapped {@code ConfigurationBuilder} (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @param evSrcSupport the level of {@code EventSource} support
-     * @return the wrapper configuration
+     * @return The wrapper configuration
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if a required parameter is missing
      * @throws org.apache.commons.configuration2.ex.ConfigurationRuntimeException if an error occurs when creating the
      *         result {@code ImmutableConfiguration}
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ public class BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory {
      * @param ifcClass the class of the configuration objects returned by this method; this must be an interface class and
      *        must not be <strong>null</strong>
      * @param builder the wrapped {@code ConfigurationBuilder} (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the wrapper configuration
+     * @return The wrapper configuration
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if a required parameter is missing
      * @throws org.apache.commons.configuration2.ex.ConfigurationRuntimeException if an error occurs when creating the
      *         result {@code ImmutableConfiguration}
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ public class BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory {
     /**
      * Gets the level of {@code EventSource} support used when generating {@code ImmutableConfiguration} objects.
      *
-     * @return the level of {@code EventSource} support
+     * @return The level of {@code EventSource} support
      */
     public EventSourceSupport getEventSourceSupport() {
         return eventSourceSupport;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilder.java
index 455deec77..0972d92a0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public interface ConfigurationBuilder<T extends ImmutableConfiguration> extends
      * Gets the configuration provided by this builder. An implementation has to perform all necessary steps for creating
      * and initializing a {@code ImmutableConfiguration} object.
      *
-     * @return the configuration
+     * @return The configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     T getConfiguration() throws ConfigurationException;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilderEvent.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilderEvent.java
index 1bd3dcfc8..0652528f8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilderEvent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilderEvent.java
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public class ConfigurationBuilderEvent extends Event {
     /**
      * Gets the source of this event as a {@code ConfigurationBuilder}.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationBuilder} which generated this event
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationBuilder} which generated this event
      */
     @Override
     public ConfigurationBuilder<?> getSource() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilderResultCreatedEvent.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilderResultCreatedEvent.java
index bb03224ed..45eaf4c18 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilderResultCreatedEvent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ConfigurationBuilderResultCreatedEvent.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public class ConfigurationBuilderResultCreatedEvent extends ConfigurationBuilder
     /**
      * Gets the newly created {@code ImmutableConfiguration} object.
      *
-     * @return the newly created {@code ImmutableConfiguration}
+     * @return The newly created {@code ImmutableConfiguration}
      */
     public ImmutableConfiguration getConfiguration() {
         return configuration;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/CopyObjectDefaultHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/CopyObjectDefaultHandler.java
index c094677b4..f4320d5cf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/CopyObjectDefaultHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/CopyObjectDefaultHandler.java
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public class CopyObjectDefaultHandler implements DefaultParametersHandler<Object
      * Gets the source object of this handler. This is the object whose properties are copied on the objects to be
      * initialized.
      *
-     * @return the source object of this {@code CopyObjectDefaultHandler}
+     * @return The source object of this {@code CopyObjectDefaultHandler}
      */
     public BuilderParameters getSource() {
         return source;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/EventListenerProvider.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/EventListenerProvider.java
index caff9b001..f100fd3bb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/EventListenerProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/EventListenerProvider.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public interface EventListenerProvider {
      * Gets an {@code EventListenerList} object with information about event listener registrations. All listeners
      * contained in this object are added to the processing {@code ConfigurationBuilder}.
      *
-     * @return the {@code EventListenerList} with event listener registrations (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The {@code EventListenerList} with event listener registrations (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     EventListenerList getListeners();
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl.java
index 119c1d467..86eb32be6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl.java
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public class FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters imple
      * uninitialized instance is returned.
      *
      * @param map the map with properties (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the newly created instance
+     * @return The newly created instance
      * @throws ClassCastException if the map contains invalid data
      */
     public static FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl fromMap(final Map<String, ?> map) {
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public class FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters imple
      * {@code fromParameters(params, false};}
      *
      * @param params the map with parameters (must not be <strong>null</strong>
-     * @return the instance obtained from the map or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The instance obtained from the map or <strong>null</strong>
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the map is <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public static FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl fromParameters(final Map<String, ?> params) {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public class FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters imple
      * @param params the map with parameters (must not be <strong>null</strong>
      * @param createIfMissing determines the behavior if no instance is found in the map; if <strong>true</strong>, a new instance
      *        with default settings is created; if <strong>false</strong>, <strong>null</strong> is returned
-     * @return the instance obtained from the map or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The instance obtained from the map or <strong>null</strong>
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the map is <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public static FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl fromParameters(final Map<String, ?> params, final boolean createIfMissing) {
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public class FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters imple
      * Gets the {@code FileHandler} managed by this object. This object is updated every time the file location is
      * changed.
      *
-     * @return the managed {@code FileHandler}
+     * @return The managed {@code FileHandler}
      */
     public FileHandler getFileHandler() {
         return fileHandler;
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ public class FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters imple
      * Gets the {@code ReloadingDetectorFactory}. Result may be <strong>null</strong> which means that the default factory is to be
      * used.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ReloadingDetectorFactory}
+     * @return The {@code ReloadingDetectorFactory}
      */
     public ReloadingDetectorFactory getReloadingDetectorFactory() {
         return reloadingDetectorFactory;
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ public class FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters imple
     /**
      * Gets the refresh delay for reload operations. Result may be <strong>null</strong> if this value has not been set.
      *
-     * @return the reloading refresh delay
+     * @return The reloading refresh delay
      */
     public Long getReloadingRefreshDelay() {
         return reloadingRefreshDelay;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/FileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/FileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
index e1e6b7c9c..4a5f08a93 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/FileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/FileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public class FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * class (or one of its super classes), it is returned. Otherwise, result is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param configClass the configuration class in question
-     * @return the default encoding for this class (may be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The default encoding for this class (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public static String getDefaultEncoding(final Class<?> configClass) {
         String enc = DEFAULT_ENCODINGS.get(configClass);
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public class FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
     /**
      * Creates a map with default encodings for configuration classes and populates it with default entries.
      *
-     * @return the map with default encodings
+     * @return The map with default encodings
      */
     private static Map<Class<?>, String> initializeDefaultEncodings() {
         final Map<Class<?>, String> enc = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ public class FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * is found in this builder's parameters, a new one is created now and stored. This makes it possible to change the
      * location of the associated file even if no parameters object was provided.
      *
-     * @return the {@code FileHandler} from initialization parameters
+     * @return The {@code FileHandler} from initialization parameters
      */
     private FileHandler fetchFileHandlerFromParameters() {
         FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl fileParams = FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl.fromParameters(getParameters(), false);
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ public class FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * {@code FileHandler} can be used to save it. Otherwise, the {@code FileHandler} from the initialization parameters is
      * returned (which is not associated with a {@code FileBased} object). Result is never <strong>null</strong>.
      *
-     * @return the {@code FileHandler} associated with this builder
+     * @return The {@code FileHandler} associated with this builder
      */
     public synchronized FileHandler getFileHandler() {
         return currentFileHandler != null ? currentFileHandler : fetchFileHandlerFromParameters();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingBuilderSupportListener.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingBuilderSupportListener.java
index 7e8ce543a..21b89e131 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingBuilderSupportListener.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingBuilderSupportListener.java
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ final class ReloadingBuilderSupportListener implements EventListener<Event> {
      *
      * @param configBuilder the {@code ConfigurationBuilder}
      * @param controller the {@code ReloadingController}
-     * @return the newly created listener object
+     * @return The newly created listener object
      */
     public static ReloadingBuilderSupportListener connect(final BasicConfigurationBuilder<?> configBuilder, final ReloadingController controller) {
         final ReloadingBuilderSupportListener listener = new ReloadingBuilderSupportListener(configBuilder, controller);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingDetectorFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingDetectorFactory.java
index abe920b8f..a08e2557c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingDetectorFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingDetectorFactory.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public interface ReloadingDetectorFactory {
      *
      * @param handler the handler of the file to be monitored
      * @param params parameters related to file-based configurations
-     * @return the newly created {@code ReloadingDetector}
+     * @return The newly created {@code ReloadingDetector}
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     ReloadingDetector createReloadingDetector(FileHandler handler, FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl params) throws ConfigurationException;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
index af094bcc0..bfaf8760d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfigura
      * Returns a {@code ReloadingDetectorFactory} either from the passed in parameters or a default factory.
      *
      * @param params the current parameters object
-     * @return the {@code ReloadingDetectorFactory} to be used
+     * @return The {@code ReloadingDetectorFactory} to be used
      */
     private static ReloadingDetectorFactory fetchDetectorFactory(final FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl params) {
         final ReloadingDetectorFactory factory = params.getReloadingDetectorFactory();
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ public class ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfigura
      * not support changing the reloading detector; therefore, this level of indirection is needed to change the monitored
      * file dynamically.)
      *
-     * @return the new {@code ReloadingController}
+     * @return The new {@code ReloadingController}
      */
     private ReloadingController createReloadingController() {
         final ReloadingDetector ctrlDetector = createReloadingDetectorForController();
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ public class ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfigura
      * Creates a {@code ReloadingDetector} wrapper to be passed to the associated {@code ReloadingController}. This detector
      * wrapper simply delegates to the current {@code ReloadingDetector} if it is available.
      *
-     * @return the wrapper {@code ReloadingDetector}
+     * @return The wrapper {@code ReloadingDetector}
      */
     private ReloadingDetector createReloadingDetectorForController() {
         return new ReloadingDetector() {
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public class ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfigura
      * Gets the {@code ReloadingController} associated with this builder. This controller is directly created. However,
      * it becomes active (i.e. associated with a meaningful reloading detector) not before a result object was created.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ReloadingController}
+     * @return The {@code ReloadingController}
      */
     @Override
     public ReloadingController getReloadingController() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/XMLBuilderParametersImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/XMLBuilderParametersImpl.java
index fa8c687d9..ee9df97c5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/XMLBuilderParametersImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/XMLBuilderParametersImpl.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class XMLBuilderParametersImpl extends HierarchicalBuilderParametersImpl
      * Gets the {@code EntityResolver} stored in this parameters object. Result is <strong>null</strong> if no such object has been
      * set.
      *
-     * @return the {@code EntityResolver} or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The {@code EntityResolver} or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public EntityResolver getEntityResolver() {
         return (EntityResolver) fetchProperty(PROP_ENTITY_RESOLVER);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
index 55bdced2b..d8375095b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
      * Creates an instance of a parameter class using reflection.
      *
      * @param paramcls the parameter class
-     * @return the newly created instance
+     * @return The newly created instance
      * @throws Exception if an error occurs
      */
     private static BuilderParameters createParameterObject(final String paramcls) throws ReflectiveOperationException {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
      * Creates a new, unmodifiable collection for the parameter classes.
      *
      * @param paramCls the collection with parameter classes passed to the constructor
-     * @return the collection to be stored
+     * @return The collection to be stored
      */
     private static Collection<String> initParameterClasses(final Collection<String> paramCls) {
         if (paramCls == null) {
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
      *
      * @param decl the current {@code ConfigurationDeclaration}
      * @param params initialization parameters for the new builder object
-     * @return the newly created builder instance
+     * @return The newly created builder instance
      * @throws Exception if an error occurs
      */
     protected BasicConfigurationBuilder<? extends Configuration> createBuilder(final ConfigurationDeclaration decl, final Collection<BuilderParameters> params)
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
      * builder is desired, but this provider has no reloading support, an exception is thrown.
      *
      * @param decl the current {@code ConfigurationDeclaration}
-     * @return the name of the builder class
+     * @return The name of the builder class
      * @throws ConfigurationException if the builder class cannot be determined
      */
     protected String determineBuilderClass(final ConfigurationDeclaration decl) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
      *
      * @param decl the current {@code ConfigurationDeclaration}
      * @param params the collection with parameter objects
-     * @return the name of the builder's result configuration class
+     * @return The name of the builder's result configuration class
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected String determineConfigurationClass(final ConfigurationDeclaration decl, final Collection<BuilderParameters> params)
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
     /**
      * Gets the name of the class of the builder created by this provider.
      *
-     * @return the builder class
+     * @return The builder class
      */
     public String getBuilderClass() {
         return builderClass;
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
     /**
      * Gets the name of the configuration class created by the builder produced by this provider.
      *
-     * @return the configuration class
+     * @return The configuration class
      */
     public String getConfigurationClass() {
         return configurationClass;
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
     /**
      * Gets an unmodifiable collection with the names of parameter classes supported by this provider.
      *
-     * @return the parameter classes
+     * @return The parameter classes
      */
     public Collection<String> getParameterClasses() {
         return parameterClasses;
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
      * Gets the name of the class of the builder created by this provider if the reload flag is set. If this method
      * returns <strong>null</strong>, reloading builders are not supported by this provider.
      *
-     * @return the reloading builder class
+     * @return The reloading builder class
      */
     public String getReloadingBuilderClass() {
         return reloadingBuilderClass;
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ public class BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider implements ConfigurationBuilderPro
      * optional, but an empty instance should be created if its creation fail.
      *
      * @param decl the current {@code ConfigurationDeclaration}
-     * @return the value of the <em>allowFailOnInit</em> flag
+     * @return The value of the <em>allowFailOnInit</em> flag
      */
     protected boolean isAllowFailOnInit(final ConfigurationDeclaration decl) {
         return decl.isOptional() && decl.isForceCreate();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/CombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/CombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java
index e7067d170..a66e47712 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/CombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/CombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public class CombinedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters implem
      * {@code fromParameters(params, false);}
      *
      * @param params the map with parameters (must not be <strong>null</strong>
-     * @return the instance obtained from the map or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The instance obtained from the map or <strong>null</strong>
      * @throws NullPointerException if the map is <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public static CombinedBuilderParametersImpl fromParameters(final Map<String, ?> params) {
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class CombinedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters implem
      * @param params the map with parameters (must not be <strong>null</strong>
      * @param createIfMissing determines the behavior if no instance is found in the map; if <strong>true</strong>, a new instance
      *        with default settings is created; if <strong>false</strong>, <strong>null</strong> is returned
-     * @return the instance obtained from the map or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The instance obtained from the map or <strong>null</strong>
      * @throws NullPointerException if the map is <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public static CombinedBuilderParametersImpl fromParameters(final Map<String, ?> params, final boolean createIfMissing) {
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public class CombinedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters implem
      * Gets the base path for relative names of configuration sources. Result may be <strong>null</strong> if no base path has been
      * set.
      *
-     * @return the base path for resolving relative file names
+     * @return The base path for resolving relative file names
      */
     public String getBasePath() {
         return basePath;
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public class CombinedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters implem
      * Gets the {@code DefaultParametersManager} object for initializing parameter objects for child configuration
      * sources. This method never returns <strong>null</strong>. If no manager was set, a new instance is created right now.
      *
-     * @return the {@code DefaultParametersManager} for child configuration sources
+     * @return The {@code DefaultParametersManager} for child configuration sources
      */
     public DefaultParametersManager getChildDefaultParametersManager() {
         if (childDefaultParametersManager == null) {
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ public class CombinedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters implem
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ConfigurationBuilder} object for obtaining the definition configuration.
      *
-     * @return the definition {@code ConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The definition {@code ConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public ConfigurationBuilder<? extends HierarchicalConfiguration<?>> getDefinitionBuilder() {
         return definitionBuilder;
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ public class CombinedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters implem
     /**
      * Gets the parameters object for the definition configuration builder if present.
      *
-     * @return the parameters object for the definition configuration builder or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The parameters object for the definition configuration builder or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public BuilderParameters getDefinitionBuilderParameters() {
         return definitionBuilderParameters;
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ public class CombinedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters implem
     /**
      * Gets an (unmodifiable) map with the currently registered {@code ConfigurationBuilderProvider} objects.
      *
-     * @return the map with {@code ConfigurationBuilderProvider} objects (the keys are the tag names)
+     * @return The map with {@code ConfigurationBuilderProvider} objects (the keys are the tag names)
      */
     public Map<String, ConfigurationBuilderProvider> getProviders() {
         return Collections.unmodifiableMap(providers);
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ public class CombinedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters implem
      * Returns the current value of the flag that controls whether the settings of the parent combined configuration builder
      * should be inherited by its child configurations.
      *
-     * @return the flag whether settings should be inherited by child configurations
+     * @return The flag whether settings should be inherited by child configurations
      */
     public boolean isInheritSettings() {
         return inheritSettings;
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ public class CombinedBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters implem
      * there is no registration for this tag.
      *
      * @param tagName the tag name
-     * @return the provider registered for this tag or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The provider registered for this tag or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public ConfigurationBuilderProvider providerForTag(final String tagName) {
         return providers.get(tagName);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/CombinedConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/CombinedConfigurationBuilder.java
index 065160a59..fa6649f07 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/CombinedConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/CombinedConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
         /**
          * Returns a set with the names of all known named builders.
          *
-         * @return the names of the available sub builders
+         * @return The names of the available sub builders
          */
         public Set<String> builderNames() {
             return namedBuilders.keySet();
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
          * Creates a configuration builder based on a source declaration in the definition configuration.
          *
          * @param decl the current {@code ConfigurationDeclaration}
-         * @return the newly created builder
+         * @return The newly created builder
          * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
          */
         private ConfigurationBuilder<? extends Configuration> createConfigurationBuilder(final ConfigurationDeclaration decl) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
         /**
          * Gets a collection containing the builders for all child configuration sources.
          *
-         * @return the child configuration builders
+         * @return The child configuration builders
          */
         public Collection<ConfigurationBuilder<? extends Configuration>> getChildBuilders() {
             return allBuilders;
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
          * configuration, result is <strong>null</strong>.
          *
          * @param name the name of the builder in question
-         * @return the builder with this name or <strong>null</strong>
+         * @return The builder with this name or <strong>null</strong>
          */
         public ConfigurationBuilder<? extends Configuration> getNamedBuilder(final String name) {
             return namedBuilders.get(name);
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
         /**
          * Gets a collection with all configuration source declarations defined in the override section.
          *
-         * @return the override configuration builders
+         * @return The override configuration builders
          */
         public List<ConfigurationDeclaration> getOverrideSources() {
             return overrideDeclarations;
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
         /**
          * Gets a collection with all configuration source declarations defined in the union section.
          *
-         * @return the union configuration builders
+         * @return The union configuration builders
          */
         public List<ConfigurationDeclaration> getUnionSources() {
             return unionDeclarations;
@@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
     /**
      * Creates the map with the default configuration builder providers.
      *
-     * @return the map with default providers
+     * @return The map with default providers
      */
     private static Map<String, ConfigurationBuilderProvider> createDefaultProviders() {
         final Map<String, ConfigurationBuilderProvider> providers = new HashMap<>();
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * {@code CombinedConfiguration} and initializes some properties from the result configuration.
      *
      * @param resultConfig the result configuration (this is the configuration that will be returned by the builder)
-     * @return the {@code CombinedConfiguration} for the additional configuration sources
+     * @return The {@code CombinedConfiguration} for the additional configuration sources
      * @since 1.7
      */
     protected CombinedConfiguration createAdditionalsConfiguration(final CombinedConfiguration resultConfig) {
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
     /**
      * Creates the data object for configuration sources and the corresponding builders.
      *
-     * @return the newly created data object
+     * @return The newly created data object
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private ConfigurationSourceData createSourceData() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -809,7 +809,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * This method is called in a synchronized block.
      *
      * @param builderParams the parameters object for the builder
-     * @return the standard builder for the definition configuration
+     * @return The standard builder for the definition configuration
      */
     protected ConfigurationBuilder<? extends HierarchicalConfiguration<?>> createXMLDefinitionBuilder(final BuilderParameters builderParams) {
         return new FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<>(XMLConfiguration.class).configure(builderParams);
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * Returns a map with the current prefix lookup objects. This map is obtained from the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
      * of the configuration under construction.
      *
-     * @return the map with current prefix lookups (may be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The map with current prefix lookups (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     private Map<String, ? extends Lookup> fetchPrefixLookups() {
         final CombinedConfiguration cc = getConfigurationUnderConstruction();
@@ -830,7 +830,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * Gets the current base path of this configuration builder. This is used for instance by all file-based child
      * configurations.
      *
-     * @return the base path
+     * @return The base path
      */
     private String getBasePath() {
         return currentXMLParameters.getFileHandler().getBasePath();
@@ -852,7 +852,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * result configuration. It is intended for internal usage, for example some specialized builder providers need access to this
      * configuration to perform advanced initialization.
      *
-     * @return the configuration that us currently under construction
+     * @return The configuration that us currently under construction
      */
     CombinedConfiguration getConfigurationUnderConstruction() {
         return currentConfiguration;
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ConfigurationBuilder} which creates the definition configuration.
      *
-     * @return the builder for the definition configuration
+     * @return The builder for the definition configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     public synchronized ConfigurationBuilder<? extends HierarchicalConfiguration<?>> getDefinitionBuilder() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * always the same configuration instance is used. (Otherwise, it would be possible that the definition builder returns
      * a different instance when queried multiple times.)
      *
-     * @return the definition configuration
+     * @return The definition configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected HierarchicalConfiguration<?> getDefinitionConfiguration() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -900,7 +900,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * </p>
      *
      * @param name the name of the builder in question
-     * @return the child configuration builder with this name
+     * @return The child configuration builder with this name
      * @throws ConfigurationException if information about named builders is not yet available or no builder with this name
      *         exists
      */
@@ -919,7 +919,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * Obtains the data object for the configuration sources and the corresponding builders. This object is created on first
      * access and reset when the definition builder sends a change event. This method is called in a synchronized block.
      *
-     * @return the object with information about configuration sources
+     * @return The object with information about configuration sources
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private ConfigurationSourceData getSourceData() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -1068,7 +1068,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * sources.
      *
      * @param config the definition configuration
-     * @return the default {@code FileSystem} (may be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The default {@code FileSystem} (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected FileSystem initFileSystem(final HierarchicalConfiguration<?> config) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -1155,7 +1155,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * supports all default providers and custom providers added through the parameters object as well.
      *
      * @param tagName the name of the tag
-     * @return the provider that was registered for this tag or <strong>null</strong> if there is none
+     * @return The provider that was registered for this tag or <strong>null</strong> if there is none
      */
     protected ConfigurationBuilderProvider providerForTag(final String tagName) {
         return currentParameters.providerForTag(tagName);
@@ -1243,7 +1243,7 @@ public class CombinedConfigurationBuilder extends BasicConfigurationBuilder<Comb
      * configuration builder is created which loads this file. Note: This method is called from a synchronized block.
      *
      * @param params the current parameters for this builder
-     * @return the builder for the definition configuration
+     * @return The builder for the definition configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected ConfigurationBuilder<? extends HierarchicalConfiguration<?>> setupDefinitionBuilder(final Map<String, Object> params)
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ConfigurationBuilderProvider.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
index 28ff5f226..8741cc48a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public interface ConfigurationBuilderProvider {
      * the combined configuration definition file.
      *
      * @param decl the bean declaration with initialization parameters for the configuration builder
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationBuilder} object created by this provider
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationBuilder} object created by this provider
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     ConfigurationBuilder<? extends Configuration> getConfigurationBuilder(ConfigurationDeclaration decl) throws ConfigurationException;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ConfigurationDeclaration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ConfigurationDeclaration.java
index 5367b4ba6..7e36d64ee 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ConfigurationDeclaration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ConfigurationDeclaration.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public class ConfigurationDeclaration extends XMLBeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Gets the value of the {@code at} attribute.
      *
-     * @return the value of the {@code at} attribute (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The value of the {@code at} attribute (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public String getAt() {
         final String result = getConfiguration().getString(CombinedConfigurationBuilder.ATTR_AT_RES);
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class ConfigurationDeclaration extends XMLBeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Gets the bean's class name. This implementation will always return <strong>null</strong>.
      *
-     * @return the name of the bean's class
+     * @return The name of the bean's class
      */
     @Override
     public String getBeanClassName() {
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public class ConfigurationDeclaration extends XMLBeanDeclaration {
      * Gets the name of the bean factory. For configuration source declarations always a reserved factory is used. This
      * factory's name is returned by this implementation.
      *
-     * @return the name of the bean factory
+     * @return The name of the bean factory
      */
     @Override
     public String getBeanFactoryName() {
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public class ConfigurationDeclaration extends XMLBeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Gets the associated configuration builder.
      *
-     * @return the configuration builder
+     * @return The configuration builder
      */
     public CombinedConfigurationBuilder getConfigurationBuilder() {
         return configurationBuilder;
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public class ConfigurationDeclaration extends XMLBeanDeclaration {
      * Gets the name for the represented configuration source. The name is optional, so this method can return
      * <strong>null</strong>.
      *
-     * @return the name of the associated configuration source or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The name of the associated configuration source or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public String getName() {
         return getConfiguration().getString(CombinedConfigurationBuilder.ATTR_NAME);
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public class ConfigurationDeclaration extends XMLBeanDeclaration {
      * configuration the {@code forceCreate} attribute is set and the corresponding configuration provider supports this
      * mode, an empty configuration will be created and added to the resulting combined configuration.
      *
-     * @return the value of the {@code forceCreate} attribute
+     * @return The value of the {@code forceCreate} attribute
      */
     public boolean isForceCreate() {
         return getConfiguration().getBoolean(CombinedConfigurationBuilder.ATTR_FORCECREATE, false);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
index 4631807b6..639cee531 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public class FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider extends BaseConfiguration
      * Extracts the extension from the given file name. The name can be <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param fileName the file name
-     * @return the extension (<strong>null</strong> if there is none)
+     * @return The extension (<strong>null</strong> if there is none)
      */
     private static String extractExtension(final String fileName) {
         if (fileName == null) {
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider extends BaseConfiguration
      * Tries to obtain the current file name from the given list of parameter objects.
      *
      * @param params the parameter objects
-     * @return the file name or <strong>null</strong> if unspecified
+     * @return The file name or <strong>null</strong> if unspecified
      */
     private static String fetchCurrentFileName(final Collection<BuilderParameters> params) {
         for (final BuilderParameters p : params) {
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public class FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider extends BaseConfiguration
     /**
      * Gets the file extension of this provider.
      *
-     * @return the file extension to match
+     * @return The file extension to match
      */
     public String getExtension() {
         return extension;
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ public class FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider extends BaseConfiguration
      * Gets the name of the matching configuration class. This class is used if the file extension matches the extension
      * of this provider.
      *
-     * @return the matching configuration class
+     * @return The matching configuration class
      */
     public String getMatchingConfigurationClass() {
         return matchingConfigurationClass;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl.java
index 1fef8a28d..8343f85c2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl.java
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public class MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters imple
     /**
      * Gets the pattern for determining file names for managed configurations.
      *
-     * @return the file pattern
+     * @return The file pattern
      */
     public String getFilePattern() {
         return filePattern;
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public class MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl extends BasicBuilderParameters imple
     /**
      * Gets the parameters object for managed configuration builders.
      *
-     * @return the parameters for sub configurations
+     * @return The parameters for sub configurations
      */
     public BuilderParameters getManagedBuilderParameters() {
         return managedBuilderParameters;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
index ab6911bdb..4e39eb707 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      *
      * @param params the parameters of this builder
      * @param multiParams the parameters object for this builder
-     * @return the parameters for a new managed builder
+     * @return The parameters for a new managed builder
      */
     private static Map<String, Object> createManagedBuilderParameters(final Map<String, Object> params, final MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl multiParams) {
         final Map<String, Object> newParams = new HashMap<>(params);
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * uses it to interpolate the file name pattern.
      *
      * @param multiParams the parameters object for this builder
-     * @return the name of the configuration file to be loaded
+     * @return The name of the configuration file to be loaded
      */
     protected String constructFileName(final MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl multiParams) {
         final ConfigurationInterpolator ci = getInterpolator();
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * passed to the builder listeners registered at this object, but with the correct source property.
      *
      * @param event the event received from a managed builder
-     * @return the event to be propagated
+     * @return The event to be propagated
      */
     private ConfigurationBuilderEvent createEventWithChangedSource(final ConfigurationBuilderEvent event) {
         if (ConfigurationBuilderResultCreatedEvent.RESULT_CREATED.equals(event.getEventType())) {
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      *
      * @param fileName the name of the file to be loaded
      * @param params a map with initialization parameters for the new builder
-     * @return the newly created and initialized builder instance
+     * @return The newly created and initialized builder instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T> createInitializedManagedBuilder(final String fileName, final Map<String, Object> params)
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * from this builder's parameters. If no properties of the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} are specified in the
      * parameters, a default instance without lookups is returned (which is probably not very helpful).
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} to be used
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} to be used
      */
     protected ConfigurationInterpolator createInterpolator() {
         final InterpolatorSpecification spec = BasicBuilderParameters.fetchInterpolatorSpecification(getParameters());
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      *
      * @param fileName the name of the file to be loaded
      * @param params a map with initialization parameters for the new builder
-     * @return the newly created builder instance
+     * @return The newly created builder instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T> createManagedBuilder(final String fileName, final Map<String, Object> params) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * object causes a recursive lookup to this builder's configuration.
      *
      * @param multiParams the current builder parameters
-     * @return the file name for a managed builder
+     * @return The file name for a managed builder
      */
     private String fetchFileName(final MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl multiParams) {
         String fileName;
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * Gets the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} used by this instance. This is the object used for evaluating the file
      * name pattern. It is created on demand.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
      */
     protected ConfigurationInterpolator getInterpolator() {
         ConfigurationInterpolator result;
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * on the evaluation of the file name pattern using the configured {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}. If this is the
      * first access to this configuration file, the builder is created.
      *
-     * @return the configuration builder for the configuration corresponding to the current evaluation of the file name
+     * @return The configuration builder for the configuration corresponding to the current evaluation of the file name
      *         pattern
      * @throws ConfigurationException if the builder cannot be determined (for example due to missing initialization parameters)
      */
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfiguration> ext
      * exposed to derived classes so they can access managed builders directly. However, derived classes are not expected to
      * manipulate this map.
      *
-     * @return the map with the managed builders
+     * @return The map with the managed builders
      */
     protected ConcurrentMap<String, FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T>> getManagedBuilders() {
         return managedBuilders;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileConfigurationBuilderProvider.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
index 8dc46821e..aea4009c6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiFileConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilderProvider extends BaseConfigurationBuil
      *
      * @param multiBuilder the {@code MultiFileConfigurationBuilder}
      * @param wrapConfig the configuration to be returned
-     * @return the wrapper builder
+     * @return The wrapper builder
      */
     private static ConfigurationBuilder<? extends Configuration> createWrapperBuilder(final ConfigurationBuilder<? extends Configuration> multiBuilder,
         final Configuration wrapConfig) {
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ public class MultiFileConfigurationBuilderProvider extends BaseConfigurationBuil
      * Creates a configuration which wraps the specified builder.
      *
      * @param builder the builder
-     * @return the wrapping configuration
+     * @return The wrapping configuration
      */
     // It is safe to disable any type checks because we manually determine
     // the interface class to be passed to BuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiWrapDynaBean.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiWrapDynaBean.java
index 8fcf8d704..ec9cc2e64 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiWrapDynaBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/MultiWrapDynaBean.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ final class MultiWrapDynaBean implements DynaBean {
      * Creates a {@code DynaBean} object for the given bean.
      *
      * @param bean the bean
-     * @return the {@code DynaBean} for this bean
+     * @return The {@code DynaBean} for this bean
      */
     private static DynaBean createDynaBean(final Object bean) {
         if (bean instanceof DynaBean) {
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ final class MultiWrapDynaBean implements DynaBean {
      * returned. (This causes the operation on this bean to fail with a meaningful error message.)
      *
      * @param property the property name
-     * @return the bean defining this property
+     * @return The bean defining this property
      */
     private DynaBean fetchBean(final String property) {
         DynaBean dynaBean = propsToBeans.get(property);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java
index 2a704bf29..6fbd56610 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ public class ReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilder extends CombinedConfiguration
      * been created and initialized. It is called from a synchronized block. This implementation creates a
      * {@link CombinedReloadingController}.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ReloadingController} for this builder
+     * @return The {@code ReloadingController} for this builder
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     protected ReloadingController createReloadingController() throws ConfigurationException {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
index 22e22f54c..f3c39b377 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/ReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public class ReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder<T extends FileBasedConfigura
      * {@link CombinedReloadingController} which operates on the reloading controllers of the managed builders created so
      * far.
      *
-     * @return the newly created {@code ReloadingController}
+     * @return The newly created {@code ReloadingController}
      */
     private ReloadingController createReloadingController() {
         final Set<ReloadingController> empty = Collections.emptySet();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/Configurations.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/Configurations.java
index 3ab97d007..57bf41a35 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/Configurations.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/Configurations.java
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code CombinedConfiguration} and initializes it with the given file to be loaded.
      *
      * @param file the file to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code CombinedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code CombinedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public CombinedConfigurationBuilder combinedBuilder(final File file) {
         return new CombinedConfigurationBuilder().configure(fileParams(file));
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * loaded.
      *
      * @param path the path to the file to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code CombinedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code CombinedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public CombinedConfigurationBuilder combinedBuilder(final String path) {
         return new CombinedConfigurationBuilder().configure(fileParams(path));
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code CombinedConfiguration} and initializes it with the given URL to be loaded.
      *
      * @param url the URL to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code CombinedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code CombinedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public CombinedConfigurationBuilder combinedBuilder(final URL url) {
         return new CombinedConfigurationBuilder().configure(fileParams(url));
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      *
      * @param configClass the configuration class
      * @param <T> The type of the configuration to be constructed
-     * @return the newly created builder
+     * @return The newly created builder
      * @since 2.6
      */
     private <T extends FileBasedConfiguration> FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T> createFileBasedBuilder(final Class<T> configClass) {
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * @param configClass the configuration class
      * @param params the parameters object for configuring the builder
      * @param <T> The type of the configuration to be constructed
-     * @return the newly created builder
+     * @return The newly created builder
      */
     private <T extends FileBasedConfiguration> FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T> createFileBasedBuilder(final Class<T> configClass,
         final FileBasedBuilderParameters params) {
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * @param configClass the configuration class
      * @param file the file to be loaded
      * @param <T> The type of the configuration to be constructed
-     * @return the new {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The new {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public <T extends FileBasedConfiguration> FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T> fileBasedBuilder(final Class<T> configClass, final File file) {
         return createFileBasedBuilder(configClass, fileParams(file));
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * @param configClass the configuration class
      * @param path the path to the file to be loaded
      * @param <T> The type of the configuration to be constructed
-     * @return the new {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The new {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public <T extends FileBasedConfiguration> FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T> fileBasedBuilder(final Class<T> configClass, final String path) {
         return createFileBasedBuilder(configClass, fileParams(path));
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * @param configClass the configuration class
      * @param url the URL to be loaded
      * @param <T> The type of the configuration to be constructed
-     * @return the new {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The new {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public <T extends FileBasedConfiguration> FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<T> fileBasedBuilder(final Class<T> configClass, final URL url) {
         return createFileBasedBuilder(configClass, fileParams(url));
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ public class Configurations {
     /**
      * Convenience method for creating a parameters object for a file-based configuration.
      *
-     * @return the newly created parameters object
+     * @return The newly created parameters object
      */
     private FileBasedBuilderParameters fileParams() {
         return getParameters().fileBased();
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Convenience method for creating a file-based parameters object initialized with the given file.
      *
      * @param file the file to be loaded
-     * @return the initialized parameters object
+     * @return The initialized parameters object
      */
     private FileBasedBuilderParameters fileParams(final File file) {
         return fileParams().setFile(file);
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Convenience method for creating a file-based parameters object initialized with the given file path.
      *
      * @param path the path to the file to be loaded
-     * @return the initialized parameters object
+     * @return The initialized parameters object
      */
     private FileBasedBuilderParameters fileParams(final String path) {
         return fileParams().setFileName(path);
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Convenience method for creating a file-based parameters object initialized with the given file.
      *
      * @param url the URL to be loaded
-     * @return the initialized parameters object
+     * @return The initialized parameters object
      */
     private FileBasedBuilderParameters fileParams(final URL url) {
         return fileParams().setURL(url);
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ public class Configurations {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code Parameters} instance associated with this object.
      *
-     * @return the associated {@code Parameters} object
+     * @return The associated {@code Parameters} object
      */
     public Parameters getParameters() {
         return parameters;
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code INIConfiguration} and initializes it with the given file to be loaded.
      *
      * @param file the file to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<INIConfiguration> iniBuilder(final File file) {
         return fileBasedBuilder(INIConfiguration.class, file);
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code INIConfiguration} and initializes it with the file file identified by the given path.
      *
      * @param path the path to the file to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<INIConfiguration> iniBuilder(final String path) {
         return fileBasedBuilder(INIConfiguration.class, path);
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code INIConfiguration} and initializes it with the given URL to be loaded.
      *
      * @param url the URL to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<INIConfiguration> iniBuilder(final URL url) {
         return fileBasedBuilder(INIConfiguration.class, url);
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ public class Configurations {
     /**
      * Creates a builder for a {@code PropertiesConfiguration}.
      *
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      * @since 2.6
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<PropertiesConfiguration> propertiesBuilder() {
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code PropertiesConfiguration} and initializes it with the given file to be loaded.
      *
      * @param file the file to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<PropertiesConfiguration> propertiesBuilder(final File file) {
         return fileBasedBuilder(PropertiesConfiguration.class, file);
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code PropertiesConfiguration} and initializes it with the given parameters to be loaded.
      *
      * @param parameters the parameters to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      * @since 2.6
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<PropertiesConfiguration> propertiesBuilder(final PropertiesBuilderParameters parameters) {
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * loaded.
      *
      * @param path the path to the file to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<PropertiesConfiguration> propertiesBuilder(final String path) {
         return fileBasedBuilder(PropertiesConfiguration.class, path);
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code PropertiesConfiguration} and initializes it with the given URL to be loaded.
      *
      * @param url the URL to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<PropertiesConfiguration> propertiesBuilder(final URL url) {
         return fileBasedBuilder(PropertiesConfiguration.class, url);
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code XMLConfiguration} and initializes it with the given file to be loaded.
      *
      * @param file the file to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<XMLConfiguration> xmlBuilder(final File file) {
         return fileBasedBuilder(XMLConfiguration.class, file);
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code XMLConfiguration} and initializes it with the given path to the file to be loaded.
      *
      * @param path the path to the file to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<XMLConfiguration> xmlBuilder(final String path) {
         return fileBasedBuilder(XMLConfiguration.class, path);
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ public class Configurations {
      * Creates a builder for a {@code XMLConfiguration} and initializes it with the given URL to be loaded.
      *
      * @param url the URL to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileBasedConfigurationBuilder}
      */
     public FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<XMLConfiguration> xmlBuilder(final URL url) {
         return fileBasedBuilder(XMLConfiguration.class, url);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/Parameters.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/Parameters.java
index c0f60cd8b..6605f3b57 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/Parameters.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/Parameters.java
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for basic configuration properties.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public BasicBuilderParameters basic() {
         return new BasicBuilderParameters();
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for combined configuration builder properties.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public CombinedBuilderParameters combined() {
         return createParametersProxy(new CombinedBuilderParametersImpl(), CombinedBuilderParameters.class);
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
      * @param target the implementing target object
      * @param ifcClass the interface class
      * @param superIfcs an array with additional interface classes to be implemented
-     * @return the proxy object
+     * @return The proxy object
      */
     private <T> T createParametersProxy(final Object target, final Class<T> ifcClass, final Class<?>... superIfcs) {
         final Class<?>[] ifcClasses = new Class<?>[1 + superIfcs.length];
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for database configurations.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public DatabaseBuilderParameters database() {
         return createParametersProxy(new DatabaseBuilderParametersImpl(), DatabaseBuilderParameters.class);
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for file-based configuration properties.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public FileBasedBuilderParameters fileBased() {
         return createParametersProxy(new FileBasedBuilderParametersImpl(), FileBasedBuilderParameters.class);
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code DefaultParametersManager} associated with this object.
      *
-     * @return the {@code DefaultParametersManager}
+     * @return The {@code DefaultParametersManager}
      */
     public DefaultParametersManager getDefaultParametersManager() {
         return defaultParametersManager;
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for hierarchical configurations.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public HierarchicalBuilderParameters hierarchical() {
         return createParametersProxy(new HierarchicalBuilderParametersImpl(), HierarchicalBuilderParameters.class, FileBasedBuilderParameters.class);
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for INI configurations.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public INIBuilderParameters ini() {
         return createParametersProxy(new INIBuilderParametersImpl(), INIBuilderParameters.class, FileBasedBuilderParameters.class,
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for JNDI configurations.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public JndiBuilderParameters jndi() {
         return createParametersProxy(new JndiBuilderParametersImpl(), JndiBuilderParameters.class);
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for a builder for multiple file-based configurations.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public MultiFileBuilderParameters multiFile() {
         return createParametersProxy(new MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl(), MultiFileBuilderParameters.class);
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for properties configurations.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public PropertiesBuilderParameters properties() {
         return createParametersProxy(new PropertiesBuilderParametersImpl(), PropertiesBuilderParameters.class, FileBasedBuilderParameters.class);
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ public final class Parameters {
     /**
      * Creates a new instance of a parameters object for XML configurations.
      *
-     * @return the new parameters object
+     * @return The new parameters object
      */
     public XMLBuilderParameters xml() {
         return createParametersProxy(new XMLBuilderParametersImpl(), XMLBuilderParameters.class, FileBasedBuilderParameters.class,
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/AbstractListDelimiterHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/AbstractListDelimiterHandler.java
index 1cc8e480d..8fd3cd170 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/AbstractListDelimiterHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/AbstractListDelimiterHandler.java
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractListDelimiterHandler implements ListDelimiterHandl
      * properly escaped.
      *
      * @param s the string to be escaped (not <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the escaped string
+     * @return The escaped string
      */
     protected abstract String escapeString(String s);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ConversionHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ConversionHandler.java
index e647b721e..3c7d7b4e1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ConversionHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ConversionHandler.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public interface ConversionHandler {
      * @param src the object to be converted
      * @param targetCls the target class of the conversion
      * @param ci an object for performing variable substitution
-     * @return the converted object
+     * @return The converted object
      * @throws ConversionException if the requested conversion is not possible
      */
     <T> T to(Object src, Class<T> targetCls, ConfigurationInterpolator ci);
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public interface ConversionHandler {
      * @param src the object to be converted
      * @param elemClass the element class of the resulting array
      * @param ci an object for performing variable substitution
-     * @return the array with the converted values
+     * @return The array with the converted values
      * @throws ConversionException if the conversion of an element is not possible
      */
     Object toArray(Object src, Class<?> elemClass, ConfigurationInterpolator ci);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/DefaultConversionHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/DefaultConversionHandler.java
index 76198cdf4..cdf11a793 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/DefaultConversionHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/DefaultConversionHandler.java
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class DefaultConversionHandler implements ConversionHandler {
      * default one is returned.
      *
      * @param ci the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} provided by the caller
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} to be used
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} to be used
      */
     private static ConfigurationInterpolator fetchInterpolator(final ConfigurationInterpolator ci) {
         return ci != null ? ci : NULL_INTERPOLATOR;
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public class DefaultConversionHandler implements ConversionHandler {
      * @param src the source object to be converted
      * @param targetCls the desired target class
      * @param ci the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (not <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException if conversion is not possible
      */
     protected <T> T convert(final Object src, final Class<T> targetCls, final ConfigurationInterpolator ci) {
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public class DefaultConversionHandler implements ConversionHandler {
      * @param src the source object (a single value)
      * @param targetCls the target class of the conversion
      * @param ci the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (not <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException if conversion is not possible
      */
     protected <T> T convertValue(final Object src, final Class<T> targetCls, final ConfigurationInterpolator ci) {
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public class DefaultConversionHandler implements ConversionHandler {
      * @param container the complex object
      * @param targetCls the target class of the conversion
      * @param ci the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (not <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the value to be converted (may be <strong>null</strong> if no values are found)
+     * @return The value to be converted (may be <strong>null</strong> if no values are found)
      */
     protected Object extractConversionValue(final Object container, final Class<?> targetCls, final ConfigurationInterpolator ci) {
         final Collection<?> values = extractValues(container, 1);
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ public class DefaultConversionHandler implements ConversionHandler {
     /**
      * Gets the date format used by this conversion handler.
      *
-     * @return the date format
+     * @return The date format
      */
     public String getDateFormat() {
         final String fmt = dateFormat;
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ public class DefaultConversionHandler implements ConversionHandler {
     /**
      * Gets the {@link ListDelimiterHandler} used for extracting values from complex objects.
      *
-     * @return the {@link ListDelimiterHandler} used for extracting values from complex objects, never null.
+     * @return The {@link ListDelimiterHandler} used for extracting values from complex objects, never null.
      * @since 2.9.0
      */
     public ListDelimiterHandler getListDelimiterHandler() {
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ public class DefaultConversionHandler implements ConversionHandler {
      * @param src the source object
      * @param elemClass the element class of the array
      * @param ci the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
-     * @return the result array
+     * @return The result array
      * @throws ConversionException if a conversion cannot be performed
      */
     private <T> T[] toObjectArray(final Object src, final Class<T> elemClass, final ConfigurationInterpolator ci) {
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ public class DefaultConversionHandler implements ConversionHandler {
      * @param src the source object
      * @param elemClass the element class of the array
      * @param ci the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
-     * @return the result array
+     * @return The result array
      * @throws ConversionException if a conversion cannot be performed
      */
     private Object toPrimitiveArray(final Object src, final Class<?> elemClass, final ConfigurationInterpolator ci) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/DefaultListDelimiterHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/DefaultListDelimiterHandler.java
index ecfc39ab4..806146224 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/DefaultListDelimiterHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/DefaultListDelimiterHandler.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class DefaultListDelimiterHandler extends AbstractListDelimiterHandler {
     /**
      * Gets the list delimiter character used by this instance.
      *
-     * @return the list delimiter character
+     * @return The list delimiter character
      */
     public char getDelimiter() {
         return delimiter;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/LegacyListDelimiterHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/LegacyListDelimiterHandler.java
index 3d27cc928..22e5d712d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/LegacyListDelimiterHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/LegacyListDelimiterHandler.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class LegacyListDelimiterHandler extends AbstractListDelimiterHandler {
      * Returns the number of trailing backslashes. This is sometimes needed for the correct handling of escape characters.
      *
      * @param line the string to investigate
-     * @return the number of trailing backslashes
+     * @return The number of trailing backslashes
      */
     private static int countTrailingBS(final String line) {
         int bsCount = 0;
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ public class LegacyListDelimiterHandler extends AbstractListDelimiterHandler {
      *
      * @param value the value to be escaped
      * @param inList a flag whether the value is part of a list
-     * @return the value with escaped backslashes as string
+     * @return The value with escaped backslashes as string
      */
     protected String escapeBackslashs(final Object value, final boolean inList) {
         String strValue = String.valueOf(value);
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ public class LegacyListDelimiterHandler extends AbstractListDelimiterHandler {
      * @param value the property value
      * @param inList a flag whether the value is part of a list
      * @param transformer the {@code ValueTransformer}
-     * @return the escaped property value
+     * @return The escaped property value
      */
     protected String escapeValue(final Object value, final boolean inList, final ValueTransformer transformer) {
         String escapedValue = String.valueOf(transformer.transformValue(escapeBackslashs(value, inList)));
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ public class LegacyListDelimiterHandler extends AbstractListDelimiterHandler {
     /**
      * Gets the list delimiter character.
      *
-     * @return the list delimiter character
+     * @return The list delimiter character
      */
     public char getDelimiter() {
         return delimiter;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ListDelimiterHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ListDelimiterHandler.java
index 632313457..4e3fe077f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ListDelimiterHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ListDelimiterHandler.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public interface ListDelimiterHandler {
      *
      * @param value the value to be escaped
      * @param transformer a {@code ValueTransformer} for an additional encoding (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the escaped value
+     * @return The escaped value
      */
     Object escape(Object value, ValueTransformer transformer);
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public interface ListDelimiterHandler {
      *
      * @param values the list with all the values to be converted to a single value
      * @param transformer a {@code ValueTransformer} for an additional encoding (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the resulting escaped value
+     * @return The resulting escaped value
      */
     Object escapeList(List<?> values, ValueTransformer transformer);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/PropertyConverter.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/PropertyConverter.java
index b9f635c2c..827cd0fd5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/PropertyConverter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/PropertyConverter.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      *
      * @param enumClass the enumeration class
      * @param value the value to be converted
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     // conversion is safe because we know that the class is an Enum class
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * @param cls the target class of the converted value
      * @param value the value to convert
      * @param convHandler the conversion handler object
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException if the value is not compatible with the requested type
      */
     public static Object to(final Class<?> cls, final Object value, final DefaultConversionHandler convHandler) throws ConversionException {
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a BigDecimal.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a BigDecimal
      */
     public static BigDecimal toBigDecimal(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a BigInteger.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a BigInteger
      */
     public static BigInteger toBigInteger(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * the documentation of this class for more details.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a boolean
      */
     public static Boolean toBoolean(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a Byte.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a byte
      */
     public static Byte toByte(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
      * @param format the DateFormat pattern to parse String values
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Calendar
      */
     public static Calendar toCalendar(final Object value, final String format) throws ConversionException {
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * the string has exactly one character, this character is returned as result. Otherwise, conversion fails.
      *
      * @param value the value to be converted
-     * @return the resulting {@code Character} object
+     * @return The resulting {@code Character} object
      * @throws ConversionException if the conversion is not possible
      */
     public static Character toCharacter(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * </ul>
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Color
      */
     public static Color toColor(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
      * @param format the DateFormat pattern to parse String values
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Calendar
      */
     public static Date toDate(final Object value, final String format) throws ConversionException {
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a Double.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Double
      */
     public static Double toDouble(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a Duration.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Duration
      * @since 2.8.0
      */
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
      * @param cls the type of the enumeration
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to an enumeration
      * @since 1.5
      */
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a File.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a File
      * @since 2.3
      */
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a Float.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Float
      */
     public static Float toFloat(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified value into an internet address.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a InetAddress
      * @since 1.5
      */
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into an Integer.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to an integer
      */
     public static Integer toInteger(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * @param value the value to convert
      * @param targetClassName the fully qualified name of the {@code InternetAddress} class to convert to, for example,
      *      {@value #INTERNET_ADDRESS_CLASSNAME_JAVAX} or {@value #INTERNET_ADDRESS_CLASSNAME_JAKARTA}
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to an email address
      * @since 1.5
      */
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a Locale.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Locale
      */
     public static Locale toLocale(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a Long.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Long
      */
     public static Long toLong(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      *
      * @param value the value to be converted (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @param targetClass the target class of the conversion (must be derived from {@link Number})
-     * @return the converted number
+     * @return The converted number
      * @throws ConversionException if the object cannot be converted
      */
     static Number toNumber(final Object value, final Class<?> targetClass) throws ConversionException {
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a Path.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Path
      * @since 2.3
      */
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a Pattern.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a Pattern
      */
     public static Pattern toPattern(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into a Short.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to a short
      */
     public static Short toShort(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -692,7 +692,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into an URI.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to an URI
      */
     public static URI toURI(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ public final class PropertyConverter {
      * Converts the specified object into an URL.
      *
      * @param value the value to convert
-     * @return the converted value
+     * @return The converted value
      * @throws ConversionException thrown if the value cannot be converted to an URL
      */
     public static URL toURL(final Object value) throws ConversionException {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ValueTransformer.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ValueTransformer.java
index bdec47646..5deb9954b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ValueTransformer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/ValueTransformer.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public interface ValueTransformer {
      * implementation before or after list delimiters have been escaped.
      *
      * @param value the property value to be transformed
-     * @return the transformed property value
+     * @return The transformed property value
      */
     Object transformValue(Object value);
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/BaseEventSource.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/BaseEventSource.java
index 1d4d1f787..09524499e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/BaseEventSource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/BaseEventSource.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public class BaseEventSource implements EventSource {
      * Overrides the {@code clone()} method to correctly handle so far registered event listeners. This implementation ensures that the clone will have empty
      * event listener lists, i.e. the listeners registered at an {@code BaseEventSource} object will not be copied.
      *
-     * @return the cloned object
+     * @return The cloned object
      * @throws CloneNotSupportedException if the object's class does not support the {@code Cloneable} interface. Subclasses that override the {@code clone}
      *                                    method can also throw this exception to indicate that an instance cannot be cloned.
      * @since 1.4
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public class BaseEventSource implements EventSource {
      * @param propName the name of the affected property (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @param propValue the value of the affected property (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @param ex the {@code Throwable} object that caused this error event
-     * @return the event object
+     * @return The event object
      */
     protected ConfigurationErrorEvent createErrorEvent(final EventType<? extends ConfigurationErrorEvent> type, final EventType<?> opType,
         final String propName, final Object propValue, final Throwable ex) {
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ public class BaseEventSource implements EventSource {
      * @param propValue the value of the affected property (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @param before the before update flag
      * @param <T> The type of the event to be created
-     * @return the newly created event object
+     * @return The newly created event object
      */
     protected <T extends ConfigurationEvent> ConfigurationEvent createEvent(final EventType<T> type, final String propName, final Object propValue,
         final boolean before) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ConfigurationErrorEvent.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ConfigurationErrorEvent.java
index 3c31b756c..624929880 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ConfigurationErrorEvent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ConfigurationErrorEvent.java
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public class ConfigurationErrorEvent extends Event {
     /**
      * Gets the cause of this error event. This is the {@code Throwable} object that caused this event to be fired.
      *
-     * @return the cause of this error event
+     * @return The cause of this error event
      */
     public Throwable getCause() {
         return cause;
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public class ConfigurationErrorEvent extends Event {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code EventType} of the operation which caused this error.
      *
-     * @return the event type of the operation causing this error
+     * @return The event type of the operation causing this error
      */
     public EventType<?> getErrorOperationType() {
         return errorOperationType;
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ public class ConfigurationErrorEvent extends Event {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the property that was accessed when this error occurred.
      *
-     * @return the property name related to this error (may be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The property name related to this error (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public String getPropertyName() {
         return propertyName;
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public class ConfigurationErrorEvent extends Event {
     /**
      * Gets the value of the property that was accessed when this error occurred.
      *
-     * @return the property value related this error (may be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The property value related this error (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public Object getPropertyValue() {
         return propertyValue;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ConfigurationEvent.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ConfigurationEvent.java
index 08758a9fb..8ebd1ee43 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ConfigurationEvent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ConfigurationEvent.java
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ public class ConfigurationEvent extends Event {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the affected property. This can be <strong>null</strong> if no property change has lead to this event.
      *
-     * @return the name of the property
+     * @return The name of the property
      */
     public String getPropertyName() {
         return propertyName;
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ public class ConfigurationEvent extends Event {
     /**
      * Gets the value of the affected property if available.
      *
-     * @return the value of the property; can be <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The value of the property; can be <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public Object getPropertyValue() {
         return propertyValue;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/Event.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/Event.java
index 6e8dd2a0b..68adc099d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/Event.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/Event.java
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public class Event extends EventObject {
     /**
      * Gets the type of this event.
      *
-     * @return the event type
+     * @return The event type
      */
     public EventType<? extends Event> getEventType() {
         return eventType;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventListenerList.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventListenerList.java
index e2a3f35d9..bf51338b0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventListenerList.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventListenerList.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public class EventListenerList {
          * been checked before that the type is compatible.
          *
          * @param regData the data object
-         * @return the extracted listener
+         * @return The extracted listener
          */
         @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
         private EventListener<? super T> castListener(final EventListenerRegistrationData<?> regData) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventListenerRegistrationData.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventListenerRegistrationData.java
index 730e79948..1c5866126 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventListenerRegistrationData.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventListenerRegistrationData.java
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public final class EventListenerRegistrationData<T extends Event> {
     /**
      * Gets the event type for this listener registration.
      *
-     * @return the event type
+     * @return The event type
      */
     public EventType<T> getEventType() {
         return eventType;
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public final class EventListenerRegistrationData<T extends Event> {
     /**
      * Gets the listener this registration is about.
      *
-     * @return the event listener
+     * @return The event listener
      */
     public EventListener<? super T> getListener() {
         return listener;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventType.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventType.java
index 3cfb158d7..cab5a9d62 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventType.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/EventType.java
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public class EventType<T extends Event> implements Serializable {
      * Gets the name of this event type. The name has no specific semantic meaning. It is just used for debugging
      * purposes and also part of the string representation of this event type.
      *
-     * @return the event type name
+     * @return The event type name
      */
     public String getName() {
         return name;
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public class EventType<T extends Event> implements Serializable {
     /**
      * Gets the super event type. Result is <strong>null</strong> for the root event type.
      *
-     * @return the super event type
+     * @return The super event type
      */
     public EventType<? super T> getSuperType() {
         return superType;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ConfigurationInterpolator.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ConfigurationInterpolator.java
index 2a3e54be0..392b82d0b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ConfigurationInterpolator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ConfigurationInterpolator.java
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * Creates a new instance based on the properties in the given specification object.
      *
      * @param spec the {@code InterpolatorSpecification}
-     * @return the newly created instance
+     * @return The newly created instance
      */
     private static ConfigurationInterpolator createInterpolator(final InterpolatorSpecification spec) {
         final ConfigurationInterpolator ci = new ConfigurationInterpolator();
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * Extracts the variable name from a value that consists of a single variable.
      *
      * @param strValue the value
-     * @return the extracted variable name
+     * @return The extracted variable name
      */
     private static String extractVariableName(final String strValue) {
         return strValue.substring(VAR_START_LENGTH, strValue.length() - VAR_END_LENGTH);
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * Otherwise, a new instance is created and initialized with the properties stored in the specification.
      *
      * @param spec the {@code InterpolatorSpecification} (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} obtained or created based on the given specification
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} obtained or created based on the given specification
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the specification is <strong>null</strong>
      * @since 2.0
      */
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * object will be returned (never <strong>null</strong>).
      *
      * @param prefix the prefix
-     * @return the lookup object to be used for this prefix
+     * @return The lookup object to be used for this prefix
      */
     protected Lookup fetchLookupForPrefix(final String prefix) {
         return nullSafeLookup(prefixLookups.get(prefix));
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * objects are not associated with a variable prefix. The returned list is a snapshot copy of the internal collection of
      * default lookups; so manipulating it does not affect this instance.
      *
-     * @return the default lookup objects
+     * @return The default lookup objects
      */
     public List<Lookup> getDefaultLookups() {
         return new ArrayList<>(defaultLookups);
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
     /**
      * Gets the parent {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}.
      *
-     * @return the parent {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The parent {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public ConfigurationInterpolator getParentInterpolator() {
         return this.parentInterpolator;
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * {@code StringSubstitutor} is assigned a specialized lookup object implementing the correct variable resolving
      * algorithm.
      *
-     * @return the {@code StringSubstitutor} used by this object
+     * @return The {@code StringSubstitutor} used by this object
      */
     private StringSubstitutor initSubstitutor() {
         return new StringSubstitutor(key -> {
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * </pre>
      *
      * @param value the value to be interpolated
-     * @return the interpolated value
+     * @return The interpolated value
      */
     public Object interpolate(final Object value) {
         if (value instanceof String) {
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * Sets a flag that variable names can contain other variables. If enabled, variable substitution is also done in
      * variable names.
      *
-     * @return the substitution in variables flag
+     * @return The substitution in variables flag
      */
     public boolean isEnableSubstitutionInVariables() {
         return substitutor.isEnableSubstitutionInVariables();
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} is available, this object is asked to resolve the variable.
      *
      * @param var the name of the variable whose value is to be looked up which may contain a prefix.
-     * @return the value of this variable or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
+     * @return The value of this variable or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
      */
     public Object resolve(final String var) {
         if (var == null) {
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ public class ConfigurationInterpolator {
      * Interpolates a string value that consists of a single variable.
      *
      * @param strValue the string to be interpolated
-     * @return the resolved value or <strong>null</strong> if resolving failed
+     * @return The resolved value or <strong>null</strong> if resolving failed
      */
     private Object resolveSingleVariable(final String strValue) {
         return resolve(extractVariableName(strValue));
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ConstantLookup.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ConstantLookup.java
index bf3cb809c..268599d2b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ConstantLookup.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ConstantLookup.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class ConstantLookup implements Lookup {
      * ClassUtils</a>.
      *
      * @param className the name of the class to be loaded
-     * @return the corresponding class object
+     * @return The corresponding class object
      * @throws ClassNotFoundException if the class cannot be loaded
      */
     protected Class<?> fetchClass(final String className) throws ClassNotFoundException {
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public class ConstantLookup implements Lookup {
      * will invoke the {@code resolveField()} method and pass in the name of the class and the field.
      *
      * @param var the name of the variable to be resolved
-     * @return the value of this variable or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
+     * @return The value of this variable or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
      */
     @Override
     public Object lookup(final String var) {
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public class ConstantLookup implements Lookup {
      *
      * @param className the name of the class
      * @param fieldName the name of the member field of that class to read
-     * @return the field's value
+     * @return The field's value
      * @throws Exception if an error occurs
      */
     protected Object resolveField(final String className, final String fieldName) throws Exception {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/DefaultLookups.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/DefaultLookups.java
index a7d9db0aa..bc41f2467 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/DefaultLookups.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/DefaultLookups.java
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ public enum DefaultLookups {
     /**
      * Gets the standard {@code Lookup} instance of this kind.
      *
-     * @return the associated {@code Lookup} object
+     * @return The associated {@code Lookup} object
      */
     public Lookup getLookup() {
         return lookup;
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ public enum DefaultLookups {
     /**
      * Gets the standard prefix for the lookup object of this kind.
      *
-     * @return the prefix
+     * @return The prefix
      */
     public String getPrefix() {
         return prefix;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/EnvironmentLookup.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/EnvironmentLookup.java
index d6521c903..4ee43f17e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/EnvironmentLookup.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/EnvironmentLookup.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public class EnvironmentLookup implements Lookup {
      * Performs a lookup for the specified variable. This implementation directly delegates to a {@code System.getenv()}.
      *
      * @param key the key to lookup
-     * @return the value of this key or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
+     * @return The value of this key or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
      */
     @Override
     public String lookup(final String key) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ExprLookup.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ExprLookup.java
index f46f96666..67320d1a4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ExprLookup.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/ExprLookup.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public class ExprLookup implements Lookup {
         /**
          * Gets the name to be used in expressions.
          *
-         * @return the name to be used in expressions.
+         * @return The name to be used in expressions.
          */
         public String getName() {
             return key;
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class ExprLookup implements Lookup {
         /**
          * Sets the value to be used in expressions.
          *
-         * @return the value to be used in expressions.
+         * @return The value to be used in expressions.
          */
         public Object getValue() {
             return value;
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ public class ExprLookup implements Lookup {
         /**
          * Gets the variable or null if empty.
          *
-         * @return the variable or null if empty.
+         * @return The variable or null if empty.
          */
         public Variable getVariable() {
             return !isEmpty() ? get(size() - 1) : null;
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ public class ExprLookup implements Lookup {
     /**
      * Creates a new {@code JexlContext} and initializes it with the variables managed by this Lookup object.
      *
-     * @return the newly created context
+     * @return The newly created context
      */
     private JexlContext createContext() {
         final JexlContext ctx = new MapContext();
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ public class ExprLookup implements Lookup {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} used by this object.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public ConfigurationInterpolator getInterpolator() {
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ public class ExprLookup implements Lookup {
     /**
      * Gets the logger used by this object.
      *
-     * @return the {@code Log}
+     * @return The {@code Log}
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public ConfigurationLogger getLogger() {
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ public class ExprLookup implements Lookup {
      * Gets the list of Variables that are accessible within expressions. This method returns a copy of the variables
      * managed by this lookup; so modifying this object has no impact on this lookup.
      *
-     * @return the List of Variables that are accessible within expressions.
+     * @return The List of Variables that are accessible within expressions.
      */
     public Variables getVariables() {
         return new Variables(variables);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/InterpolatorSpecification.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/InterpolatorSpecification.java
index 36ed88d36..1d8032ea1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/InterpolatorSpecification.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/InterpolatorSpecification.java
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public final class InterpolatorSpecification {
          * Creates a new {@code InterpolatorSpecification} instance with the properties set so far. After that this builder
          * instance is reset so that it can be reused for creating further specification objects.
          *
-         * @return the newly created {@code InterpolatorSpecification}
+         * @return The newly created {@code InterpolatorSpecification}
          */
         public InterpolatorSpecification create() {
             final InterpolatorSpecification spec = new InterpolatorSpecification(this);
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ public final class InterpolatorSpecification {
     /**
      * Gets a collection with the default lookups.
      *
-     * @return the default lookups for a new {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} instance (never <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The default lookups for a new {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} instance (never <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public Collection<Lookup> getDefaultLookups() {
         return defaultLookups;
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ public final class InterpolatorSpecification {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} instance to be used directly.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public ConfigurationInterpolator getInterpolator() {
         return interpolator;
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ public final class InterpolatorSpecification {
     /**
      * Gets the parent {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} object.
      *
-     * @return the parent {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The parent {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public ConfigurationInterpolator getParentInterpolator() {
         return parentInterpolator;
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ public final class InterpolatorSpecification {
      * Gets a map with prefix lookups. The keys of the map are the prefix strings, its values are the corresponding
      * {@code Lookup} objects.
      *
-     * @return the prefix lookups for a new {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} instance (never <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The prefix lookups for a new {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} instance (never <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     public Map<String, Lookup> getPrefixLookups() {
         return prefixLookups;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/Lookup.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/Lookup.java
index 81a0890ef..bac8b74ac 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/Lookup.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/Lookup.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public interface Lookup {
      * concrete implementation has to return the value of this variable or <strong>null</strong> if the variable name is unknown.
      *
      * @param variable the name of the variable to be resolved
-     * @return the value of this variable or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The value of this variable or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     Object lookup(String variable);
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/AbstractFileLocationStrategy.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/AbstractFileLocationStrategy.java
index b74eabc7e..5f6632e5d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/AbstractFileLocationStrategy.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/AbstractFileLocationStrategy.java
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractFileLocationStrategy implements FileLocationStrate
     /**
      * Gets the enabled hosts.
      *
-     * @return the enabled hosts.
+     * @return The enabled hosts.
      */
     Set<Pattern> getHosts() {
         return hosts;
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractFileLocationStrategy implements FileLocationStrate
     /**
      * Gets the enabled schemes.
      *
-     * @return the enabled schemes.
+     * @return The enabled schemes.
      */
     Set<String> getSchemes() {
         return schemes;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/CombinedLocationStrategy.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/CombinedLocationStrategy.java
index 872d87ec4..fb677263d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/CombinedLocationStrategy.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/CombinedLocationStrategy.java
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ public class CombinedLocationStrategy extends AbstractFileLocationStrategy {
     /**
      * Gets a (unmodifiable) collection with the sub strategies managed by this object.
      *
-     * @return the sub {@code FileLocationStrategy} objects
+     * @return The sub {@code FileLocationStrategy} objects
      */
     public Collection<FileLocationStrategy> getSubStrategies() {
         return subStrategies;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/ConfigurationLogger.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/ConfigurationLogger.java
index e4c1ed0d4..64bb0a28e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/ConfigurationLogger.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/ConfigurationLogger.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public class ConfigurationLogger {
      * Creates an internal logger for the given class. Throws an exception if the class is undefined.
      *
      * @param cls the logger class
-     * @return the logger object
+     * @return The logger object
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the logger class is undefined
      */
     private static Log createLoggerForClass(final Class<?> cls) {
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class ConfigurationLogger {
      * Creates an internal logger for the given name. Throws an exception if the name is undefined.
      *
      * @param name the name of the logger
-     * @return the logger object
+     * @return The logger object
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the logger name is undefined
      */
     private static Log createLoggerForName(final String name) {
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class ConfigurationLogger {
      * Creates a new dummy logger which produces no output. If such a logger is passed to a configuration object, logging is
      * effectively disabled.
      *
-     * @return the new dummy logger
+     * @return The new dummy logger
      */
     public static ConfigurationLogger newDummyLogger() {
         return new ConfigurationLogger(new NoOpLog());
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public class ConfigurationLogger {
     /**
      * Gets the internal logger.
      *
-     * @return the internal logger
+     * @return The internal logger
      */
     Log getLog() {
         return log;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileHandler.java
index 6042f546b..0cf46e362 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileHandler.java
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * Helper method for checking a file handler which is to be copied. Throws an exception if the handler is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param c the {@code FileHandler} from which to copy the location
-     * @return the same {@code FileHandler}
+     * @return The same {@code FileHandler}
      */
     private static FileHandler checkSourceHandler(final FileHandler c) {
         if (c == null) {
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
     /**
      * Creates an uninitialized file locator.
      *
-     * @return the locator
+     * @return The locator
      */
     private static FileLocator emptyFileLocator() {
         return FileLocatorUtils.fileLocator().create();
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * {@link FileLocator} from the map. A new {@code FileHandler} is created based on this {@code FileLocator}.
      *
      * @param map the map (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the newly created {@code FileHandler}
+     * @return The newly created {@code FileHandler}
      * @see FileLocatorUtils#fromMap(Map)
      */
     public static FileHandler fromMap(final Map<String, ?> map) {
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * Normalizes URLs to files. Ensures that file URLs start with the correct protocol.
      *
      * @param fileName the string to be normalized
-     * @return the normalized file URL
+     * @return The normalized file URL
      */
     private static String normalizeFileURL(String fileName) {
         if (fileName != null && fileName.startsWith(FILE_SCHEME) && !fileName.startsWith(FILE_SCHEME_SLASH)) {
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * Checks whether a content object is available and returns the current {@code FileLocator}. If there is no content
      * object, an exception is thrown. This is a typical operation to be performed before a load() or save() operation.
      *
-     * @return the current {@code FileLocator} to be used for the calling operation
+     * @return The current {@code FileLocator} to be used for the calling operation
      * @throws ConfigurationException if not content object is defined
      */
     private FileLocator checkContentAndGetLocator() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      *
      * @param fileName the file name
      * @param locator the {@code FileLocator} to copy
-     * @return the manipulated {@code FileLocator} with the file name
+     * @return The manipulated {@code FileLocator} with the file name
      */
     private FileLocator createLocatorWithFileName(final String fileName, final FileLocator locator) {
         return FileLocatorUtils.fileLocator(locator).sourceURL(null).fileName(fileName).create();
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * returned. Otherwise, result is a dummy object. This method is called before load and save operations. The returned
      * object is used for synchronization.
      *
-     * @return the {@code SynchronizerSupport} for synchronization
+     * @return The {@code SynchronizerSupport} for synchronization
      */
     private SynchronizerSupport fetchSynchronizerSupport() {
         if (getContent() instanceof SynchronizerSupport) {
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
     /**
      * Gets the base path. If no base path is defined, but a URL, the base path is derived from there.
      *
-     * @return the base path
+     * @return The base path
      */
     public String getBasePath() {
         final FileLocator locator = getFileLocator();
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code FileBased} object associated with this {@code FileHandler}.
      *
-     * @return the associated {@code FileBased} object
+     * @return The associated {@code FileBased} object
      */
     public final FileBased getContent() {
         return content;
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
     /**
      * Gets the encoding of the associated file. Result can be <strong>null</strong> if no encoding has been set.
      *
-     * @return the encoding of the associated file
+     * @return The encoding of the associated file
      */
     public String getEncoding() {
         return getFileLocator().getEncoding();
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * different than &quot;file&quot;, or the file is within a compressed archive, the return value will not point to a
      * valid file object.
      *
-     * @return the location as {@code File} object; this can be <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The location as {@code File} object; this can be <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public File getFile() {
         return createFile(getFileLocator());
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the file. If only a URL is defined, the file name is derived from there.
      *
-     * @return the file name
+     * @return The file name
      */
     public String getFileName() {
         final FileLocator locator = getFileLocator();
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * Gets the {@code FileSystem} to be used by this object when locating files. Result is never <strong>null</strong>; if no file
      * system has been set, the default file system is returned.
      *
-     * @return the used {@code FileSystem}
+     * @return The used {@code FileSystem}
      */
     public FileSystem getFileSystem() {
         return FileLocatorUtils.getFileSystem(getFileLocator());
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * <strong>null</strong>. If a {@code FileLocationStrategy} has been set, it is returned. Otherwise, result is the default
      * {@code FileLocationStrategy}.
      *
-     * @return the {@code FileLocationStrategy} to be used
+     * @return The {@code FileLocationStrategy} to be used
      */
     public FileLocationStrategy getLocationStrategy() {
         return FileLocatorUtils.getLocationStrategy(getFileLocator());
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * based on a file on the local disk. If the file was loaded from a packed archive, the returned value is the string
      * form of the URL from which the file was loaded.
      *
-     * @return the full path to the associated file
+     * @return The full path to the associated file
      */
     public String getPath() {
         final FileLocator locator = getFileLocator();
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ public class FileHandler {
      * Prepares a builder for a {@code FileLocator} which does not have a defined file location. Other properties (for example
      * encoding or file system) are initialized from the {@code FileLocator} associated with this object.
      *
-     * @return the initialized builder for a {@code FileLocator}
+     * @return The initialized builder for a {@code FileLocator}
      */
     private FileLocatorBuilder prepareNullLocatorBuilder() {
         return FileLocatorUtils.fileLocator(getFileLocator()).sourceURL(null).basePath(null).fileName(null);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileLocator.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileLocator.java
index fc3e5af98..61d59d266 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileLocator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileLocator.java
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public final class FileLocator {
         /**
          * Creates a new immutable {@code FileLocatorImpl} object based on the properties set so far for this builder.
          *
-         * @return the newly created {@code FileLocator} object, never null.
+         * @return The newly created {@code FileLocator} object, never null.
          */
         public FileLocator create() {
             return new FileLocator(this);
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ public final class FileLocator {
     /**
      * Gets the base path stored in this locator or <strong>null</strong> if it is undefined.
      *
-     * @return the base path
+     * @return The base path
      */
     public String getBasePath() {
         return basePath;
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ public final class FileLocator {
     /**
      * Gets the encoding stored in this locator or <strong>null</strong> if it is undefined.
      *
-     * @return the encoding
+     * @return The encoding
      */
     public String getEncoding() {
         return encoding;
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ public final class FileLocator {
     /**
      * Gets the file name stored in this locator or <strong>null</strong> if it is undefined.
      *
-     * @return the file name
+     * @return The file name
      */
     public String getFileName() {
         return fileName;
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ public final class FileLocator {
      * Gets the {@code FileSystem} to be used for accessing the file referenced by this locator or <strong>null</strong> if it is
      * undefined.
      *
-     * @return the {@code FileSystem}
+     * @return The {@code FileSystem}
      */
     public FileSystem getFileSystem() {
         return fileSystem;
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ public final class FileLocator {
      * {@code FileLocationStrategy} has been set, result is <strong>null</strong>. This means that the default strategy should be
      * used.
      *
-     * @return the {@code FileLocationStrategy} to be used
+     * @return The {@code FileLocationStrategy} to be used
      */
     public FileLocationStrategy getLocationStrategy() {
         return locationStrategy;
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ public final class FileLocator {
     /**
      * Gets the URL pointing to the referenced source file or <strong>null</strong> if it is undefined.
      *
-     * @return the source URL
+     * @return The source URL
      */
     public URL getSourceURL() {
         return sourceURL;
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ public final class FileLocator {
     /**
      * Gets the URLConnectionOptions
      *
-     * @return the URLConnectionOptions
+     * @return The URLConnectionOptions
      */
     public URLConnectionOptions getURLConnectionOptions() {
         return urlConnectionOptions;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileLocatorUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileLocatorUtils.java
index 9fdfef8e0..40b2812f2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileLocatorUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileLocatorUtils.java
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      *
      * @param path the path to be extended
      * @param ext the extension of the path
-     * @return the extended path
+     * @return The extended path
      */
     static String appendPath(final String path, final String ext) {
         final StringBuilder fName = new StringBuilder();
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      *
      * @param basePath the base path
      * @param fileName the file name (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the resulting file
+     * @return The resulting file
      */
     static File constructFile(final String basePath, final String fileName) {
         final File file;
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * Tries to convert the specified file to a URL. If this causes an exception, result is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param file the file to be converted
-     * @return the resulting URL or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The resulting URL or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     static URL convertFileToURL(final File file) {
         return convertURIToURL(file.toURI());
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * Tries to convert the specified URI to a URL. If this causes an exception, result is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param uri the URI to be converted
-     * @return the resulting URL or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The resulting URL or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     static URL convertURIToURL(final URI uri) {
         try {
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      *
      * @param src the source {@code FileLocator}
      * @param url the URL
-     * @return the fully initialized {@code FileLocator}
+     * @return The fully initialized {@code FileLocator}
      */
     private static FileLocator createFullyInitializedLocatorFromURL(final FileLocator src, final URL url) {
         final FileLocator.FileLocatorBuilder fileLocatorBuilder = fileLocator(src);
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * Tries to convert the specified URL to a file object. If this fails, <strong>null</strong> is returned.
      *
      * @param url the URL
-     * @return the resulting file object
+     * @return The resulting file object
      */
     public static File fileFromURL(final URL url) {
         return FileUtils.toFile(url);
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * returned.
      *
      * @param map the map
-     * @return the new {@code FileLocator}
+     * @return The new {@code FileLocator}
      * @throws ClassCastException if the map contains invalid data
      */
     public static FileLocator fromMap(final Map<String, ?> map) {
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * Gets the path without the file name, for example https://xyz.net/foo/bar.xml results in https://xyz.net/foo/
      *
      * @param url the URL from which to extract the path
-     * @return the path component of the passed in URL
+     * @return The path component of the passed in URL
      */
     static String getBasePath(final URL url) {
         if (url == null) {
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * Tries to find a resource with the given name in the classpath.
      *
      * @param resourceName the name of the resource
-     * @return the URL to the found resource or <strong>null</strong> if the resource cannot be found
+     * @return The URL to the found resource or <strong>null</strong> if the resource cannot be found
      */
     static URL getClasspathResource(final String resourceName) {
         URL url = null;
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      *
      * @param basePath the base path
      * @param fileName the file name (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the file object (<strong>null</strong> if no file can be obtained)
+     * @return The file object (<strong>null</strong> if no file can be obtained)
      */
     static File getFile(final String basePath, final String fileName) {
         // Check if the file name is absolute
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * Extract the file name from the specified URL.
      *
      * @param url the URL from which to extract the file name
-     * @return the extracted file name
+     * @return The extracted file name
      */
     static String getFileName(final URL url) {
         if (url == null) {
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * {@code FileSystem}.
      *
      * @param locator the {@code FileLocator} (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the {@code FileSystem} to be used for this {@code FileLocator}
+     * @return The {@code FileSystem} to be used for this {@code FileLocator}
      */
     static FileSystem getFileSystem(final FileLocator locator) {
         return locator != null ? ObjectUtils.getIfNull(locator.getFileSystem(), DEFAULT_FILE_SYSTEM) : DEFAULT_FILE_SYSTEM;
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * Otherwise, result is the default {@code FileLocationStrategy}.
      *
      * @param locator the {@code FileLocator}
-     * @return the {@code FileLocationStrategy} for this {@code FileLocator}
+     * @return The {@code FileLocationStrategy} for this {@code FileLocator}
      */
     static FileLocationStrategy getLocationStrategy(final FileLocator locator) {
         return locator != null ? ObjectUtils.getIfNull(locator.getLocationStrategy(), DEFAULT_LOCATION_STRATEGY) : DEFAULT_LOCATION_STRATEGY;
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * URL is returned. If the {@code FileLocator} is <strong>null</strong>, result is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param locator the {@code FileLocator} to be resolved
-     * @return the URL pointing to the referenced file or <strong>null</strong> if the {@code FileLocator} could not be resolved
+     * @return The URL pointing to the referenced file or <strong>null</strong> if the {@code FileLocator} could not be resolved
      * @see #DEFAULT_LOCATION_STRATEGY
      */
     public static URL locate(final FileLocator locator) {
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * method works like {@link #locate(FileLocator)}; however, in case of a failed location attempt an exception is thrown.
      *
      * @param locator the {@code FileLocator} to be resolved
-     * @return the URL pointing to the referenced file
+     * @return The URL pointing to the referenced file
      * @throws ConfigurationException if the file cannot be resolved
      */
     public static URL locateOrThrow(final FileLocator locator) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ public final class FileLocatorUtils {
      * Creates the default location strategy. This method creates a combined location strategy as described in the comment
      * of the {@link #DEFAULT_LOCATION_STRATEGY} member field.
      *
-     * @return the default {@code FileLocationStrategy}
+     * @return The default {@code FileLocationStrategy}
      * @since 2.15.0
      */
     public static FileLocationStrategy newDefaultLocationStrategy() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileSystem.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileSystem.java
index b23586e5e..570ed7abd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileSystem.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileSystem.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public abstract class FileSystem {
      * Gets the base path of the given path, for example a directory for a file.
      *
      * @param path the source path.
-     * @return the base path.
+     * @return The base path.
      */
     public abstract String getBasePath(String path);
 
@@ -59,14 +59,14 @@ public abstract class FileSystem {
      * Gets the file name of the given path.
      *
      * @param path the source path.
-     * @return the file name.
+     * @return The file name.
      */
     public abstract String getFileName(String path);
 
     /**
      * Gets the FileSystem options provider.
      *
-     * @return the FileSystem options provider.
+     * @return The FileSystem options provider.
      */
     public FileOptionsProvider getFileOptionsProvider() {
         return this.optionsProvider;
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public abstract class FileSystem {
      *
      * @param url the URL of the file
      * @param urlConnectionOptions the URLConnection options
-     * @return the input stream for the specified URL
+     * @return The input stream for the specified URL
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs while opening the file
      *
      * @since 2.8.0
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public abstract class FileSystem {
     /**
      * Gets the logger used by this FileSystem.
      *
-     * @return the logger
+     * @return The logger
      */
     public ConfigurationLogger getLogger() {
         final ConfigurationLogger result = log;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileUtils.java
index 44c011066..00365103a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/FileUtils.java
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ final class FileUtils {
      * </p>
      *
      * @param url the file URL to convert, {@code null} returns {@code null}
-     * @return the equivalent {@code File} object, or {@code null} if the URL's protocol is not {@code file}
+     * @return The equivalent {@code File} object, or {@code null} if the URL's protocol is not {@code file}
      */
     public static File toFile(final URL url) {
         if (url == null || !Strings.CI.equals("file", url.getProtocol())) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java
index 6c0f98819..580196288 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ public class HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy extends AbstractFileLocationStrategy
      * user's home directory is looked up.
      *
      * @param homeDir the passed in home directory
-     * @return the directory to be used
+     * @return The directory to be used
      */
     private static String getHomeDirectory(final String homeDir) {
         return homeDir != null ? homeDir : SystemProperties.getUserHome();
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ public class HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy extends AbstractFileLocationStrategy
      * Determines the base path to be used for the current locate() operation.
      *
      * @param locator the {@code FileLocator}
-     * @return the base path to be used
+     * @return The base path to be used
      */
     private String getBasePath(final FileLocator locator) {
         if (isEvaluateBasePath() && StringUtils.isNotEmpty(locator.getBasePath())) {
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ public class HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy extends AbstractFileLocationStrategy
     /**
      * Gets the home directory. In this directory the strategy searches for files.
      *
-     * @return the home directory used by this object.
+     * @return The home directory used by this object.
      */
     public String getHomeDirectory() {
         return homeDirectory;
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ public class HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy extends AbstractFileLocationStrategy
     /**
      * Returns a flag whether the base path is to be taken into account when searching for a file.
      *
-     * @return the flag whether the base path is evaluated
+     * @return The flag whether the base path is evaluated
      */
     public boolean isEvaluateBasePath() {
         return evaluateBasePath;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/URLConnectionOptions.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/URLConnectionOptions.java
index 30d898719..7055fdfe2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/URLConnectionOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/URLConnectionOptions.java
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public final class URLConnectionOptions {
      * Applies the options to the given connection.
      *
      * @param urlConnection the target connection.
-     * @return the given connection.
+     * @return The given connection.
      */
     public URLConnection apply(final URLConnection urlConnection) {
         urlConnection.setUseCaches(useCaches);
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ public final class URLConnectionOptions {
     /**
      * Gets the connect timeout.
      *
-     * @return the connect timeout.
+     * @return The connect timeout.
      */
     public int getConnectTimeoutMillis() {
         return connectTimeoutMillis;
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public final class URLConnectionOptions {
     /**
      * Gets the read timeout.
      *
-     * @return the read timeout.
+     * @return The read timeout.
      */
     public int getReadTimeoutMillis() {
         return readTimeoutMillis;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/PropertyListConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/PropertyListConfiguration.java
index 3fa8cfd18..aa5fe8b55 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/PropertyListConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/PropertyListConfiguration.java
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public class PropertyListConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration imp
          * @param s the string to be parsed
          * @param index the current parsing position
          * @param cal the calendar where to store the result
-         * @return the length of the processed component
+         * @return The length of the processed component
          * @throws ParseException if the component cannot be extracted
          */
         public abstract int parseComponent(String s, int index, Calendar cal) throws ParseException;
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ public class PropertyListConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration imp
      * Parses a date in a format like {@code <*D2002-03-22 11:30:00 +0100>}.
      *
      * @param s the string with the date to be parsed
-     * @return the parsed date
+     * @return The parsed date
      * @throws ParseException if an error occurred while parsing the string
      */
     static Date parseDate(final String s) throws ParseException {
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ public class PropertyListConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration imp
      * are not of type String are dropped.
      *
      * @param src the map to be converted
-     * @return the resulting map
+     * @return The resulting map
      */
     private static Map<String, Object> transformMap(final Map<?, ?> src) {
         final Map<String, Object> dest = new HashMap<>();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/XMLPropertyListConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/XMLPropertyListConfiguration.java
index 2520e6258..0bd5bd259 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/XMLPropertyListConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/XMLPropertyListConfiguration.java
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public class XMLPropertyListConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration
         /**
          * Return the list of values in the array.
          *
-         * @return the {@link List} of values
+         * @return The {@link List} of values
          */
         @Override
         protected Object getNodeValue() {
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ public class XMLPropertyListConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration
         /**
          * Creates the configuration node defined by this builder.
          *
-         * @return the newly created configuration node
+         * @return The newly created configuration node
          */
         public ImmutableNode createNode() {
             final ImmutableNode.Builder nodeBuilder = new ImmutableNode.Builder(childBuilders.size());
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ public class XMLPropertyListConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration
          * Gets the final value for the node to be created. This method is called when the represented configuration node is
          * actually created.
          *
-         * @return the value of the resulting configuration node
+         * @return The value of the resulting configuration node
          */
         protected Object getNodeValue() {
             return value;
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ public class XMLPropertyListConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration
         /**
          * Gets the builder for the result node.
          *
-         * @return the result node builder
+         * @return The result node builder
          */
         public PListNodeBuilder getResultBuilder() {
             return resultBuilder;
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ public class XMLPropertyListConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration
         /**
          * Returns the node on top of the non-empty stack. Throws an exception if the stack is empty.
          *
-         * @return the top node of the stack
+         * @return The top node of the stack
          * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the stack is empty
          */
         private PListNodeBuilder peekNE() {
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ public class XMLPropertyListConfiguration extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration
      * are not of type String are dropped.
      *
      * @param src the map to be converted
-     * @return the resulting map
+     * @return The resulting map
      */
     private static Map<String, Object> transformMap(final Map<?, ?> src) {
         final Map<String, Object> dest = new HashMap<>();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/FileHandlerReloadingDetector.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/FileHandlerReloadingDetector.java
index 2c3aa3a03..1dd4f338c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/FileHandlerReloadingDetector.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/FileHandlerReloadingDetector.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public class FileHandlerReloadingDetector implements ReloadingDetector {
      * Helper method for transforming a URL into a file object. This method handles file: and jar: URLs.
      *
      * @param url the URL to be converted
-     * @return the resulting file or <strong>null </strong>
+     * @return The resulting file or <strong>null </strong>
      */
     private static File fileFromURL(final URL url) {
         if (JAR_PROTOCOL.equals(url.getProtocol())) {
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class FileHandlerReloadingDetector implements ReloadingDetector {
     /**
      * Gets the monitored {@code File} or <strong>null</strong> if it does not exist.
      *
-     * @return the monitored {@code File} or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The monitored {@code File} or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     private File getExistingFile() {
         File file = getFile();
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public class FileHandlerReloadingDetector implements ReloadingDetector {
      * modification time is needed. If it returns <strong>null</strong>, no check is performed. This base implementation obtains the
      * {@code File} from the associated {@code FileHandler}. It can also deal with URLs to jar files.
      *
-     * @return the {@code File} to be monitored (can be <strong>null</strong>)
+     * @return The {@code File} to be monitored (can be <strong>null</strong>)
      */
     protected File getFile() {
         final URL url = getFileHandler().getURL();
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public class FileHandlerReloadingDetector implements ReloadingDetector {
      * Gets the {@code FileHandler} associated with this object. The underlying handler is directly returned, so changing
      * its location also changes the file monitored by this detector.
      *
-     * @return the associated {@code FileHandler}
+     * @return The associated {@code FileHandler}
      */
     public FileHandler getFileHandler() {
         return fileHandler;
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ public class FileHandlerReloadingDetector implements ReloadingDetector {
      * Gets the date of the last modification of the monitored file. A return value of 0 indicates, that the monitored
      * file does not exist.
      *
-     * @return the last modification date in milliseconds.
+     * @return The last modification date in milliseconds.
      */
     protected long getLastModificationDate() {
         final File file = getExistingFile();
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ public class FileHandlerReloadingDetector implements ReloadingDetector {
      * whether the time since the previous check is more than this value in the past. Otherwise, no check is performed. This
      * is a means to limit file I/O caused by this class.
      *
-     * @return the refresh delay used by this object
+     * @return The refresh delay used by this object
      */
     public long getRefreshDelay() {
         return refreshDelayMillis;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/PeriodicReloadingTrigger.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/PeriodicReloadingTrigger.java
index 6d270101e..79d719ffe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/PeriodicReloadingTrigger.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/PeriodicReloadingTrigger.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public class PeriodicReloadingTrigger {
     /**
      * Creates a default executor service. This method is called if no executor has been passed to the constructor.
      *
-     * @return the default executor service
+     * @return The default executor service
      */
     private static ScheduledExecutorService createDefaultExecutorService() {
         final ThreadFactory factory = BasicThreadFactory.builder().namingPattern("ReloadingTrigger-%s").daemon(true).build();
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public class PeriodicReloadingTrigger {
     /**
      * Creates the task which triggers the reloading controller.
      *
-     * @return the newly created trigger task
+     * @return The newly created trigger task
      */
     private Runnable createTriggerTaskCommand() {
         return () -> controller.checkForReloading(controllerParam);
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public class PeriodicReloadingTrigger {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ScheduledExecutorService} used by this object.
      *
-     * @return the associated {@code ScheduledExecutorService}
+     * @return The associated {@code ScheduledExecutorService}
      */
     ScheduledExecutorService getExecutorService() {
         return executorService;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingController.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingController.java
index 9f9135b74..29db40a27 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingController.java
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ public class ReloadingController implements EventSource {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ReloadingDetector} used by this controller.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ReloadingDetector}
+     * @return The {@code ReloadingDetector}
      */
     public ReloadingDetector getDetector() {
         return detector;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingControllerSupport.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingControllerSupport.java
index bf524a84e..cbd790d2d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingControllerSupport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingControllerSupport.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public interface ReloadingControllerSupport {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ReloadingController} associated with this object.
      *
-     * @return the associated {@code ReloadingController}
+     * @return The associated {@code ReloadingController}
      */
     ReloadingController getReloadingController();
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingEvent.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingEvent.java
index f9abe144b..ee0d17ce4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingEvent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/ReloadingEvent.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public class ReloadingEvent extends Event {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ReloadingController} which caused this event.
      *
-     * @return the responsible {@code ReloadingController}
+     * @return The responsible {@code ReloadingController}
      */
     public ReloadingController getController() {
         return (ReloadingController) getSource();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/VFSFileHandlerReloadingDetector.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/VFSFileHandlerReloadingDetector.java
index f6808b80e..baf1f75a9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/VFSFileHandlerReloadingDetector.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/VFSFileHandlerReloadingDetector.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public class VFSFileHandlerReloadingDetector extends FileHandlerReloadingDetecto
      * Gets the file that is monitored by this strategy. Note that the return value can be <strong>null </strong> under some
      * circumstances.
      *
-     * @return the monitored file
+     * @return The monitored file
      */
     protected FileObject getFileObject() {
         if (!getFileHandler().isLocationDefined()) {
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ public class VFSFileHandlerReloadingDetector extends FileHandlerReloadingDetecto
     /**
      * Resolves the URI of the monitored file.
      *
-     * @return the URI of the monitored file or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
+     * @return The URI of the monitored file or <strong>null</strong> if it cannot be resolved
      */
     protected String resolveFileURI() {
         final FileSystem fs = getFileHandler().getFileSystem();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/resolver/CatalogResolver.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/resolver/CatalogResolver.java
index dcdeb53fb..cd5078b7f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/resolver/CatalogResolver.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/resolver/CatalogResolver.java
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ public class CatalogResolver implements EntityResolver {
         /**
          * Gets the ConfigurationInterpolator.
          *
-         * @return the ConfigurationInterpolator.
+         * @return The ConfigurationInterpolator.
          */
         public ConfigurationInterpolator getInterpolator() {
             return interpolator;
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ public class CatalogResolver implements EntityResolver {
          *
          * This method always returns a new instance of the underlying catalog class.
          *
-         * @return the Catalog.
+         * @return The Catalog.
          */
         @Override
         public org.apache.xml.resolver.Catalog getPrivateCatalog() {
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ public class CatalogResolver implements EntityResolver {
      * @param fs the {@code FileSystem}
      * @param basePath the base path
      * @param name the file name
-     * @return the URL pointing to the file
+     * @return The URL pointing to the file
      */
     private static URL locate(final FileSystem fs, final String basePath, final String name) {
         return FileLocatorUtils.locate(FileLocatorUtils.fileLocator().fileSystem(fs).basePath(basePath).fileName(name).create());
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ public class CatalogResolver implements EntityResolver {
     /**
      * Gets the logger used by this configuration object.
      *
-     * @return the logger
+     * @return The logger
      */
     public ConfigurationLogger getLogger() {
         return log;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/spring/ConfigurationPropertiesFactoryBean.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/spring/ConfigurationPropertiesFactoryBean.java
index 9d151fdb8..c61e660f0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/spring/ConfigurationPropertiesFactoryBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/spring/ConfigurationPropertiesFactoryBean.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesFactoryBean implements InitializingBean, Fac
      *
      * @param src the source array
      * @param <T> The type of the array
-     * @return the defensive copy of the array
+     * @return The defensive copy of the array
      */
     private static <T> T[] clone(final T[] src) {
         return src != null ? src.clone() : null;
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesFactoryBean implements InitializingBean, Fac
     /**
      * Gets the composite configuration.
      *
-     * @return the composite configuration.
+     * @return The composite configuration.
      */
     public CompositeConfiguration getConfiguration() {
         return compositeConfiguration;
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesFactoryBean implements InitializingBean, Fac
     /**
      * Tests the underlying CompositeConfiguration throwExceptionOnMissing flag.
      *
-     * @return the underlying CompositeConfiguration throwExceptionOnMissing flag.
+     * @return The underlying CompositeConfiguration throwExceptionOnMissing flag.
      */
     public boolean isThrowExceptionOnMissing() {
         return throwExceptionOnMissing;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/ReadWriteSynchronizer.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/ReadWriteSynchronizer.java
index c7ae7a0c6..57d7db889 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/ReadWriteSynchronizer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/ReadWriteSynchronizer.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public class ReadWriteSynchronizer implements Synchronizer {
     /**
      * Returns a new default lock object which is used if no lock is passed to the constructor.
      *
-     * @return the new default lock object
+     * @return The new default lock object
      */
     private static ReadWriteLock createDefaultLock() {
         return new ReentrantReadWriteLock();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/SynchronizerSupport.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/SynchronizerSupport.java
index 34fa5667b..c8c979b1e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/SynchronizerSupport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/SynchronizerSupport.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public interface SynchronizerSupport {
      * Gets the {@code Synchronizer} used by this object. An implementation must not return <strong>null</strong>. If no
      * {@code Synchronizer} has been set so far, a meaningful default {@code Synchronizer} has to be returned.
      *
-     * @return the {@code Synchronizer} used by this object
+     * @return The {@code Synchronizer} used by this object
      */
     Synchronizer getSynchronizer();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultConfigurationKey.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultConfigurationKey.java
index 7732ec7a4..cc433ce34 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultConfigurationKey.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultConfigurationKey.java
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
          * Returns the current key of the iteration (without skipping to the next element). This is the same key the previous
          * {@code next()} call had returned. (Short form of {@code currentKey(false)}.
          *
-         * @return the current key
+         * @return The current key
          */
         public String currentKey() {
             return currentKey(false);
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
          * attribute markers are stripped from the key; if it is <strong>true</strong>, they remain.
          *
          * @param decorated a flag if the decorated key is to be returned
-         * @return the current key
+         * @return The current key
          */
         public String currentKey(final boolean decorated) {
             return decorated && !isPropertyKey() ? constructAttributeKey(current) : current;
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
          * escaped delimiter string. This relation will be determined by this method. For this to work the delimiter string must
          * be contained in the escaped delimiter string.
          *
-         * @return the relative offset of the escaped delimiter in relation to a delimiter
+         * @return The relative offset of the escaped delimiter in relation to a delimiter
          */
         private int escapeOffset() {
             return getSymbols().getEscapedDelimiter().indexOf(getSymbols().getPropertyDelimiter());
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
         /**
          * Helper method for determining the next indices.
          *
-         * @return the next key part
+         * @return The next key part
          */
         private String findNextIndices() {
             startIndex = endIndex;
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
          * Gets the index value of the current key. If the current key does not have an index, return value is -1. This
          * method can be called after {@code next()}.
          *
-         * @return the index value of the current key
+         * @return The index value of the current key
          */
         public int getIndex() {
             return indexValue;
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
         /**
          * Returns the next object in the iteration.
          *
-         * @return the next object
+         * @return The next object
          */
         @Override
         public Object next() {
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
          * @param key the key
          * @param pos the start position
          * @param endPos the end position
-         * @return the position of the next delimiter or -1 if there is none
+         * @return The position of the next delimiter or -1 if there is none
          */
         private int nextDelimiterPos(final String key, final int pos, final int endPos) {
             int delimiterPos = pos;
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
         /**
          * Returns the next key part of this configuration key. This is a short form of {@code nextKey(false)}.
          *
-         * @return the next key part
+         * @return The next key part
          */
         public String nextKey() {
             return nextKey(false);
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
          * the key; if it is <strong>true</strong>, they remain.
          *
          * @param decorated a flag if the decorated key is to be returned
-         * @return the next key part
+         * @return The next key part
          */
         public String nextKey(final boolean decorated) {
             if (!hasNext()) {
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
         /**
          * Helper method for extracting the next key part. Takes escaping of delimiter characters into account.
          *
-         * @return the next key part
+         * @return The next key part
          */
         private String nextKeyPart() {
             int attrIdx = keyBuffer.toString().indexOf(getSymbols().getAttributeStart(), startIndex);
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
      * from the specified key.
      *
      * @param key the attribute key
-     * @return the name of the corresponding attribute
+     * @return The name of the corresponding attribute
      */
     public String attributeName(final String key) {
         return isAttributeKey(key) ? removeAttributeMarkers(key) : key;
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
      * will be modified only if does not already represent an attribute.
      *
      * @param key the key to be decorated
-     * @return the decorated attribute key
+     * @return The decorated attribute key
      */
     public String constructAttributeKey(final String key) {
         if (key == null) {
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
      * arbitrary configuration key {@code key}.
      *
      * @param other the key for which the difference is to be calculated
-     * @return the difference key
+     * @return The difference key
      */
     public DefaultConfigurationKey differenceKey(final DefaultConfigurationKey other) {
         final DefaultConfigurationKey common = commonKey(other);
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
      * Escapes the delimiters in the specified string.
      *
      * @param key the key to be escaped
-     * @return the escaped key
+     * @return The escaped key
      */
     private String escapeDelimiters(final String key) {
         return getSymbols().getEscapedDelimiter() == null || !key.contains(getSymbols().getPropertyDelimiter()) ? key
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
     /**
      * Gets the associated default expression engine.
      *
-     * @return the associated expression engine
+     * @return The associated expression engine
      */
     public DefaultExpressionEngine getExpressionEngine() {
         return expressionEngine;
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
     /**
      * Gets the symbols object from the associated expression engine.
      *
-     * @return the {@code DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols}
+     * @return The {@code DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols}
      */
     private DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols getSymbols() {
         return getExpressionEngine().getSymbols();
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
     /**
      * Returns the hash code for this object.
      *
-     * @return the hash code
+     * @return The hash code
      */
     @Override
     public int hashCode() {
@@ -692,7 +692,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
     /**
      * Returns the actual length of this configuration key.
      *
-     * @return the length of this key
+     * @return The length of this key
      */
     public int length() {
         return keyBuffer.length();
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
      * Helper method for removing attribute markers from a key.
      *
      * @param key the key
-     * @return the key with removed attribute markers
+     * @return The key with removed attribute markers
      */
     private String removeAttributeMarkers(final String key) {
         return key.substring(getSymbols().getAttributeStart().length(),
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
      * Removes delimiters at the beginning and the end of the specified key.
      *
      * @param key the key
-     * @return the key with removed property delimiters
+     * @return The key with removed property delimiters
      */
     public String trim(final String key) {
         return trimRight(trimLeft(key));
@@ -744,7 +744,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
      * Removes leading property delimiters from the specified key.
      *
      * @param key the key
-     * @return the key with removed leading property delimiters
+     * @return The key with removed leading property delimiters
      */
     public String trimLeft(final String key) {
         if (key == null) {
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
      * Removes trailing property delimiters from the specified key.
      *
      * @param key the key
-     * @return the key with removed trailing property delimiters
+     * @return The key with removed trailing property delimiters
      */
     public String trimRight(final String key) {
         if (key == null) {
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ public class DefaultConfigurationKey {
      * Unescapes the delimiters in the specified string.
      *
      * @param key the key to be unescaped
-     * @return the unescaped key
+     * @return The unescaped key
      */
     private String unescapeDelimiters(final String key) {
         return getSymbols().getEscapedDelimiter() == null ? key
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultExpressionEngine.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultExpressionEngine.java
index d385612ca..f1cdb5e6d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultExpressionEngine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultExpressionEngine.java
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ public class DefaultExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
      * @param nodeName the name of the current node
      * @param handler the node handler
      * @param <T> The type of the nodes to be dealt with
-     * @return the index of this node
+     * @return The index of this node
      */
     private <T> int determineIndex(final T node, final T parent, final String nodeName, final NodeHandler<T> handler) {
         return findChildNodesByName(handler, parent, nodeName).indexOf(node);
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ public class DefaultExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
      * @param keyIt the key iterator
      * @param node the current node
      * @param handler the node handler
-     * @return the last existing node on the given path
+     * @return The last existing node on the given path
      */
     protected <T> T findLastPathNode(final DefaultConfigurationKey.KeyIterator keyIt, final T node, final NodeHandler<T> handler) {
         final String keyPart = keyIt.nextKey(false);
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ public class DefaultExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols} object associated with this instance.
      *
-     * @return the {@code DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols} used by this engine
+     * @return The {@code DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols} used by this engine
      * @since 2.0
      */
     public DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols getSymbols() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols.java
index afb5f5725..00933453c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols.java
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public final class DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols {
          * method does not change the state of this builder. So it is possible to change properties and create another
          * {@code DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols} instance.
          *
-         * @return the newly created {@code DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols} instance
+         * @return The newly created {@code DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols} instance
          */
         public DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols create() {
             return new DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols(this);
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public final class DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols {
     /**
      * Creates the {@code DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols} object with default symbols.
      *
-     * @return the default symbols instance
+     * @return The default symbols instance
      */
     private static DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols createDefaultSmybols() {
         return new Builder().setPropertyDelimiter(DEFAULT_PROPERTY_DELIMITER).setEscapedDelimiter(DEFAULT_ESCAPED_DELIMITER).setIndexStart(DEFAULT_INDEX_START)
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ public final class DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols {
     /**
      * Gets the string representing an attribute end marker.
      *
-     * @return the attribute end marker
+     * @return The attribute end marker
      */
     public String getAttributeEnd() {
         return attributeEnd;
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ public final class DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols {
     /**
      * Gets the string representing an attribute start marker.
      *
-     * @return the attribute start marker
+     * @return The attribute start marker
      */
     public String getAttributeStart() {
         return attributeStart;
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ public final class DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols {
     /**
      * Gets the string representing an escaped property delimiter.
      *
-     * @return the escaped property delimiter
+     * @return The escaped property delimiter
      */
     public String getEscapedDelimiter() {
         return escapedDelimiter;
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ public final class DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols {
     /**
      * Gets the string representing the end of an index in a property key.
      *
-     * @return the index end marker
+     * @return The index end marker
      */
     public String getIndexEnd() {
         return indexEnd;
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ public final class DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols {
     /**
      * Gets the string representing the start of an index in a property key.
      *
-     * @return the index start marker
+     * @return The index start marker
      */
     public String getIndexStart() {
         return indexStart;
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ public final class DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols {
     /**
      * Gets the string used as delimiter in property keys.
      *
-     * @return the property delimiter
+     * @return The property delimiter
      */
     public String getPropertyDelimiter() {
         return propertyDelimiter;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ExpressionEngine.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ExpressionEngine.java
index 96a2ffa71..f40a05f05 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ExpressionEngine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ExpressionEngine.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public interface ExpressionEngine {
      *
      * @param parentKey the key to the node owning this attribute
      * @param attributeName the name of the attribute in question
-     * @return the resulting key referencing this attribute
+     * @return The resulting key referencing this attribute
      */
     String attributeKey(String parentKey, String attributeName);
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public interface ExpressionEngine {
      * @param node the node, for which the key must be constructed
      * @param parentKey the key of this node's parent (can be <strong>null</strong> for the root node)
      * @param handler the {@code NodeHandler} for accessing the node
-     * @return the canonical key of this node
+     * @return The canonical key of this node
      */
     <T> String canonicalKey(T node, String parentKey, NodeHandler<T> handler);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ImmutableNode.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ImmutableNode.java
index 4c3aea23d..e1b8fc605 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ImmutableNode.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ImmutableNode.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
          *
          *
          * @param children the collection to be filtered
-         * @return the collection with null entries removed
+         * @return The collection with null entries removed
          */
         private static Collection<? extends ImmutableNode> filterNull(final Collection<? extends ImmutableNode> children) {
             final List<ImmutableNode> result = new ArrayList<>(children.size());
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
         /**
          * Creates a new {@code ImmutableNode} instance based on the properties set for this builder.
          *
-         * @return the newly created {@code ImmutableNode}
+         * @return The newly created {@code ImmutableNode}
          */
         public ImmutableNode create() {
             final ImmutableNode newNode = new ImmutableNode(this);
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
          * Creates a list with the children of the newly created node. The list returned here is always immutable. It depends on
          * the way this builder was populated.
          *
-         * @return the list with the children of the new node
+         * @return The list with the children of the new node
          */
         List<ImmutableNode> createChildren() {
             if (directChildren != null) {
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      * Creates a new {@code ImmutableNode} instance which is a copy of this object, but has the given child node added.
      *
      * @param child the child node to be added (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the new node with the child node added
+     * @return The new node with the child node added
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the child node is <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public ImmutableNode addChild(final ImmutableNode child) {
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      * a helper method for updating a node when only children or attributes are affected.
      *
      * @param builder the already prepared builder
-     * @return the newly created node
+     * @return The newly created node
      */
     private ImmutableNode createWithBasicProperties(final Builder builder) {
         return builder.name(nodeName).value(value).create();
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      * attributes.
      *
      * @param newAttrs the new attributes
-     * @return the new node instance
+     * @return The new node instance
      */
     private ImmutableNode createWithNewAttributes(final Map<String, Object> newAttrs) {
         return createWithBasicProperties(new Builder(children, null).addAttributes(newAttrs));
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
     /**
      * Gets the name of this node.
      *
-     * @return the name of this node
+     * @return The name of this node
      */
     public String getNodeName() {
         return nodeName;
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
     /**
      * Gets the value of this node.
      *
-     * @return the value of this node
+     * @return The value of this node
      */
     public Object getValue() {
         return value;
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      * removed. If there is no attribute with the given name, the same node instance is returned.
      *
      * @param name the name of the attribute
-     * @return the new node without this attribute
+     * @return The new node without this attribute
      */
     public ImmutableNode removeAttribute(final String name) {
         final Map<String, Object> newAttrs = new HashMap<>(attributes);
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      * If the child node does not belong to this node, the same node instance is returned.
      *
      * @param child the child node to be removed
-     * @return the new node with the child node removed
+     * @return The new node with the child node removed
      */
     public ImmutableNode removeChild(final ImmutableNode child) {
         // use same size of children in case the child does not exist
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      *
      * @param oldChild the child node to be replaced
      * @param newChild the replacing child node (must not be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the new node with the child replaced
+     * @return The new node with the child replaced
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the new child node is <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public ImmutableNode replaceChild(final ImmutableNode oldChild, final ImmutableNode newChild) {
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      * the same rules apply as for {@link Builder#addChildren(Collection)}.
      *
      * @param newChildren the collection with the new children (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the new node with replaced children
+     * @return The new node with replaced children
      */
     public ImmutableNode replaceChildren(final Collection<ImmutableNode> newChildren) {
         final Builder builder = new Builder(null, attributes);
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      *
      * @param name the name of the attribute
      * @param value the attribute value
-     * @return the new node with this attribute
+     * @return The new node with this attribute
      */
     public ImmutableNode setAttribute(final String name, final Object value) {
         final Map<String, Object> newAttrs = new HashMap<>(attributes);
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      * are added. If the map is <strong>null</strong> or empty, this method has no effect.
      *
      * @param newAttributes the map with attributes to be added
-     * @return the new node with these attributes
+     * @return The new node with these attributes
      */
     public ImmutableNode setAttributes(final Map<String, ?> newAttributes) {
         if (newAttributes == null || newAttributes.isEmpty()) {
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      * value.
      *
      * @param name the name of the newly created node
-     * @return the new node with the changed name
+     * @return The new node with the changed name
      */
     public ImmutableNode setName(final String name) {
         return new Builder(children, attributes).name(name).value(value).create();
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ public final class ImmutableNode implements Iterable<ImmutableNode> {
      * value.
      *
      * @param newValue the value of the newly created node
-     * @return the new node with the changed value
+     * @return The new node with the changed value
      */
     public ImmutableNode setValue(final Object newValue) {
         return new Builder(children, attributes).name(nodeName).value(newValue).create();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/InMemoryNodeModel.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/InMemoryNodeModel.java
index c37b44895..1b0650e8e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/InMemoryNodeModel.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/InMemoryNodeModel.java
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * tries to add something to an attribute.
      *
      * @param key the invalid key causing this exception
-     * @return the exception
+     * @return The exception
      */
     private static IllegalArgumentException attributeKeyException(final String key) {
         return new IllegalArgumentException("New nodes cannot be added to an attribute key: " + key);
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * @param childName the name of the child node
      * @param resolver the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
      * @param refSelector here the newly created {@code NodeSelector} is returned
-     * @return the new {@code TreeData} instance
+     * @return The new {@code TreeData} instance
      */
     private static TreeData createDataWithTrackedChildNode(final TreeData current, final ImmutableNode parent, final String childName,
         final NodeKeyResolver<ImmutableNode> resolver, final MutableObject<NodeSelector> refSelector) {
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      *
      * @param it the iterator over the names of the path nodes
      * @param newNodes the collection of new child nodes
-     * @return the newly created path node
+     * @return The newly created path node
      */
     private static ImmutableNode createNodeOnPath(final Iterator<String> it, final Collection<ImmutableNode> newNodes) {
         final String nodeName = it.next();
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      *
      * @param newNodeName the name of the new nodes
      * @param values the collection with node values
-     * @return the newly created collection
+     * @return The newly created collection
      */
     private static Collection<ImmutableNode> createNodesToAdd(final String newNodeName, final Iterable<?> values) {
         final Collection<ImmutableNode> nodes = new LinkedList<>();
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      *
      * @param addData the {@code NodeAddData}
      * @param newNodes the collection of new child nodes
-     * @return the parent node of the newly created hierarchy
+     * @return The parent node of the newly created hierarchy
      */
     private static ImmutableNode createNodeToAddWithPath(final NodeAddData<ImmutableNode> addData, final Collection<ImmutableNode> newNodes) {
         return createNodeOnPath(addData.getPathNodes().iterator(), newNodes);
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * @param nodes the nodes to be tracked
      * @param current the current {@code TreeData} object
      * @param resolver the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
-     * @return the updated {@code TreeData} object
+     * @return The updated {@code TreeData} object
      */
     private static TreeData createSelectorsForTrackedNodes(final Mutable<Collection<NodeSelector>> refSelectors, final List<ImmutableNode> nodes,
             final TreeData current, final NodeKeyResolver<ImmutableNode> resolver) {
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * @param rootNode the current root node
      * @param node the node to be merged with the root node
      * @param rootName the name of the resulting node
-     * @return the new name of the root node
+     * @return The new name of the root node
      */
     private static String determineRootName(final ImmutableNode rootNode, final ImmutableNode node, final String rootName) {
         if (rootName != null) {
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * dummy root node is created.
      *
      * @param providedRoot the passed in root node
-     * @return the root node to be used
+     * @return The root node to be used
      */
     private static ImmutableNode initialRootNode(final ImmutableNode providedRoot) {
         return providedRoot != null ? providedRoot : new ImmutableNode.Builder().create();
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * @param node the node in question
      * @param resolver the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
      * @param refSelector here the newly created {@code NodeSelector} is returned
-     * @return the new {@code TreeData} instance
+     * @return The new {@code TreeData} instance
      */
     private static TreeData updateDataWithNewTrackedNode(final TreeData current, final ImmutableNode node, final NodeKeyResolver<ImmutableNode> resolver,
         final MutableObject<NodeSelector> refSelector) {
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * huge structures.
      *
      * @param root the root node of the structure
-     * @return the parent node mapping
+     * @return The parent node mapping
      */
     private Map<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode> createParentMapping(final ImmutableNode root) {
         final Map<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode> parents = new HashMap<>();
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      *
      * @param root the root node of the current tree
      * @param current the current {@code TreeData} object (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the {@code TreeData} describing the current tree
+     * @return The {@code TreeData} describing the current tree
      */
     private TreeData createTreeData(final ImmutableNode root, final TreeData current) {
         final NodeTracker newTracker = current != null ? current.getNodeTracker().detachAllTrackedNodes() : new NodeTracker();
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      *
      * @param root the new root node for this model
      * @param newTracker the new {@code NodeTracker}
-     * @return the new {@code TreeData} object
+     * @return The new {@code TreeData} object
      */
     private TreeData createTreeDataForRootAndTracker(final ImmutableNode root, final NodeTracker newTracker) {
         return new TreeData(root, createParentMapping(root), Collections.<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode>emptyMap(), newTracker, new ReferenceTracker());
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * Gets a {@code ReferenceNodeHandler} object for this model. This extended node handler can be used to query
      * references objects stored for this model.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ReferenceNodeHandler}
+     * @return The {@code ReferenceNodeHandler}
      */
     public ReferenceNodeHandler getReferenceNodeHandler() {
         return getTreeData();
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * connection between a node handler and its root node remain constant because an update of the model causes the whole
      * node handler to be replaced.
      *
-     * @return the current root node
+     * @return The current root node
      */
     public ImmutableNode getRootNode() {
         return getTreeData().getRootNode();
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * selector.
      *
      * @param selector the {@code NodeSelector} defining the desired node
-     * @return the current {@code ImmutableNode} associated with this selector
+     * @return The current {@code ImmutableNode} associated with this selector
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the selector is unknown
      */
     public ImmutableNode getTrackedNode(final NodeSelector selector) {
@@ -674,7 +674,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
     /**
      * Gets the current {@code TreeData} object. This object contains all information about the current node structure.
      *
-     * @return the current {@code TreeData} object
+     * @return The current {@code TreeData} object
      */
     TreeData getTreeData() {
         return structure.get();
@@ -925,7 +925,7 @@ public class InMemoryNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * @param key the key for selecting the parent node
      * @param childName the name of the child node
      * @param resolver the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
-     * @return the {@code NodeSelector} for the tracked child node
+     * @return The {@code NodeSelector} for the tracked child node
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the passed in key does not select a single node
      */
     public NodeSelector trackChildNodeWithCreation(final String key, final String childName, final NodeKeyResolver<ImmutableNode> resolver) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/MergeCombiner.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/MergeCombiner.java
index 2b12a1ed5..7129e2157 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/MergeCombiner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/MergeCombiner.java
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public class MergeCombiner extends NodeCombiner {
      *
      * @param node1 the first source node
      * @param node2 the second source node
-     * @return the union node
+     * @return The union node
      */
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ModelTransaction.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ModelTransaction.java
index a30301d77..0d6a8cd47 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ModelTransaction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ModelTransaction.java
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
         /**
          * Returns a set with nodes to be removed. If no remove operations are pending, an empty set is returned.
          *
-         * @return the set with nodes to be removed
+         * @return The set with nodes to be removed
          */
         private Set<ImmutableNode> fetchRemovalSet() {
             return nodesToRemove != null ? nodesToRemove : Collections.<ImmutableNode>emptySet();
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
         /**
          * Obtains the map with replacement nodes. If no replacements are defined, an empty map is returned.
          *
-         * @return the map with replacement nodes
+         * @return The map with replacement nodes
          */
         private Map<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode> fetchReplacementMap() {
             return nodesToReplace != null ? nodesToReplace : Collections.<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode>emptyMap();
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
          *
          * @param target the target node for this operation
          * @param operations the current {@code Operations} instance
-         * @return the manipulated node
+         * @return The manipulated node
          */
         protected abstract ImmutableNode apply(ImmutableNode target, Operations operations);
     }
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * @param col the collection
      * @param node the element to be added
      * @param <E> The type of elements involved
-     * @return the resulting collection
+     * @return The resulting collection
      */
     private static <E> Collection<E> append(final Collection<E> col, final E node) {
         final Collection<E> result = col != null ? col : new LinkedList<>();
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * @param value the value
      * @param <K> The type of the key
      * @param <V> The type of the value
-     * @return the resulting map
+     * @return The resulting map
      */
     private static <K, V> Map<K, V> append(final Map<K, V> map, final K key, final V value) {
         final Map<K, V> result = map != null ? map : new HashMap<>();
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * @param col the set
      * @param elem the element to be added
      * @param <E> The type of the elements involved
-     * @return the resulting set
+     * @return The resulting set
      */
     private static <E> Set<E> append(final Set<E> col, final E elem) {
         final Set<E> result = col != null ? col : new HashSet<>();
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * @param col1 the first collection
      * @param col2 the second collection
      * @param <E> The type of the elements involved
-     * @return the resulting collection
+     * @return The resulting collection
      */
     private static <E> Collection<E> concatenate(final Collection<E> col1, final Collection<? extends E> col2) {
         if (col2 == null) {
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * @param map2 the second map
      * @param <K> The type of the keys
      * @param <V> The type of the values
-     * @return the resulting map
+     * @return The resulting map
      */
     private static <K, V> Map<K, V> concatenate(final Map<K, V> map1, final Map<? extends K, ? extends V> map2) {
         if (map2 == null) {
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * @param set1 the first set
      * @param set2 the second set
      * @param <E> The type of the elements involved
-     * @return the resulting set
+     * @return The resulting set
      */
     private static <E> Set<E> concatenate(final Set<E> set1, final Set<? extends E> set2) {
         if (set2 == null) {
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * Executes this transaction resulting in a new {@code TreeData} object. The object returned by this method serves as
      * the definition of a new node structure for the calling model.
      *
-     * @return the updated {@code TreeData}
+     * @return The updated {@code TreeData}
      */
     public TreeData execute() {
         executeOperations();
@@ -740,7 +740,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      *
      * @param target the target node
      * @param level the level of the target node (may be undefined)
-     * @return the {@code Operations} object for this node
+     * @return The {@code Operations} object for this node
      */
     Operations fetchOperations(final ImmutableNode target, final int level) {
         final Integer nodeLevel = Integer.valueOf(level == LEVEL_UNKNOWN ? level(target) : level);
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
     /**
      * Returns the map with new reference objects. It is created if necessary.
      *
-     * @return the map with reference objects
+     * @return The map with reference objects
      */
     private Map<ImmutableNode, Object> fetchReferenceMap() {
         if (newReferences == null) {
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
     /**
      * Gets the current {@code TreeData} object this transaction operates on.
      *
-     * @return the associated {@code TreeData} object
+     * @return The associated {@code TreeData} object
      */
     public TreeData getCurrentData() {
         return currentData;
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * Gets the parent node of the given node.
      *
      * @param node the node in question
-     * @return the parent of this node
+     * @return The parent of this node
      */
     ImmutableNode getParent(final ImmutableNode node) {
         return getCurrentData().getParent(node);
@@ -783,7 +783,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * Gets the root node to be used within queries. This is not necessarily the current root node of the model. If the
      * operation is executed on a tracked node, this node has to be passed as root nodes to the expression engine.
      *
-     * @return the root node for queries and calls to the expression engine
+     * @return The root node for queries and calls to the expression engine
      */
     public ImmutableNode getQueryRoot() {
         return queryRoot;
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code NodeKeyResolver} used by this transaction.
      *
-     * @return the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
+     * @return The {@code NodeKeyResolver}
      */
     public NodeKeyResolver<ImmutableNode> getResolver() {
         return resolver;
@@ -804,7 +804,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      *
      * @param treeData the current data of the model
      * @param selector an optional {@code NodeSelector} defining the target root
-     * @return the query root node for this transaction
+     * @return The query root node for this transaction
      */
     private ImmutableNode initQueryRoot(final TreeData treeData, final NodeSelector selector) {
         return selector == null ? treeData.getRootNode() : treeData.getNodeTracker().getTrackedNode(selector);
@@ -815,7 +815,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * the root have level 1 and so on.
      *
      * @param node the node in question
-     * @return the level of this node
+     * @return The level of this node
      */
     private int level(final ImmutableNode node) {
         ImmutableNode current = getCurrentData().getParent(node);
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ final class ModelTransaction {
      * Returns an updated {@code ReferenceTracker} instance. The changes performed during this transaction are applied to
      * the tracker.
      *
-     * @return the updated tracker instance
+     * @return The updated tracker instance
      */
     private ReferenceTracker updateReferenceTracker() {
         ReferenceTracker tracker = currentData.getReferenceTracker();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeAddData.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeAddData.java
index ff9c9b9f7..e14b2ba02 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeAddData.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeAddData.java
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public class NodeAddData<T> {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the new node.
      *
-     * @return the new node's name
+     * @return The new node's name
      */
     public String getNewNodeName() {
         return newNodeName;
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public class NodeAddData<T> {
     /**
      * Gets the parent node.
      *
-     * @return the parent node
+     * @return The parent node
      */
     public T getParent() {
         return parent;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeCombiner.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeCombiner.java
index 94eeed822..44f0a191c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeCombiner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeCombiner.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public abstract class NodeCombiner {
      * Creates a node handler object for immutable nodes which can be used by sub classes to perform advanced operations on
      * nodes.
      *
-     * @return the node handler implementation
+     * @return The node handler implementation
      */
     private static NodeHandler<ImmutableNode> createNodeHandler() {
         return new AbstractImmutableNodeHandler() {
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public abstract class NodeCombiner {
      *
      * @param node1 the first root node
      * @param node2 the second root node
-     * @return the root node of the resulting combined node structure
+     * @return The root node of the resulting combined node structure
      */
     public abstract ImmutableNode combine(ImmutableNode node1, ImmutableNode node2);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeHandler.java
index 277c98dcf..577366956 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeHandler.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public interface NodeHandler<T> {
      *
      * @param node the node
      * @param name the name of the attribute
-     * @return the value of this attribute
+     * @return The value of this attribute
      */
     Object getAttributeValue(T node, String name);
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public interface NodeHandler<T> {
      *
      * @param node the node
      * @param index the index (0-based)
-     * @return the child with the given index
+     * @return The child with the given index
      */
     T getChild(T node, int index);
 
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public interface NodeHandler<T> {
      *
      * @param node the node
      * @param name the name of the children in question (can be <strong>null</strong> for all children)
-     * @return the number of the selected children
+     * @return The number of the selected children
      */
     int getChildrenCount(T node, String name);
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ public interface NodeHandler<T> {
      * @param matcher the {@code NodeMatcher}
      * @param criterion the criterion to be passed to the {@code NodeMatcher}
      * @param <C> The type of the criterion
-     * @return the number of matched children
+     * @return The number of matched children
      */
     <C> int getMatchingChildrenCount(T node, NodeMatcher<C> matcher, C criterion);
 
@@ -119,14 +119,14 @@ public interface NodeHandler<T> {
      * Gets the parent of the specified node.
      *
      * @param node the node
-     * @return the parent node
+     * @return The parent node
      */
     T getParent(T node);
 
     /**
      * Gets the root node of the underlying hierarchy.
      *
-     * @return the current root node
+     * @return The current root node
      */
     T getRootNode();
 
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public interface NodeHandler<T> {
      * Gets the value of the specified node.
      *
      * @param node the node
-     * @return the value of this node
+     * @return The value of this node
      */
     Object getValue(T node);
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ public interface NodeHandler<T> {
      *
      * @param parent the parent node
      * @param child a child node whose index is to be retrieved
-     * @return the index of this child node
+     * @return The index of this child node
      */
     int indexOfChild(T parent, T child);
 
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public interface NodeHandler<T> {
      * Returns the name of the specified node
      *
      * @param node the node
-     * @return the name of this node
+     * @return The name of this node
      */
     String nodeName(T node);
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeHandlerDecorator.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeHandlerDecorator.java
index 5c75c41fc..bb6aa3a44 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeHandlerDecorator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeHandlerDecorator.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public abstract class NodeHandlerDecorator<T> implements NodeHandler<T> {
      * Gets the {@code NodeHandler} object that is decorated by this instance. All method calls are delegated to this
      * object.
      *
-     * @return the decorated {@code NodeHandler}
+     * @return The decorated {@code NodeHandler}
      */
     protected abstract NodeHandler<T> getDecoratedNodeHandler();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeModel.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeModel.java
index fb4eb1868..5cc4298bb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeModel.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeModel.java
@@ -99,14 +99,14 @@ public interface NodeModel<T> {
      * {@code ImmutableNode} is a generic representation of a hierarchical structure. Thus, it should be possible to
      * generate a corresponding structure from arbitrary model data.
      *
-     * @return the root node of an in-memory hierarchy representing the data stored in this model
+     * @return The root node of an in-memory hierarchy representing the data stored in this model
      */
     ImmutableNode getInMemoryRepresentation();
 
     /**
      * Gets a {@code NodeHandler} for dealing with the nodes managed by this model.
      *
-     * @return the {@code NodeHandler}
+     * @return The {@code NodeHandler}
      */
     NodeHandler<T> getNodeHandler();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeModelSupport.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeModelSupport.java
index e3fa3c868..3b1603ee8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeModelSupport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeModelSupport.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public interface NodeModelSupport<T> {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code NodeModel} supported by this object.
      *
-     * @return the {@code NodeModel}
+     * @return The {@code NodeModel}
      */
     NodeModel<T> getNodeModel();
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeSelector.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeSelector.java
index 46b465cfe..103bed827 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeSelector.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeSelector.java
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ public class NodeSelector {
      * @param root the root node on which to apply this selector
      * @param resolver the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
      * @param handler the {@code NodeHandler}
-     * @return the selected target node or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The selected target node or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public ImmutableNode select(final ImmutableNode root, final NodeKeyResolver<ImmutableNode> resolver, final NodeHandler<ImmutableNode> handler) {
         List<ImmutableNode> nodes = new LinkedList<>();
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public class NodeSelector {
      * criteria. This is useful when another selection is to be performed on the results of a first selector.
      *
      * @param subKey the additional key for the sub selector
-     * @return the sub {@code NodeSelector} instance
+     * @return The sub {@code NodeSelector} instance
      */
     public NodeSelector subSelector(final String subKey) {
         final List<String> keys = new ArrayList<>(nodeKeys.size() + 1);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeTracker.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeTracker.java
index 25aa9a599..f83ae09c5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeTracker.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeTracker.java
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
          * node. If this is <strong>null</strong>, the previous node instance is used.
          *
          * @param newNode the new tracked node instance (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-         * @return the updated instance
+         * @return The updated instance
          */
         public TrackedNodeData detach(final ImmutableNode newNode) {
             final ImmutableNode newTrackedNode = newNode != null ? newNode : getNode();
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
          * Gets the node model to be used in detached mode. This is <strong>null</strong> if the represented tracked node is not
          * detached.
          *
-         * @return the node model in detached mode
+         * @return The node model in detached mode
          */
         public InMemoryNodeModel getDetachedModel() {
             return detachedModel;
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
         /**
          * Gets the tracked node.
          *
-         * @return the tracked node
+         * @return The tracked node
          */
         public ImmutableNode getNode() {
             return getDetachedModel() != null ? getDetachedModel().getRootNode() : node;
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
         /**
          * Returns a flag whether the represented tracked node is detached.
          *
-         * @return the detached flag
+         * @return The detached flag
          */
         public boolean isDetached() {
             return getDetachedModel() != null;
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
         /**
          * Another observer was added for this tracked node. This method returns a new instance with an adjusted observer count.
          *
-         * @return the updated instance
+         * @return The updated instance
          */
         public TrackedNodeData observerAdded() {
             return new TrackedNodeData(node, observerCount + 1, getDetachedModel());
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
          * there are no more observers, result is <strong>null</strong>. This means that this node is no longer tracked and can be
          * released.
          *
-         * @return the updated instance or <strong>null</strong>
+         * @return The updated instance or <strong>null</strong>
          */
         public TrackedNodeData observerRemoved() {
             return observerCount <= 1 ? null : new TrackedNodeData(node, observerCount - 1, getDetachedModel());
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
          * node was replaced by another instance.
          *
          * @param newNode the new tracked node instance
-         * @return the updated instance
+         * @return The updated instance
          */
         public TrackedNodeData updateNode(final ImmutableNode newNode) {
             return new TrackedNodeData(newNode, observerCount, getDetachedModel());
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * node got cleared by a transaction.
      *
      * @param data the {@code TrackedNodeData}
-     * @return the new node instance for this tracked node
+     * @return The new node instance for this tracked node
      */
     private static ImmutableNode createEmptyTrackedNode(final TrackedNodeData data) {
         return new ImmutableNode.Builder().name(data.getNode().getNodeName()).create();
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      *
      * @param txTarget the {@code NodeSelector} referencing the target node of the current transaction (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @param e the current selector and {@code TrackedNodeData}
-     * @return the new {@code TrackedNodeData} object to be used for this tracked node
+     * @return The new {@code TrackedNodeData} object to be used for this tracked node
      */
     private static TrackedNodeData detachedTrackedNodeData(final NodeSelector txTarget, final Map.Entry<NodeSelector, TrackedNodeData> e) {
         final ImmutableNode newNode = e.getKey().equals(txTarget) ? createEmptyTrackedNode(e.getValue()) : null;
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * @param resolver the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
      * @param handler the {@code NodeHandler}
      * @param e the current selector and {@code TrackedNodeData}
-     * @return the updated {@code TrackedNodeData}
+     * @return The updated {@code TrackedNodeData}
      */
     private static TrackedNodeData determineUpdatedTrackedNodeData(final ImmutableNode root, final NodeSelector txTarget,
         final NodeKeyResolver<ImmutableNode> resolver, final NodeHandler<ImmutableNode> handler, final Map.Entry<NodeSelector, TrackedNodeData> e) {
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * @param resolver the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
      * @param handler the {@code NodeHandler}
      * @param trackData the current data for this selector
-     * @return the updated {@code TrackedNodeData}
+     * @return The updated {@code TrackedNodeData}
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the selector does not select a single node
      */
     private static TrackedNodeData trackDataForAddedObserver(final ImmutableNode root, final NodeSelector selector,
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * Marks all tracked nodes as detached. This method is called if there are some drastic changes on the underlying node
      * structure, for example if the root node was replaced.
      *
-     * @return the updated instance
+     * @return The updated instance
      */
     public NodeTracker detachAllTrackedNodes() {
         if (trackedNodes.isEmpty()) {
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * This model can be queried by this method. If the node affected is not detached, result is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param selector the {@code NodeSelector}
-     * @return the detached node model for this node or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The detached node model for this node or <strong>null</strong>
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if no data for this selector is available
      */
     public InMemoryNodeModel getDetachedNodeModel(final NodeSelector selector) {
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * Gets the current {@code ImmutableNode} instance associated with the given selector.
      *
      * @param selector the {@code NodeSelector}
-     * @return the {@code ImmutableNode} selected by this selector
+     * @return The {@code ImmutableNode} selected by this selector
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if no data for this selector is available
      */
     public ImmutableNode getTrackedNode(final NodeSelector selector) {
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * exception is thrown.
      *
      * @param selector the {@code NodeSelector}
-     * @return the {@code TrackedNodeData} object for this selector
+     * @return The {@code TrackedNodeData} object for this selector
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the selector cannot be resolved
      */
     private TrackedNodeData getTrackedNodeData(final NodeSelector selector) {
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      *
      * @param selector the {@code NodeSelector}
      * @param newNode the replacement node
-     * @return the updated instance
+     * @return The updated instance
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the selector cannot be resolved
      */
     public NodeTracker replaceAndDetachTrackedNode(final NodeSelector selector, final ImmutableNode newNode) {
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * @param selector the {@code NodeSelector}
      * @param resolver the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
      * @param handler the {@code NodeHandler}
-     * @return the updated instance
+     * @return The updated instance
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the selector does not select a single node
      */
     public NodeTracker trackNode(final ImmutableNode root, final NodeSelector selector, final NodeKeyResolver<ImmutableNode> resolver,
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      *
      * @param selectors a collection with the {@code NodeSelector} objects
      * @param nodes a collection with the nodes to be tracked
-     * @return the updated instance
+     * @return The updated instance
      */
     public NodeTracker trackNodes(final Collection<NodeSelector> selectors, final Collection<ImmutableNode> nodes) {
         final Map<NodeSelector, TrackedNodeData> newState = new HashMap<>(trackedNodes);
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * track data for this selector can be removed.
      *
      * @param selector the {@code NodeSelector}
-     * @return the updated instance
+     * @return The updated instance
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if no information about this node is available
      */
     public NodeTracker untrackNode(final NodeSelector selector) {
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ final class NodeTracker {
      * @param txTarget the {@code NodeSelector} referencing the target node of the current transaction (may be <strong>null</strong>)
      * @param resolver the {@code NodeKeyResolver}
      * @param handler the {@code NodeHandler}
-     * @return the updated instance
+     * @return The updated instance
      */
     public NodeTracker update(final ImmutableNode root, final NodeSelector txTarget, final NodeKeyResolver<ImmutableNode> resolver,
             final NodeHandler<ImmutableNode> handler) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeUpdateData.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeUpdateData.java
index abc99ae9c..0e511708a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeUpdateData.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/NodeUpdateData.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class NodeUpdateData<T> {
      *
      * @param col the collection to be copied
      * @param <T> The element type of the collection
-     * @return the unmodifiable copy
+     * @return The unmodifiable copy
      */
     private static <T> Collection<T> copyCollection(final Collection<? extends T> col) {
         if (col == null) {
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class NodeUpdateData<T> {
      * @param map the map to be copied
      * @param <K> The type of the keys involved
      * @param <V> The type of the values involved
-     * @return the unmodifiable copy
+     * @return The unmodifiable copy
      */
     private static <K, V> Map<K, V> copyMap(final Map<? extends K, ? extends V> map) {
         if (map == null) {
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public class NodeUpdateData<T> {
      * Gets an unmodifiable map with the values to be changed. The keys of the map are the query results for the nodes
      * affected, the values are the new values to be assigned to these nodes.
      *
-     * @return the map with values to be changed
+     * @return The map with values to be changed
      */
     public Map<QueryResult<T>, Object> getChangedValues() {
         return changedValues;
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public class NodeUpdateData<T> {
     /**
      * Gets the key for this update operation.
      *
-     * @return the key for this operation
+     * @return The key for this operation
      */
     public String getKey() {
         return key;
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ public class NodeUpdateData<T> {
      * Gets a collection with the values to be newly added. For these values new nodes have to be created and added under
      * the key stored in this object.
      *
-     * @return the collection with new values
+     * @return The collection with new values
      */
     public Collection<Object> getNewValues() {
         return newValues;
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public class NodeUpdateData<T> {
      * Adds a collection with the nodes to be removed. These nodes are no longer needed and have to be removed from the node
      * model processing this request.
      *
-     * @return the collection with nodes to be removed
+     * @return The collection with nodes to be removed
      */
     public Collection<QueryResult<T>> getRemovedNodes() {
         return removedNodes;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/OverrideCombiner.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/OverrideCombiner.java
index abaf225cc..834e9de30 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/OverrideCombiner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/OverrideCombiner.java
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public class OverrideCombiner extends NodeCombiner {
      *
      * @param node1 the first node
      * @param node2 the second node
-     * @return the resulting combined node structure
+     * @return The resulting combined node structure
      */
     @Override
     public ImmutableNode combine(final ImmutableNode node1, final ImmutableNode node2) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/QueryResult.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/QueryResult.java
index 9f63c92be..fe681f463 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/QueryResult.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/QueryResult.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public final class QueryResult<T> {
      * @param parentNode the node which owns the attribute
      * @param attrName the attribute name
      * @param <T> The type of the parent node
-     * @return the newly created instance
+     * @return The newly created instance
      */
     public static <T> QueryResult<T> createAttributeResult(final T parentNode, final String attrName) {
         return new QueryResult<>(parentNode, attrName);
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public final class QueryResult<T> {
      *
      * @param <T> The type of the result node
      * @param resultNode the result node
-     * @return the newly created instance
+     * @return The newly created instance
      */
     public static <T> QueryResult<T> createNodeResult(final T resultNode) {
         return new QueryResult<>(resultNode, null);
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public final class QueryResult<T> {
     /**
      * Gets the name of the attribute. This method is defined only for results of type attribute.
      *
-     * @return the attribute name
+     * @return The attribute name
      */
     public String getAttributeName() {
         return attributeName;
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public final class QueryResult<T> {
      * thrown.
      *
      * @param handler the {@code NodeHandler}
-     * @return the attribute value
+     * @return The attribute value
      * @throws IllegalStateException if this is not an attribute result
      */
     public Object getAttributeValue(final NodeHandler<T> handler) {
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ public final class QueryResult<T> {
      * Gets the node referenced by this object. Depending on the result type, this is either the result node or the
      * parent node of the represented attribute.
      *
-     * @return the referenced node
+     * @return The referenced node
      */
     public T getNode() {
         return node;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ReferenceNodeHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ReferenceNodeHandler.java
index 6ce99d03d..8c42962f1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ReferenceNodeHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ReferenceNodeHandler.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public interface ReferenceNodeHandler extends NodeHandler<ImmutableNode> {
      * result is <strong>null</strong>.
      *
      * @param node the node in question
-     * @return the reference object for this node or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The reference object for this node or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     Object getReference(ImmutableNode node);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ReferenceTracker.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ReferenceTracker.java
index ce65d59c8..87cf6d846 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ReferenceTracker.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/ReferenceTracker.java
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ final class ReferenceTracker {
      * new set of references.
      *
      * @param refs the references to be added
-     * @return the new instance
+     * @return The new instance
      */
     public ReferenceTracker addReferences(final Map<ImmutableNode, ?> refs) {
         final Map<ImmutableNode, Object> newRefs = new HashMap<>(references);
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ final class ReferenceTracker {
      * Gets the reference object associated with the given node.
      *
      * @param node the node
-     * @return the reference object for this node or <strong>null</strong>
+     * @return The reference object for this node or <strong>null</strong>
      */
     public Object getReference(final ImmutableNode node) {
         return references.get(node);
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ final class ReferenceTracker {
     /**
      * Gets the list with removed references. This list is immutable.
      *
-     * @return the list with removed references
+     * @return The list with removed references
      */
     public List<Object> getRemovedReferences() {
         return Collections.unmodifiableList(removedReferences);
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ final class ReferenceTracker {
      *
      * @param replacedNodes the map with nodes that have been replaced
      * @param removedNodes the list with nodes that have been removed
-     * @return the new instance
+     * @return The new instance
      */
     public ReferenceTracker updateReferences(final Map<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode> replacedNodes, final Collection<ImmutableNode> removedNodes) {
         if (!references.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeHandler.java
index 310b9c14d..d52cef3bd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeHandler.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ final class TrackedNodeHandler extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler {
     /**
      * Gets the parent handler. This is the {@code NodeHandler} which is consulted for determining a node's parent node.
      *
-     * @return the parent {@code NodeHandler}
+     * @return The parent {@code NodeHandler}
      */
     public NodeHandler<ImmutableNode> getParentHandler() {
         return parentHandler;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeModel.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeModel.java
index cff791284..3f09f26b5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeModel.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TrackedNodeModel.java
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public class TrackedNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
      * Gets the parent model. Operations on this model are delegated to this parent model specifying the selector to the
      * tracked node.
      *
-     * @return the parent model
+     * @return The parent model
      */
     public InMemoryNodeModel getParentModel() {
         return getParentModelSupport().getNodeModel();
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ public class TrackedNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code InMemoryNodeModelSupport} object which is used to gain access to the underlying node model.
      *
-     * @return the associated {@code InMemoryNodeModelSupport} object
+     * @return The associated {@code InMemoryNodeModelSupport} object
      */
     public InMemoryNodeModelSupport getParentModelSupport() {
         return parentModelSupport;
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ public class TrackedNodeModel implements NodeModel<ImmutableNode> {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code NodeSelector} pointing to the tracked node managed by this model.
      *
-     * @return the tracked node selector
+     * @return The tracked node selector
      */
     public NodeSelector getSelector() {
         return selector;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TreeData.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TreeData.java
index 00f59abd6..0ed8e6ea4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TreeData.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/TreeData.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ final class TreeData extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler implements ReferenceNo
      *
      * @param replace the replacement node
      * @param mapping the replacement mapping
-     * @return the corresponding node according to the mapping
+     * @return The corresponding node according to the mapping
      */
     private static ImmutableNode handleReplacements(final ImmutableNode replace, final Map<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode> mapping) {
         ImmutableNode node = replace;
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ final class TreeData extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler implements ReferenceNo
     /**
      * Returns a copy of the mapping from nodes to their parents.
      *
-     * @return the copy of the parent mapping
+     * @return The copy of the parent mapping
      */
     public Map<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode> copyParentMapping() {
         return new HashMap<>(parentMapping);
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ final class TreeData extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler implements ReferenceNo
     /**
      * Returns a copy of the map storing the replaced nodes.
      *
-     * @return the copy of the replacement mapping
+     * @return The copy of the replacement mapping
      */
     public Map<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode> copyReplacementMapping() {
         return new HashMap<>(replacementMapping);
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ final class TreeData extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler implements ReferenceNo
      * Creates the inverse replacement mapping.
      *
      * @param replacements the original replacement mapping
-     * @return the inverse replacement mapping
+     * @return The inverse replacement mapping
      */
     private Map<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode> createInverseMapping(final Map<ImmutableNode, ImmutableNode> replacements) {
         return replacements.entrySet().stream().collect(Collectors.toMap(Entry::getValue, Entry::getKey));
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ final class TreeData extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler implements ReferenceNo
     /**
      * Gets the {@code NodeTracker}
      *
-     * @return the {@code NodeTracker}
+     * @return The {@code NodeTracker}
      */
     public NodeTracker getNodeTracker() {
         return nodeTracker;
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ final class TreeData extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler implements ReferenceNo
      * be resolved, an exception is thrown.
      *
      * @param node the node in question
-     * @return the parent node for this node
+     * @return The parent node for this node
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the node cannot be resolved
      */
     @Override
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ final class TreeData extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler implements ReferenceNo
     /**
      * Gets the {@code ReferenceTracker}.
      *
-     * @return the {@code ReferenceTracker}
+     * @return The {@code ReferenceTracker}
      */
     public ReferenceTracker getReferenceTracker() {
         return referenceTracker;
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ final class TreeData extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler implements ReferenceNo
      * the state of tracked nodes.
      *
      * @param newTracker the new {@code NodeTracker}
-     * @return the updated instance
+     * @return The updated instance
      */
     public TreeData updateNodeTracker(final NodeTracker newTracker) {
         return new TreeData(root, parentMapping, replacementMapping, newTracker, referenceTracker);
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ final class TreeData extends AbstractImmutableNodeHandler implements ReferenceNo
      * method is called when there updates for references.
      *
      * @param newTracker the new {@code ReferenceTracker}
-     * @return the updated instance
+     * @return The updated instance
      */
     public TreeData updateReferenceTracker(final ReferenceTracker newTracker) {
         return new TreeData(root, parentMapping, replacementMapping, nodeTracker, newTracker);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/UnionCombiner.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/UnionCombiner.java
index fe33ade9a..16a82d258 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/UnionCombiner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/UnionCombiner.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public class UnionCombiner extends NodeCombiner {
      *
      * @param node1 the first source node
      * @param node2 the second source node
-     * @return the union node
+     * @return The union node
      */
     @Override
     public ImmutableNode combine(final ImmutableNode node1, final ImmutableNode node2) {
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ public class UnionCombiner extends NodeCombiner {
      * @param node1 the first source node
      * @param node2 the second source node
      * @param child the child node of the first source node to be checked
-     * @return the matching child node of the second source node or <strong>null</strong> if there is none
+     * @return The matching child node of the second source node or <strong>null</strong> if there is none
      */
     protected ImmutableNode findCombineNode(final ImmutableNode node1, final ImmutableNode node2, final ImmutableNode child) {
         if (child.getValue() == null && !isListNode(child) && HANDLER.getChildrenCount(node1, child.getNodeName()) == 1
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator.java
index 3f5e36eba..1c73ade05 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
      *
      * @param prefix the prefix
      * @param name the name (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the qualified name
+     * @return The qualified name
      */
     protected static String prefixName(final String prefix, final String name) {
         return String.format(FMT_NAMESPACE, prefix, StringUtils.defaultString(name));
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
      * Otherwise, the namespace prefix is added.
      *
      * @param qName the {@code QName}
-     * @return the qualified name
+     * @return The qualified name
      */
     protected static String qualifiedName(final QName qName) {
         return qName.getPrefix() == null ? qName.getName() : prefixName(qName.getPrefix(), qName.getName());
@@ -92,14 +92,14 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
      * Derived classes must create the correct pointer object.
      *
      * @param position the current position in the iteration
-     * @return the node pointer
+     * @return The node pointer
      */
     protected abstract NodePointer createNodePointer(int position);
 
     /**
      * Gets the maximum position for this iterator.
      *
-     * @return the maximum allowed position
+     * @return The maximum allowed position
      */
     protected int getMaxPosition() {
         return reverse ? getStartOffset() + 1 : size() - getStartOffset();
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
     /**
      * Gets the node handler for the managed nodes. This is a convenience method.
      *
-     * @return the node handler
+     * @return The node handler
      */
     protected NodeHandler<T> getNodeHandler() {
         return getParent().getNodeHandler();
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
     /**
      * Gets the current node pointer.
      *
-     * @return the current pointer in this iteration
+     * @return The current pointer in this iteration
      */
     @Override
     public NodePointer getNodePointer() {
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
     /**
      * Gets the parent node pointer.
      *
-     * @return the parent node pointer
+     * @return The parent node pointer
      */
     protected ConfigurationNodePointer<T> getParent() {
         return parent;
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
     /**
      * Gets the position of the iteration.
      *
-     * @return the position
+     * @return The position
      */
     @Override
     public int getPosition() {
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
     /**
      * Gets the start offset of the iteration.
      *
-     * @return the start offset
+     * @return The start offset
      */
     protected int getStartOffset() {
         return startOffset;
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
      * Returns the index in the data list for the given position. This method also checks the reverse flag.
      *
      * @param pos the position (1-based)
-     * @return the corresponding list index
+     * @return The corresponding list index
      */
     protected int positionToIndex(final int pos) {
         return (reverse ? 1 - pos : pos - 1) + getStartOffset();
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNodeIterator<T> implements NodeIterator {
     /**
      * Returns the number of elements in this iteration.
      *
-     * @return the number of elements
+     * @return The number of elements
      */
     protected abstract int size();
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationAttributePointer.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationAttributePointer.java
index 6b855e2aa..546965270 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationAttributePointer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationAttributePointer.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
      *
      * @param p1 the first pointer
      * @param p2 the second pointer
-     * @return the order of these pointers
+     * @return The order of these pointers
      */
     @Override
     public int compareChildNodePointers(final NodePointer p1, final NodePointer p2) {
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets the base value. We return the value.
      *
-     * @return the base value
+     * @return The base value
      */
     @Override
     public Object getBaseValue() {
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets the immediate node. This is actually a {@link QueryResult} object describing the represented attribute.
      *
-     * @return the immediate node
+     * @return The immediate node
      */
     @Override
     public Object getImmediateNode() {
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets the length of the represented node. This is always 1.
      *
-     * @return the length
+     * @return The length
      */
     @Override
     public int getLength() {
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets the name of this node. This is the attribute name.
      *
-     * @return the name of this node
+     * @return The name of this node
      */
     @Override
     public QName getName() {
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Returns a reference to the current node handler. The handler is obtained from the parent pointer.
      *
-     * @return the node handler
+     * @return The node handler
      */
     private NodeHandler<T> getNodeHandler() {
         return getParentPointer().getNodeHandler();
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets a reference to the parent node pointer.
      *
-     * @return the parent pointer
+     * @return The parent pointer
      */
     public ConfigurationNodePointer<T> getParentPointer() {
         // safe to cast because the constructor only expects pointers of this
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Returns a flag whether this node is an attribute. Of course, this is the case.
      *
-     * @return the attribute flag
+     * @return The attribute flag
      */
     @Override
     public boolean isAttribute() {
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Returns a flag whether the represented node is a collection. This is not the case.
      *
-     * @return the collection flag
+     * @return The collection flag
      */
     @Override
     public boolean isCollection() {
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ final class ConfigurationAttributePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Returns a flag whether the represented node is a leaf. This is the case for attributes.
      *
-     * @return the leaf flag
+     * @return The leaf flag
      */
     @Override
     public boolean isLeaf() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorAttribute.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorAttribute.java
index 77586f42a..861f10496 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorAttribute.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorAttribute.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodeIteratorAttribute<T> extends AbstractConfigurationN
     /**
      * Returns the size of the managed iteration.
      *
-     * @return the iteration size
+     * @return The iteration size
      */
     @Override
     protected int size() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren.java
index ccbb240bc..6c4dd5976 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren<T> extends AbstractConfigurationNo
      * Creates the configuration node pointer for the current position.
      *
      * @param position the current position in the iteration
-     * @return the node pointer
+     * @return The node pointer
      */
     @Override
     protected NodePointer createNodePointer(final int position) {
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren<T> extends AbstractConfigurationNo
      *
      * @param node the current node
      * @param qName the name to be selected
-     * @return the list with selected sub nodes
+     * @return The list with selected sub nodes
      */
     private List<T> createSubNodeListForName(final T node, final QName qName) {
         final String compareName = qualifiedName(qName);
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren<T> extends AbstractConfigurationNo
      *
      * @param node the current node
      * @param qName the name to be selected
-     * @return the list with selected sub nodes
+     * @return The list with selected sub nodes
      */
     private List<T> createSubNodeListForWildcardName(final T node, final QName qName) {
         final List<T> children = getNodeHandler().getChildren(node);
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren<T> extends AbstractConfigurationNo
      *
      * @param children the children of the root node
      * @param startNode the start node
-     * @return the start node's index
+     * @return The start node's index
      */
     private int findStartIndex(final List<T> children, final T startNode) {
         int index = 0;
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodeIteratorChildren<T> extends AbstractConfigurationNo
     /**
      * Returns the number of elements in this iteration. This is the number of elements in the children list.
      *
-     * @return the number of elements
+     * @return The number of elements
      */
     @Override
     protected int size() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodePointer.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodePointer.java
index 652676dea..b87e1ce58 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodePointer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodePointer.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
      * Returns an iterator for the attributes that match the given name.
      *
      * @param qName the attribute name
-     * @return the iterator for the attributes
+     * @return The iterator for the attributes
      */
     @Override
     public NodeIterator attributeIterator(final QName qName) {
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
      * this cast is safe.
      *
      * @param p the {@code NodePointer} to cast
-     * @return the resulting {@code ConfigurationNodePointer}
+     * @return The resulting {@code ConfigurationNodePointer}
      */
     private ConfigurationNodePointer<T> castPointer(final NodePointer p) {
         @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") // see method comment
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets this node's base value. This is the associated configuration node.
      *
-     * @return the base value
+     * @return The base value
      */
     @Override
     public Object getBaseValue() {
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets the wrapped configuration node.
      *
-     * @return the wrapped node
+     * @return The wrapped node
      */
     public T getConfigurationNode() {
         return node;
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets the immediate node. This is the associated configuration node.
      *
-     * @return the immediate node
+     * @return The immediate node
      */
     @Override
     public Object getImmediateNode() {
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets this node's length. This is always 1.
      *
-     * @return the node's length
+     * @return The node's length
      */
     @Override
     public int getLength() {
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets this node's name.
      *
-     * @return the name
+     * @return The name
      */
     @Override
     public QName getName() {
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code NodeHandler} used by this instance.
      *
-     * @return the {@code NodeHandler}
+     * @return The {@code NodeHandler}
      */
     public NodeHandler<T> getNodeHandler() {
         return handler;
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Gets the value of this node.
      *
-     * @return the represented node's value
+     * @return The represented node's value
      */
     @Override
     public Object getValue() {
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Checks whether this node pointer refers to an attribute node. This is not the case.
      *
-     * @return the attribute flag
+     * @return The attribute flag
      */
     @Override
     public boolean isAttribute() {
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ final class ConfigurationNodePointer<T> extends NodePointer {
     /**
      * Returns a flag if this node is a collection. This is not the case.
      *
-     * @return the collection flag
+     * @return The collection flag
      */
     @Override
     public boolean isCollection() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodePointerFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodePointerFactory.java
index fcd5d5e60..2ce12baae 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodePointerFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/ConfigurationNodePointerFactory.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class ConfigurationNodePointerFactory implements NodePointerFactory {
         /**
          * Gets the wrapped node.
          *
-         * @return the node
+         * @return The node
          */
         public T getNode() {
             return node;
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public class ConfigurationNodePointerFactory implements NodePointerFactory {
         /**
          * Gets the node handler for the wrapped node.
          *
-         * @return the node handler
+         * @return The node handler
          */
         public NodeHandler<T> getNodeHandler() {
             return nodeHandler;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/XPathContextFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/XPathContextFactory.java
index 1d44a73d3..a74fa7e67 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/XPathContextFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/XPathContextFactory.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class XPathContextFactory {
      * @param root the root node
      * @param handler the node handler
      * @param <T> The type of the nodes to be handled
-     * @return the newly created context
+     * @return The newly created context
      */
     <T> JXPathContext createContext(final T root, final NodeHandler<T> handler) {
         final JXPathContext context = JXPathContext.newContext(ConfigurationNodePointerFactory.wrapNode(root, handler));
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/XPathExpressionEngine.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/XPathExpressionEngine.java
index 35460ae80..c6f76f96c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/XPathExpressionEngine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/xpath/XPathExpressionEngine.java
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ public class XPathExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
      *
      * @param results the list with results from the context
      * @param <T> The type of results to be produced
-     * @return the result list
+     * @return The result list
      */
     private static <T> List<QueryResult<T>> convertResults(final List<?> results) {
         return results.stream().map(res -> (QueryResult<T>) createResult(res)).collect(Collectors.toList());
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public class XPathExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
      *
      * @param resObj the query result object
      * @param <T> The type of the result to be produced
-     * @return the {@code QueryResult}
+     * @return The {@code QueryResult}
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private static <T> QueryResult<T> createResult(final Object resObj) {
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ public class XPathExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
      * @param child the child node
      * @param handler the node handler
      * @param <T> The type of the nodes involved
-     * @return the index of this child node
+     * @return The index of this child node
      */
     private static <T> int determineIndex(final T parent, final T child, final NodeHandler<T> handler) {
         return handler.getChildren(parent, handler.nodeName(child)).indexOf(child) + 1;
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ public class XPathExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
      * Determines the position of the separator in a key for adding new properties. If no delimiter is found, result is -1.
      *
      * @param key the key
-     * @return the position of the delimiter
+     * @return The position of the delimiter
      */
     private static int findKeySeparator(final String key) {
         int index = key.length() - 1;
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ public class XPathExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
      *
      * @param root the configuration root node
      * @param handler the node handler
-     * @return the new context
+     * @return The new context
      */
     private <T> JXPathContext createContext(final T root, final NodeHandler<T> handler) {
         return getContextFactory().createContext(root, handler);
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ public class XPathExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
      * @param root the root node of the configuration
      * @param key the key in question
      * @param handler the node handler
-     * @return the key to be used for adding the property
+     * @return The key to be used for adding the property
      */
     private <T> String generateKeyForAdd(final T root, final String key, final NodeHandler<T> handler) {
         int pos = key.lastIndexOf(PATH_DELIMITER, key.length());
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ public class XPathExpressionEngine implements ExpressionEngine {
     /**
      * Gets the {@code XPathContextFactory} used by this instance.
      *
-     * @return the {@code XPathContextFactory}
+     * @return The {@code XPathContextFactory}
      */
     XPathContextFactory getContextFactory() {
         return contextFactory;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/web/BaseWebConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/web/BaseWebConfiguration.java
index 71747d779..00fabe06c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/web/BaseWebConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/web/BaseWebConfiguration.java
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ abstract class BaseWebConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      * in value contains a delimiter character. If this is the case, a split operation is performed.
      *
      * @param value the property value to be examined
-     * @return the processed value
+     * @return The processed value
      */
     protected Object handleDelimiters(Object value) {
         if (value instanceof String) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationAssert.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationAssert.java
index 8e3e21ff8..68fe27576 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationAssert.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/ConfigurationAssert.java
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationAssert {
      * Returns a URL pointing to the specified output file. If the URL cannot be constructed, a runtime exception is thrown.
      *
      * @param name the name of the output file
-     * @return the corresponding URL
+     * @return The corresponding URL
      */
     public static URL getOutURL(final String name) {
         return urlFromFile(getOutFile(name));
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationAssert {
      * Returns a URL pointing to the specified test file. If the URL cannot be constructed, a runtime exception is thrown.
      *
      * @param name the name of the test file
-     * @return the corresponding URL
+     * @return The corresponding URL
      */
     public static URL getTestURL(final String name) {
         return urlFromFile(getTestFile(name));
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationAssert {
      * Helper method for converting a file to a URL.
      *
      * @param file the file
-     * @return the corresponding URL
+     * @return The corresponding URL
      * @throws ConfigurationRuntimeException if the URL cannot be constructed
      */
     private static URL urlFromFile(final File file) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper.java
index cc6ad2382..45512b832 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper.java
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
      * @param <T> The type of the result configuration
      * @param configCls the configuration class
      * @param params the parameters object
-     * @return the newly created configuration instance
+     * @return The newly created configuration instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     public <T extends DatabaseConfiguration> T createConfiguration(final Class<T> configCls, final DatabaseBuilderParameters params)
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
     /**
      * Returns the {@code DataSource} managed by this class. The data source is created on first access.
      *
-     * @return the {@code DataSource}
+     * @return The {@code DataSource}
      */
     public DataSource getDataSource() {
         if (dataSource == null) {
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
     /**
      * Returns the auto-commit mode of the configuration instances created by this helper.
      *
-     * @return the auto-commit mode
+     * @return The auto-commit mode
      */
     public boolean isAutoCommit() {
         return autoCommit;
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
     /**
      * Creates a database configuration with default settings.
      *
-     * @return the configuration
+     * @return The configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     public DatabaseConfiguration setUpConfig() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
      *
      * @param <T> The type of the result configuration
      * @param configCls the configuration class
-     * @return the newly created configuration instance
+     * @return The newly created configuration instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     public <T extends DatabaseConfiguration> T setUpConfig(final Class<T> configCls) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
     /**
      * Creates the internal data source. This method also initializes the database.
      *
-     * @return the data source
+     * @return The data source
      * @throws Exception if an error occurs
      */
     private DataSource setUpDataSource() throws Exception {
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
     /**
      * Returns a parameters object with default settings.
      *
-     * @return the parameters object
+     * @return The parameters object
      */
     public DatabaseBuilderParameters setUpDefaultParameters() {
         return new Parameters().database().setDataSource(getDataSource()).setTable(TABLE).setKeyColumn(COL_KEY).setValueColumn(COL_VALUE)
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
     /**
      * Creates a database configuration that supports multiple configurations in a table with default values.
      *
-     * @return the configuration
+     * @return The configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     public DatabaseConfiguration setUpMultiConfig() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
      * @param <T> The type of the result configuration
      * @param configCls the configuration class
      * @param configName the name of the configuration instance or <strong>null</strong> for the default name
-     * @return the newly created configuration instance
+     * @return The newly created configuration instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     public <T extends DatabaseConfiguration> T setUpMultiConfig(final Class<T> configCls, final String configName) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationTestHelper {
      * Returns a parameters object with settings for a configuration table containing the data of multiple configurations.
      *
      * @param configName the name of the configuration instance or <strong>null</strong> for the default name
-     * @return the parameters object
+     * @return The parameters object
      */
     public DatabaseBuilderParameters setUpMultiParameters(final String configName) {
         return setUpDefaultParameters().setTable(TABLE_MULTI).setConfigurationNameColumn(COL_NAME)
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/InterpolationTestHelper.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/InterpolationTestHelper.java
index 8f2fe9f4c..e813cb50e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/InterpolationTestHelper.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/InterpolationTestHelper.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public final class InterpolationTestHelper {
      * Tests obtaining a configuration with all variables replaced by their actual values.
      *
      * @param config the configuration to test
-     * @return the interpolated configuration
+     * @return The interpolated configuration
      */
     public static Configuration testInterpolatedConfiguration(final AbstractConfiguration config) {
         config.setProperty("applicationRoot", "/home/applicationRoot");
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/MockInitialContextFactory.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/MockInitialContextFactory.java
index fc28a244d..943023508 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/MockInitialContextFactory.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/MockInitialContextFactory.java
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public class MockInitialContextFactory implements InitialContextFactory {
      * Creates a mock for a Context with the specified prefix.
      *
      * @param prefix the prefix
-     * @return the mock for the context
+     * @return The mock for the context
      */
     private Context createCtxMock(final String prefix) throws NamingException {
         final Context mockCtx = mock(Context.class);
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ public class MockInitialContextFactory implements InitialContextFactory {
      *
      * @param names the names contained in the iteration
      * @param values the corresponding values
-     * @return the mock for the enumeration
+     * @return The mock for the enumeration
      */
     private List<NameClassPair> createNameClassPairs(final String[] names, final Object[] values) {
         final List<NameClassPair> pairs = new ArrayList<>();
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ public class MockInitialContextFactory implements InitialContextFactory {
      *
      * @param names the names contained in the iteration
      * @param values the corresponding values
-     * @return the mock for the enumeration
+     * @return The mock for the enumeration
      */
     private NamingEnumeration<NameClassPair> createNamingEnumeration(final String[] names, final Object[] values) {
         return new ListBasedNamingEnumeration(createNameClassPairs(names, values));
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ public class MockInitialContextFactory implements InitialContextFactory {
      * certain test properties. It also supports listing the contained (sub) properties.
      *
      * @param env the environment
-     * @return the context mock
+     * @return The context mock
      */
     @Override
     public Context getInitialContext(@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes") final Hashtable env) throws NamingException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TempDirUtils.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TempDirUtils.java
index 1db3717c9..947cb2bcb 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TempDirUtils.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TempDirUtils.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public final class TempDirUtils {
      * Returns a new fresh file with a random name under a temporary folder.
      *
      * @param tempFolder the temporary folder to create the file under
-     * @return the created file
+     * @return The created file
      * @throws IOException if an error occurs
      */
     public static File newFile(final File tempFolder) throws IOException {
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public final class TempDirUtils {
      * Returns a new fresh file with the given name under a temporary folder.
      *
      * @param tempFolder the temporary folder to create the file under
-     * @return the created file
+     * @return The created file
      * @throws IOException if an error occurs
      */
     public static File newFile(final String fileName, final File tempFolder) throws IOException {
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public final class TempDirUtils {
      * Returns a new fresh folder with a random name under a temporary folder.
      *
      * @param tempFolder the temporary folder to create the folder under
-     * @return the created folder
+     * @return The created folder
      * @throws IOException if an error occurs
      */
     public static File newFolder(final File tempFolder) throws IOException {
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public final class TempDirUtils {
      * Returns a new fresh folder with the given path under a temporary folder.
      *
      * @param tempFolder the temporary folder to create the folder under
-     * @return the created folder
+     * @return The created folder
      * @throws IOException if an error occurs
      */
     public static File newFolder(final String path, final File tempFolder) throws IOException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractConfigurationBasicFeatures.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractConfigurationBasicFeatures.java
index 1643f71a1..cfa7a397c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractConfigurationBasicFeatures.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractConfigurationBasicFeatures.java
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public class TestAbstractConfigurationBasicFeatures {
      * The returned list contains the expected list values converted to integers.
      *
      * @param config the test configuration
-     * @return the list with expected values
+     * @return The list with expected values
      */
     private static List<Integer> prepareListTest(final PropertiesConfiguration config) {
         final List<Integer> expected = new ArrayList<>(PROP_COUNT);
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ public class TestAbstractConfigurationBasicFeatures {
      * Creates the destination configuration for testing the copy() and append() methods. This configuration contains keys
      * with a running index and corresponding values starting with the prefix "value".
      *
-     * @return the destination configuration for copy operations
+     * @return The destination configuration for copy operations
      */
     private AbstractConfiguration setUpDestConfig() {
         final AbstractConfiguration config = new TestConfigurationImpl(new PropertiesConfiguration());
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ public class TestAbstractConfigurationBasicFeatures {
      * Creates the source configuration for testing the copy() and append() methods. This configuration contains keys with
      * an odd index and values starting with the prefix "src". There are also some list properties.
      *
-     * @return the source configuration for copy operations
+     * @return The source configuration for copy operations
      */
     private Configuration setUpSourceConfig() {
         final BaseConfiguration config = new BaseConfiguration();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractConfigurationSynchronization.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractConfigurationSynchronization.java
index 0f895685b..9e2dba794 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractConfigurationSynchronization.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractConfigurationSynchronization.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class TestAbstractConfigurationSynchronization {
     /**
      * Prepares a mock configuration for a copy operation.
      *
-     * @return the mock configuration
+     * @return The mock configuration
      */
     private static Configuration prepareConfigurationMockForCopy() {
         final Configuration config2 = mock(Configuration.class);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java
index 794339a2c..2e1f89e03 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestAbstractHierarchicalConfiguration.java
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ public class TestAbstractHierarchicalConfiguration {
     /**
      * Creates a {@code DefaultConfigurationKey} object.
      *
-     * @return the new key object
+     * @return The new key object
      */
     private static DefaultConfigurationKey createConfigurationKey() {
         return new DefaultConfigurationKey(DefaultExpressionEngine.INSTANCE);
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ public class TestAbstractHierarchicalConfiguration {
     /**
      * Returns the total number of fields in the test data structure.
      *
-     * @return the total number of fields
+     * @return The total number of fields
      */
     private static int totalFieldCount() {
         int fieldCount = 0;
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ public class TestAbstractHierarchicalConfiguration {
     /**
      * Convenience method for obtaining the root node of the test configuration.
      *
-     * @return the root node of the test configuration
+     * @return The root node of the test configuration
      */
     private ImmutableNode getRootNode() {
         return config.getModel().getNodeHandler().getRootNode();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestCombinedConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestCombinedConfiguration.java
index 088823301..e38481096 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestCombinedConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestCombinedConfiguration.java
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfiguration {
     /**
      * Helper method for creating a test configuration to be added to the combined configuration.
      *
-     * @return the test configuration
+     * @return The test configuration
      */
     private static AbstractConfiguration setUpTestConfiguration() {
         final BaseHierarchicalConfiguration config = new BaseHierarchicalConfiguration();
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfiguration {
     /**
      * Prepares the test configuration for a test for sub configurations. Some child configurations are added.
      *
-     * @return the sub configuration at the test sub key
+     * @return The sub configuration at the test sub key
      */
     private AbstractConfiguration setUpSubConfigTest() {
         final AbstractConfiguration srcConfig = setUpTestConfiguration();
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfiguration {
     /**
      * Prepares a test for synchronization. This method installs a test synchronizer and adds some test configurations.
      *
-     * @return the test synchronizer
+     * @return The test synchronizer
      */
     private SynchronizerTestImpl setUpSynchronizerTest() {
         setUpSourceTest();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestCompositeConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestCompositeConfiguration.java
index 7725bc624..4fdd58daf 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestCompositeConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestCompositeConfiguration.java
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public class TestCompositeConfiguration {
     /**
      * Creates a test synchronizer and installs it at the test configuration.
      *
-     * @return the test synchronizer
+     * @return The test synchronizer
      */
     private SynchronizerTestImpl installSynchronizer() {
         cc.addConfiguration(conf1);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestConfigurationConverter.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestConfigurationConverter.java
index 465a8ae7f..a0e78ed9c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestConfigurationConverter.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestConfigurationConverter.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class TestConfigurationConverter {
     /**
      * Creates a configuration object with some test values.
      *
-     * @return the test configuration
+     * @return The test configuration
      */
     private static BaseConfiguration createTestConfiguration() {
         final BaseConfiguration config = new BaseConfiguration();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestConfigurationUtils.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestConfigurationUtils.java
index b922c7285..38dc2c275 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestConfigurationUtils.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestConfigurationUtils.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class TestConfigurationUtils {
         /**
          * Returns a flag whether this object was cloned.
          *
-         * @return the clone flag
+         * @return The clone flag
          */
         public boolean isCloned() {
             return cloned;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDataConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDataConfiguration.java
index b1cbfa6ec..2559a024b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDataConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDataConfiguration.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class TestDataConfiguration {
     /**
      * Returns the expected test date.
      *
-     * @return the expected test date
+     * @return The expected test date
      * @throws ParseException if the date cannot be parsed
      */
     private static Date expectedDate() throws ParseException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDatabaseConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDatabaseConfiguration.java
index 4d75e32bb..568f53c8d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDatabaseConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDatabaseConfiguration.java
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ public class TestDatabaseConfiguration {
     /**
      * Creates a database configuration with default values.
      *
-     * @return the configuration
+     * @return The configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private PotentialErrorDatabaseConfiguration setUpConfig() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ public class TestDatabaseConfiguration {
     /**
      * Prepares a test for a database error. Sets up a config and registers an error listener.
      *
-     * @return the initialized configuration
+     * @return The initialized configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private PotentialErrorDatabaseConfiguration setUpErrorConfig() throws ConfigurationException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDynamicCombinedConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDynamicCombinedConfiguration.java
index cf5d28b88..7809aa7a4 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDynamicCombinedConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestDynamicCombinedConfiguration.java
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ public class TestDynamicCombinedConfiguration {
      * configuration and returns it.
      *
      * @param config the configuration
-     * @return the test Synchronizer
+     * @return The test Synchronizer
      */
     private SynchronizerTestImpl prepareSynchronizerTest(final Configuration config) {
         final SynchronizerTestImpl sync = new SynchronizerTestImpl();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestHierarchicalConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestHierarchicalConfiguration.java
index fb70657a9..20ca04d11 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestHierarchicalConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestHierarchicalConfiguration.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class TestHierarchicalConfiguration {
     /**
      * Creates a {@code DefaultConfigurationKey} object.
      *
-     * @return the new key object
+     * @return The new key object
      */
     private static DefaultConfigurationKey createConfigurationKey() {
         return new DefaultConfigurationKey(DefaultExpressionEngine.INSTANCE);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestINIConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestINIConfiguration.java
index 827efd50e..a91f1f8a7 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestINIConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestINIConfiguration.java
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public class TestINIConfiguration {
      * a configuration.
      *
      * @param config the configuration to be saved
-     * @return the content of this configuration saved to a string
+     * @return The content of this configuration saved to a string
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static String saveToString(final INIConfiguration config) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ public class TestINIConfiguration {
      * Creates a INIConfiguration object that is initialized from the given data.
      *
      * @param data the data of the configuration (an ini file as string)
-     * @return the initialized configuration
+     * @return The initialized configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static INIConfiguration setUpConfig(final String data) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ public class TestINIConfiguration {
      *
      * @param data the data of the configuration (an ini file as string)
      * @param inLineCommentsAllowed when true, inline comments on section line are allowed
-     * @return the initialized configuration
+     * @return The initialized configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static INIConfiguration setUpConfig(final String data, final boolean inLineCommentsAllowed) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ public class TestINIConfiguration {
      *
      * @param data the data of the ini configuration
      * @param expected the expected section names
-     * @return the configuration instance
+     * @return The configuration instance
      */
     private INIConfiguration checkSectionNames(final String data, final String[] expected) throws ConfigurationException {
         final INIConfiguration config = setUpConfig(data);
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ public class TestINIConfiguration {
      * Writes a test ini file.
      *
      * @param content the content of the file
-     * @return the newly created file
+     * @return The newly created file
      * @throws IOException if an error occurs
      */
     private File writeTestFile(final String content) throws IOException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestImmutableConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestImmutableConfiguration.java
index 492abe87b..f9a52f6a4 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestImmutableConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestImmutableConfiguration.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public class TestImmutableConfiguration {
     /**
      * Creates a test configuration object filled with properties.
      *
-     * @return the test configuration
+     * @return The test configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static PropertiesConfiguration createTestConfig() throws ConfigurationException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestPropertiesConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestPropertiesConfiguration.java
index 22f60b65c..3a2bac0f4 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestPropertiesConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestPropertiesConfiguration.java
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ public class TestPropertiesConfiguration {
      *
      * @param pc the configuration to be loaded
      * @param fileName the file name
-     * @return the file handler associated with the configuration
+     * @return The file handler associated with the configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static FileHandler load(final PropertiesConfiguration pc, final String fileName) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ public class TestPropertiesConfiguration {
      * Helper method for testing a saved configuration. Reads in the file using a new instance and compares this instance
      * with the original one.
      *
-     * @return the newly created configuration instance
+     * @return The newly created configuration instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private PropertiesConfiguration checkSavedConfig() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ public class TestPropertiesConfiguration {
     /**
      * Creates a configuration that can be used for testing copy operations.
      *
-     * @return the configuration to be copied
+     * @return The configuration to be copied
      */
     private Configuration setUpCopyConfig() {
         final int count = 25;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestPropertiesConfigurationLayout.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestPropertiesConfigurationLayout.java
index 1e8e644c1..c59c9859a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestPropertiesConfigurationLayout.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestPropertiesConfigurationLayout.java
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public class TestPropertiesConfigurationLayout {
         /**
          * Returns a string representation of the buffer's content.
          *
-         * @return the buffer as string
+         * @return The buffer as string
          */
         @Override
         public String toString() {
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ public class TestPropertiesConfigurationLayout {
     /**
      * Writes the layout's data into a string.
      *
-     * @return the layout file's content as string
+     * @return The layout file's content as string
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private String getLayoutString() throws ConfigurationException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestSubnodeConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestSubnodeConfiguration.java
index 5a96ffd79..4dd822114 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestSubnodeConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestSubnodeConfiguration.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class TestSubnodeConfiguration {
     /**
      * Initializes the parent configuration. This method creates the typical structure of tables and fields nodes.
      *
-     * @return the parent configuration
+     * @return The parent configuration
      */
     private static BaseHierarchicalConfiguration setUpParentConfig() {
         final BaseHierarchicalConfiguration conf = new BaseHierarchicalConfiguration();
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ public class TestSubnodeConfiguration {
      * Sets up the tracked model for the sub configuration.
      *
      * @param selector the selector
-     * @return the tracked model
+     * @return The tracked model
      */
     private TrackedNodeModel setUpTrackedModel(final NodeSelector selector) {
         final InMemoryNodeModel parentModel = (InMemoryNodeModel) parent.getModel();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration.java
index efbbffa9e..3a7f924e4 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration.java
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ public class TestXMLConfiguration {
      * Creates a new XMLConfiguration and loads the specified file.
      *
      * @param fileName the name of the file to be loaded
-     * @return the newly created configuration instance
+     * @return The newly created configuration instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static XMLConfiguration createFromFile(final String fileName) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ public class TestXMLConfiguration {
     /**
      * Helper method for testing whether a configuration was correctly saved to the default output file.
      *
-     * @return the newly loaded configuration
+     * @return The newly loaded configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private XMLConfiguration checkSavedConfig() throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ public class TestXMLConfiguration {
      * Tests whether the saved configuration file matches the original data.
      *
      * @param saveFile the saved configuration file
-     * @return the newly loaded configuration
+     * @return The newly loaded configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private XMLConfiguration checkSavedConfig(final File saveFile) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ public class TestXMLConfiguration {
     /**
      * Creates a validating document builder.
      *
-     * @return the document builder
+     * @return The document builder
      * @throws ParserConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private DocumentBuilder createValidatingDocBuilder() throws ParserConfigurationException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration605.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration605.java
index 139bff13b..91a7dc504 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration605.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLConfiguration605.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public class TestXMLConfiguration605 {
      * Creates a configuration with the specified content and the legacy list delimiter handler.
      *
      * @param content the XML content
-     * @return the newly created configuration
+     * @return The newly created configuration
      */
     private static Configuration create(final String content) throws ConfigurationException {
         final XMLConfiguration config = new XMLConfiguration();
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class TestXMLConfiguration605 {
      *
      * @param content the XML content
      * @param delimiterHandler the list delimiter handler
-     * @return the newly created configuration
+     * @return The newly created configuration
      */
     private static Configuration create(final String content, final ListDelimiterHandler delimiterHandler) throws ConfigurationException {
         final XMLConfiguration config = new XMLConfiguration();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLDocumentHelper.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLDocumentHelper.java
index 2e0f410c6..88dd9a6db 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLDocumentHelper.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLDocumentHelper.java
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public class TestXMLDocumentHelper {
      * Serializes the specified document to a string.
      *
      * @param document the document
-     * @return the document serialized to a string
+     * @return The document serialized to a string
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static String documentToString(final Document document) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public class TestXMLDocumentHelper {
      * Serializes the document wrapped by the given helper to a string.
      *
      * @param helper the document helper
-     * @return the document serialized to a string
+     * @return The document serialized to a string
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static String documentToString(final XMLDocumentHelper helper) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public class TestXMLDocumentHelper {
     /**
      * Loads a test XML document.
      *
-     * @return the test document
+     * @return The test document
      */
     private static Document loadDocument() throws ParserConfigurationException, IOException, SAXException {
         return loadDocument(TEST_FILE);
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public class TestXMLDocumentHelper {
      * Loads the test document with the given name.
      *
      * @param name the name of the test document
-     * @return the parsed document
+     * @return The parsed document
      */
     private static Document loadDocument(final String name) throws IOException, SAXException, ParserConfigurationException {
         final DocumentBuilder builder = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance().newDocumentBuilder();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLListHandling.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLListHandling.java
index 8961dc2ec..99b4dccf0 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLListHandling.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLListHandling.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public class TestXMLListHandling {
      *
      * @param key the key
      * @param value the value
-     * @return the string representation of this element
+     * @return The string representation of this element
      */
     private static String element(final String key, final String value) {
         return "<" + key + '>' + value + "</" + key + '>';
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public class TestXMLListHandling {
      * Parses the specified string into an XML configuration.
      *
      * @param xml the XML to be parsed
-     * @return the resulting configuration
+     * @return The resulting configuration
      */
     private static XMLConfiguration readFromString(final String xml) throws ConfigurationException {
         final XMLConfiguration config = new XMLConfiguration();
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public class TestXMLListHandling {
     /**
      * Saves the test configuration into a string.
      *
-     * @return the resulting string
+     * @return The resulting string
      */
     private String saveToString() throws ConfigurationException {
         final StringWriter writer = new StringWriter(4096);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLPropertiesConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLPropertiesConfiguration.java
index 0db1ba2ce..50710cffc 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLPropertiesConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/TestXMLPropertiesConfiguration.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class TestXMLPropertiesConfiguration {
      * Helper method for loading a configuration file.
      *
      * @param fileName the name of the file to be loaded
-     * @return the configuration instance
+     * @return The configuration instance
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static XMLPropertiesConfiguration load(final String fileName) throws ConfigurationException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestBeanHelper.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestBeanHelper.java
index ee20c7e7e..f5c1e340b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestBeanHelper.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestBeanHelper.java
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public class TestBeanHelper {
         /**
          * Returns the number of beans created via this factory.
          *
-         * @return the number of created beans
+         * @return The number of created beans
          */
         public int getCreateBeanCount() {
             return createBeanCount;
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public class TestBeanHelper {
     /**
      * Returns an initialized bean declaration.
      *
-     * @return the bean declaration
+     * @return The bean declaration
      */
     private BeanDeclarationTestImpl setUpBeanDeclaration() {
         final BeanDeclarationTestImpl data = new BeanDeclarationTestImpl();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestCombinedBeanDeclaration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestCombinedBeanDeclaration.java
index 356650398..105872fad 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestCombinedBeanDeclaration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestCombinedBeanDeclaration.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public class TestCombinedBeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Creates a test instance with a number of mock child declarations.
      *
-     * @return the test instance
+     * @return The test instance
      */
     private CombinedBeanDeclaration createCombinedDeclaration() {
         declarations = new BeanDeclaration[3];
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public class TestCombinedBeanDeclaration {
      * Convenience method for accessing a mock declaration with the given index.
      *
      * @param idx the index
-     * @return the corresponding mock child bean declaration
+     * @return The corresponding mock child bean declaration
      */
     private BeanDeclaration decl(final int idx) {
         return declarations[idx];
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestConfigurationDynaBean.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestConfigurationDynaBean.java
index d59f17f41..74f6938fe 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestConfigurationDynaBean.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestConfigurationDynaBean.java
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class TestConfigurationDynaBean {
     /**
      * Creates the underlying configuration object for the dyna bean.
      *
-     * @return the underlying configuration object
+     * @return The underlying configuration object
      */
     protected Configuration createConfiguration() {
         return new BaseConfiguration();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestConfigurationDynaBeanXMLConfig.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestConfigurationDynaBeanXMLConfig.java
index fad4a70f3..5582e01f5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestConfigurationDynaBeanXMLConfig.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestConfigurationDynaBeanXMLConfig.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public class TestConfigurationDynaBeanXMLConfig extends TestConfigurationDynaBea
     /**
      * Creates the underlying configuration object. This implementation will create a XMLConfiguration.
      *
-     * @return the underlying configuration
+     * @return The underlying configuration
      */
     @Override
     protected Configuration createConfiguration() {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestDefaultBeanFactory.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestDefaultBeanFactory.java
index 16a90d92b..d7098e37d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestDefaultBeanFactory.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestDefaultBeanFactory.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class TestDefaultBeanFactory {
      *
      * @param cls the bean class
      * @param decl the bean declaration
-     * @return the new creation context
+     * @return The new creation context
      */
     private static BeanCreationContext createBcc(final Class<?> cls, final BeanDeclaration decl) {
         return new BeanCreationContext() {
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ public class TestDefaultBeanFactory {
     /**
      * Returns an initialized bean declaration.
      *
-     * @return the bean declaration
+     * @return The bean declaration
      */
     private static BeanDeclarationTestImpl setUpBeanDeclaration() {
         final BeanDeclarationTestImpl data = new BeanDeclarationTestImpl();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestXMLBeanDeclaration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestXMLBeanDeclaration.java
index bcf3831a9..0f664f011 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestXMLBeanDeclaration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/beanutils/TestXMLBeanDeclaration.java
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public class TestXMLBeanDeclaration {
     /**
      * Creates a configuration with data for testing nested bean declarations including constructor arguments.
      *
-     * @return the initialized test configuration
+     * @return The initialized test configuration
      */
     private static BaseHierarchicalConfiguration prepareNestedBeanDeclarations() {
         final BaseHierarchicalConfiguration config = new BaseHierarchicalConfiguration();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BuilderEventListenerImpl.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BuilderEventListenerImpl.java
index d191f38f6..33a3cfef7 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BuilderEventListenerImpl.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/BuilderEventListenerImpl.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class BuilderEventListenerImpl implements EventListener<ConfigurationBuil
     /**
      * Ensures that the iterator for received events has been initialized.
      *
-     * @return the iterator to be used
+     * @return The iterator to be used
      */
     private Iterator<ConfigurationBuilderEvent> initIterator() {
         if (iterator == null) {
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class BuilderEventListenerImpl implements EventListener<ConfigurationBuil
      *
      * @param eventType the expected event type
      * @param <T> The type of the received event
-     * @return the next received event
+     * @return The next received event
      */
     public <T extends ConfigurationBuilderEvent> T nextEvent(final EventType<T> eventType) {
         final Iterator<ConfigurationBuilderEvent> it = initIterator();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestBasicConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestBasicConfigurationBuilder.java
index 786126f4e..7b29be84e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestBasicConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestBasicConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ public class TestBasicConfigurationBuilder {
     /**
      * Creates a mock for an event listener.
      *
-     * @return the event listener mock
+     * @return The event listener mock
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private static EventListener<ConfigurationEvent> createEventListener() {
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ public class TestBasicConfigurationBuilder {
     /**
      * Creates a map with test initialization parameters.
      *
-     * @return the map with parameters
+     * @return The map with parameters
      */
     private static Map<String, Object> createTestParameters() {
         final Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<>();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestBuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestBuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java
index 73479487f..a984760fa 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestBuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestBuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public class TestBuilderConfigurationWrapperFactory {
      * Returns a mock builder which always returns the specified configuration.
      *
      * @param conf the builder's result configuration
-     * @return the mock builder
+     * @return The mock builder
      */
     private ConfigurationBuilder<BaseHierarchicalConfiguration> createBuilderMock(final BaseHierarchicalConfiguration conf) {
         @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
index 5e45c5cf7..a3cde9363 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public class TestFileBasedConfigurationBuilder {
      * Creates a test properties file with the given property value
      *
      * @param value the value for the test property
-     * @return the File object pointing to the test file
+     * @return The File object pointing to the test file
      */
     private File createTestFile(final int value) {
         return assertDoesNotThrow(() -> {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
index 19f2d1536..769d58031 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/TestReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public class TestReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder {
         /**
          * Returns the file handler that was passed to createReloadingDetector().
          *
-         * @return the file handler
+         * @return The file handler
          */
         public FileHandler getHandlerForDetector() {
             return handlerForDetector;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/AbstractMultiFileConfigurationBuilderTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/AbstractMultiFileConfigurationBuilderTest.java
index cd60f4ea5..88588b3cf 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/AbstractMultiFileConfigurationBuilderTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/AbstractMultiFileConfigurationBuilderTest.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class AbstractMultiFileConfigurationBuilderTest {
     /**
      * Creates a {@code ConfigurationInterpolator} to be used by tests. This object contains a lookup for system properties.
      *
-     * @return the new {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
+     * @return The new {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
      */
     protected static ConfigurationInterpolator createInterpolator() {
         final ConfigurationInterpolator ci = new ConfigurationInterpolator();
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class AbstractMultiFileConfigurationBuilderTest {
      * Creates a parameters object with default settings for a test builder instance.
      *
      * @param managedParams the parameters for managed configurations
-     * @return the test parameters
+     * @return The test parameters
      */
     protected static BasicBuilderParameters createTestBuilderParameters(final BuilderParameters managedParams) {
         return new MultiFileBuilderParametersImpl().setFilePattern(PATTERN).setManagedBuilderParameters(managedParams).setInterpolator(createInterpolator());
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestBaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestBaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
index 5b93c73d4..b58d6e2d1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestBaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestBaseConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public class TestBaseConfigurationBuilderProvider {
      * Helper method for setting up a builder and checking properties of the created configuration object.
      *
      * @param reload a flag whether reloading is supported
-     * @return the builder created by the provider
+     * @return The builder created by the provider
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private ConfigurationBuilder<? extends Configuration> checkBuilder(final boolean reload) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public class TestBaseConfigurationBuilderProvider {
      * Creates a configuration declaration based on the given configuration.
      *
      * @param declConfig the configuration for the declaration
-     * @return the declaration
+     * @return The declaration
      */
     private ConfigurationDeclaration createDeclaration(final HierarchicalConfiguration<?> declConfig) {
         final CombinedConfigurationBuilder parentBuilder = new CombinedConfigurationBuilder() {
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public class TestBaseConfigurationBuilderProvider {
     /**
      * Creates a default test instance.
      *
-     * @return the test instance
+     * @return The test instance
      */
     private BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider createProvider() {
         return new BaseConfigurationBuilderProvider(FileBasedConfigurationBuilder.class.getName(), ReloadingFileBasedConfigurationBuilder.class.getName(),
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ public class TestBaseConfigurationBuilderProvider {
      * Creates a configuration object describing a configuration source.
      *
      * @param reload a flag whether reload operations are supported
-     * @return the configuration object
+     * @return The configuration object
      */
     private HierarchicalConfiguration<?> setUpConfig(final boolean reload) {
         final HierarchicalConfiguration<?> config = new BaseHierarchicalConfiguration();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestCombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestCombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java
index 5175e9d84..7609ca4a4 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestCombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestCombinedBuilderParametersImpl.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class TestCombinedBuilderParametersImpl {
     /**
      * Creates a mock for a defaults handler.
      *
-     * @return the handler mock
+     * @return The handler mock
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private static DefaultParametersHandler<BuilderParameters> createDefaultsHandlerMock() {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java
index 6b02e81b3..7e9e292f5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder {
      * configuration.
      *
      * @param defConfig the definition configuration
-     * @return the definition builder
+     * @return The definition builder
      */
     protected static BasicConfigurationBuilder<? extends BaseHierarchicalConfiguration> createDefinitionBuilder(final BaseHierarchicalConfiguration defConfig) {
         return new ConstantConfigurationBuilder(defConfig);
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder {
      *
      * @param tag the name of the tag to create
      * @param attrs the attributes of this tag
-     * @return the definition configuration
+     * @return The definition configuration
      */
     protected static BaseHierarchicalConfiguration createDefinitionConfig(final String tag, final Map<String, Object> attrs) {
         final BaseHierarchicalConfiguration defConfig = new BaseHierarchicalConfiguration();
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder {
      * Prepares a parameters object for a test for properties inheritance.
      *
      * @param params the {@code Parameters} object
-     * @return the builder parameters
+     * @return The builder parameters
      */
     private static XMLBuilderParameters prepareParamsForInheritanceTest(final Parameters params) {
         final DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols symbols = new DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols.Builder(DefaultExpressionEngineSymbols.DEFAULT_SYMBOLS)
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder {
     /**
      * Tests if the configuration was correctly created by the builder.
      *
-     * @return the combined configuration obtained from the builder
+     * @return The combined configuration obtained from the builder
      */
     private CombinedConfiguration checkConfiguration() throws ConfigurationException {
         final CombinedConfiguration compositeConfiguration = builder.getConfiguration();
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder {
      * Loads a test file which includes a MultiFileConfigurationBuilder declaration and returns the resulting configuration.
      *
      * @param fileName the name of the file to be loaded
-     * @return the resulting combined configuration
+     * @return The resulting combined configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private CombinedConfiguration createMultiFileConfig(final String fileName) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder {
     /**
      * Creates an object with parameters for defining the file to be loaded.
      *
-     * @return the parameters object
+     * @return The parameters object
      */
     protected FileBasedBuilderParameters createParameters() {
         return parameters.fileBased();
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ public class TestCombinedConfigurationBuilder {
      * attributes to the given map, creates the corresponding definition builder and configures the combined builder.
      *
      * @param attrs the map with attributes
-     * @return the definition builder
+     * @return The definition builder
      */
     private BasicConfigurationBuilder<? extends HierarchicalConfiguration<ImmutableNode>> prepareSubBuilderTest(final Map<String, Object> attrs) {
         attrs.put("fileName", TEST_SUB_XML);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestConfigurationDeclaration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestConfigurationDeclaration.java
index a7ee63d45..24a005412 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestConfigurationDeclaration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestConfigurationDeclaration.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class TestConfigurationDeclaration {
      * Creates a default test instance.
      *
      * @param conf the configuration to be used (may be <strong>null</strong> for a default one)
-     * @return the test object
+     * @return The test object
      */
     private static ConfigurationDeclaration createDeclaration(final HierarchicalConfiguration<?> conf) {
         final HierarchicalConfiguration<?> config = conf != null ? conf : new BaseHierarchicalConfiguration();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestFileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestFileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
index 18408a337..fbe43c77d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestFileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestFileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public class TestFileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider {
     /**
      * Creates a test instance with default settings.
      *
-     * @return the test object
+     * @return The test object
      */
     private static FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider setUpProvider() {
         return new FileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider(BasicConfigurationBuilder.class.getName(), null, MATCH_CLASS, DEF_CLASS, EXT, null);
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public class TestFileExtensionConfigurationBuilderProvider {
     /**
      * Creates a mock for the configuration declaration.
      *
-     * @return the mock object
+     * @return The mock object
      */
     private ConfigurationDeclaration setUpDecl() {
         return Mockito.mock(ConfigurationDeclaration.class);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
index d6563154c..849729ff0 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public class TestMultiFileConfigurationBuilder extends AbstractMultiFileConfigur
      * collection.
      *
      * @param managedBuilders a collection in which to store managed builders
-     * @return the test builder instance
+     * @return The test builder instance
      */
     private static MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<XMLConfiguration> createBuilderWithAccessToManagedBuilders(
         final Collection<FileBasedConfigurationBuilder<XMLConfiguration>> managedBuilders) {
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public class TestMultiFileConfigurationBuilder extends AbstractMultiFileConfigur
      * Creates a test builder object with default settings.
      *
      * @param managedParams the parameters for managed configurations
-     * @return the test instance
+     * @return The test instance
      */
     private static MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<XMLConfiguration> createTestBuilder(final BuilderParameters managedParams) {
         return new MultiFileConfigurationBuilder<>(XMLConfiguration.class).configure(createTestBuilderParameters(managedParams));
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestMultiWrapDynaBean.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestMultiWrapDynaBean.java
index cc14521ae..638eec6ab 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestMultiWrapDynaBean.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestMultiWrapDynaBean.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public class TestMultiWrapDynaBean {
      * Creates a new test object with a list of wrapped beans.
      *
      * @param withDynaBean a flag whether also a DynaBean should be added to the wrapped beans
-     * @return the test bean
+     * @return The test bean
      */
     private MultiWrapDynaBean createBean(final boolean withDynaBean) {
         params = new BasicBuilderParameters();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilderFileBased.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilderFileBased.java
index 7e38b7021..fc2b46e16 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilderFileBased.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilderFileBased.java
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ public class TestReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilderFileBased {
      * Returns the name of a test property.
      *
      * @param idx the index of the property
-     * @return the test property with this index
+     * @return The test property with this index
      */
     private static String testProperty(final int idx) {
         return PROP_RELOAD + idx;
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ public class TestReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilderFileBased {
      * @param f the file to be written or <strong>null</strong> for creating a new one
      * @param tagIdx the index of the tag
      * @param value the value of the reload test property
-     * @return the file that was written
+     * @return The file that was written
      * @throws IOException if an error occurs
      */
     private File writeReloadFile(final File f, final int tagIdx, final int value) throws IOException {
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ public class TestReloadingCombinedConfigurationBuilderFileBased {
      *
      * @param f the file to be written or <strong>null</strong> for creating a new one
      * @param content the content of the file
-     * @return the {@code File} object for the test file
+     * @return The {@code File} object for the test file
      * @throws IOException if an error occurs
      */
     private File writeReloadFile(final File f, final String content) throws IOException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
index 7755a404a..781378c21 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/combined/TestReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public class TestReloadingMultiFileConfigurationBuilder extends AbstractMultiFil
         /**
          * Returns the list with the mock reloading controllers for the managed configuration builders created by this instance.
          *
-         * @return the list with mock reloading controllers
+         * @return The list with mock reloading controllers
          */
         public List<ReloadingController> getReloadingControllers() {
             return reloadingControllers;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/TestConfigurations.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/TestConfigurations.java
index fe8d0bf90..152351af3 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/TestConfigurations.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/TestConfigurations.java
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public class TestConfigurations {
      * Generates an absolute path for the test file with the given name.
      *
      * @param name the name of the test file
-     * @return the full path to this file
+     * @return The full path to this file
      */
     private static String absolutePath(final String name) {
         return ConfigurationAssert.getTestFile(name).getAbsolutePath();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/TestParameters.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/TestParameters.java
index 84b343126..935063c1a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/TestParameters.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/builder/fluent/TestParameters.java
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public class TestParameters {
     /**
      * Creates a mock for a defaults parameter handler.
      *
-     * @return the mock object
+     * @return The mock object
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private static DefaultParametersHandler<XMLBuilderParameters> createHandlerMock() {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/TestDefaultConversionHandler.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/TestDefaultConversionHandler.java
index 18c230bc6..67f3ef032 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/TestDefaultConversionHandler.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/convert/TestDefaultConversionHandler.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public class TestDefaultConversionHandler {
      * Creates a special test ConfigurationInterpolator. This object only replaces the test variable by its replacement.
      * Other substitutions are not performed.
      *
-     * @return the test {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
+     * @return The test {@code ConfigurationInterpolator}
      */
     private static ConfigurationInterpolator createInterpolator() {
         return new ConfigurationInterpolator() {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/AbstractEventListenerTestImpl.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/AbstractEventListenerTestImpl.java
index 10d411e46..ed13cc5fe 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/AbstractEventListenerTestImpl.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/AbstractEventListenerTestImpl.java
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractEventListenerTestImpl<T extends Event> implements
      * Returns the next received event and checks for the expected type.
      *
      * @param expectedType the expected type of the event
-     * @return the event object
+     * @return The event object
      */
     public T nextEvent(final EventType<?> expectedType) {
         assertFalse(events.isEmpty());
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/AbstractTestConfigurationEvents.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/AbstractTestConfigurationEvents.java
index 8df468ff9..e50bec855 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/AbstractTestConfigurationEvents.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/AbstractTestConfigurationEvents.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractTestConfigurationEvents {
     /**
      * Creates the configuration instance to be tested.
      *
-     * @return the configuration instance under test
+     * @return The configuration instance under test
      */
     protected abstract AbstractConfiguration createConfiguration();
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ErrorListenerTestImpl.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ErrorListenerTestImpl.java
index 63f1313e6..9edf072b2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ErrorListenerTestImpl.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/event/ErrorListenerTestImpl.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public class ErrorListenerTestImpl extends AbstractEventListenerTestImpl<Configu
      * @param opType the event type for the failed operation
      * @param propName the expected property name
      * @param propValue the expected property value
-     * @return the exception stored in the next error event
+     * @return The exception stored in the next error event
      */
     public Throwable checkEvent(final EventType<?> type, final EventType<?> opType, final String propName, final Object propValue) {
         final ConfigurationErrorEvent e = nextEvent(type);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestConfigurationInterpolator.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestConfigurationInterpolator.java
index 0b9e09437..268efdb89 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestConfigurationInterpolator.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestConfigurationInterpolator.java
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public class TestConfigurationInterpolator {
     /**
      * Creates a lookup object that can resolve the test variable (and nothing else).
      *
-     * @return the test lookup object
+     * @return The test lookup object
      */
     private static Lookup setUpTestLookup() {
         return setUpTestLookup(TEST_NAME, TEST_VALUE);
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public class TestConfigurationInterpolator {
      *
      * @param var the variable name
      * @param value the value of this variable
-     * @return the test lookup object
+     * @return The test lookup object
      */
     private static Lookup setUpTestLookup(final String var, final Object value) {
         final Lookup lookup = mock(Lookup.class);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestConstantLookup.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestConstantLookup.java
index 1739ce108..dd51cc26f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestConstantLookup.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestConstantLookup.java
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ public class TestConstantLookup {
      * Generates the name of a variable for a lookup operation based on the given field name of this class.
      *
      * @param field the field name
-     * @return the variable for looking up this field
+     * @return The variable for looking up this field
      */
     private String variable(final String field) {
         return getClass().getName() + '.' + field;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestExprLookup.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestExprLookup.java
index 8856f61de..6440e702e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestExprLookup.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestExprLookup.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class TestExprLookup {
     /**
      * Loads the test configuration.
      *
-     * @return the test configuration
+     * @return The test configuration
      * @throws ConfigurationException if an error occurs
      */
     private static XMLConfiguration loadConfig() throws ConfigurationException {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestInterpolatorSpecification.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestInterpolatorSpecification.java
index f024e6636..d38751d7a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestInterpolatorSpecification.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/interpol/TestInterpolatorSpecification.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class TestInterpolatorSpecification {
     /**
      * Convenience method for creating a mock lookup.
      *
-     * @return the mock lookup
+     * @return The mock lookup
      */
     private static Lookup createLookup() {
         return mock(Lookup.class);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestCombinedLocationStrategy.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestCombinedLocationStrategy.java
index f0553a4a4..1358eaf0c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestCombinedLocationStrategy.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestCombinedLocationStrategy.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class TestCombinedLocationStrategy {
     /**
      * Helper method for creating a combined strategy with the mock sub strategies.
      *
-     * @return the newly created combined strategy
+     * @return The newly created combined strategy
      */
     private CombinedLocationStrategy createCombinedStrategy() {
         return new CombinedLocationStrategy(Arrays.asList(getSubStrategies()));
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public class TestCombinedLocationStrategy {
     /**
      * Returns the mock file system. It is created on demand.
      *
-     * @return the mock file system
+     * @return The mock file system
      */
     private FileSystem getFileSystem() {
         if (fileSystem == null) {
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public class TestCombinedLocationStrategy {
     /**
      * Returns an array with mock objects for sub strategies.
      *
-     * @return the array with mock strategies
+     * @return The array with mock strategies
      */
     private FileLocationStrategy[] getSubStrategies() {
         if (subStrategies == null) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestFileHandler.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestFileHandler.java
index cd53fc01d..c9552de2e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestFileHandler.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestFileHandler.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public class TestFileHandler {
         /**
          * Returns the locator.
          *
-         * @return the file locator
+         * @return The file locator
          */
         public FileLocator getLocator() {
             return locator;
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ public class TestFileHandler {
         /**
          * Returns the content read from a reader.
          *
-         * @return the read content
+         * @return The read content
          */
         public String getContent() {
             return content;
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ public class TestFileHandler {
      * Reads the content of the specified file into a string
      *
      * @param f the file to be read
-     * @return the content of this file
+     * @return The content of this file
      */
     private static String readFile(final File f) {
         return assertDoesNotThrow(() -> {
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ public class TestFileHandler {
      * Reads the content of the specified reader into a string.
      *
      * @param in the reader
-     * @return the read content
+     * @return The read content
      * @throws IOException if an error occurs
      */
     private static String readReader(final Reader in) throws IOException {
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ public class TestFileHandler {
     /**
      * Creates a test file with the test content.
      *
-     * @return the File object pointing to the test file
+     * @return The File object pointing to the test file
      */
     private File createTestFile() {
         return createTestFile(null);
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ public class TestFileHandler {
      * Creates a test file with test content and allows specifying a file name.
      *
      * @param f the file to be created (may be <strong>null</strong>)
-     * @return the File object pointing to the test file
+     * @return The File object pointing to the test file
      */
     private File createTestFile(final File f) {
         return assertDoesNotThrow(() -> {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestHomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestHomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java
index e457c910c..449e05888 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestHomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/io/TestHomeDirectoryLocationStrategy.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public class TestHomeDirectoryLocationStrategy {
      * Creates a strategy test object which uses the temporary root directory as its home directory.
      *
      * @param withBasePath the base path flag
-     * @return the test strategy
+     * @return The test strategy
      */
     private HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy setUpStrategy(final boolean withBasePath) {
         return new HomeDirectoryLocationStrategy(tempFolder.getAbsolutePath(), withBasePath);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/TestPropertyListConfiguration.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/TestPropertyListConfiguration.java
index 4a05bed8c..f9195fa87 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/TestPropertyListConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/plist/TestPropertyListConfiguration.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public class TestPropertyListConfiguration {
      *
      * @param config the configuration
      * @param name the name of the desired children
-     * @return the list with the corresponding child nodes
+     * @return The list with the corresponding child nodes
      */
     private static List<ImmutableNode> getNamedChildren(final HierarchicalConfiguration<ImmutableNode> config, final String name) {
         final NodeHandler<ImmutableNode> handler = config.getNodeModel().getNodeHandler();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestCombinedReloadingController.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestCombinedReloadingController.java
index c43a378c0..868300b2d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestCombinedReloadingController.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestCombinedReloadingController.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public class TestCombinedReloadingController {
     /**
      * Creates a test instance with default settings.
      *
-     * @return the test instance
+     * @return The test instance
      */
     private CombinedReloadingController setUpController() {
         initSubControllers();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestPeriodicReloadingTrigger.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestPeriodicReloadingTrigger.java
index d75786134..31de757f2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestPeriodicReloadingTrigger.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestPeriodicReloadingTrigger.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public class TestPeriodicReloadingTrigger {
     /**
      * Creates a mock object for a scheduled future.
      *
-     * @return the mock
+     * @return The mock
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private static ScheduledFuture<Void> createFutureMock() {
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public class TestPeriodicReloadingTrigger {
     /**
      * Creates a test instance with default parameters.
      *
-     * @return the test instance
+     * @return The test instance
      */
     private PeriodicReloadingTrigger createTrigger() {
         return new PeriodicReloadingTrigger(controller, CTRL_PARAM, PERIOD, UNIT, executor);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestReloadingController.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestReloadingController.java
index 81dd92c82..b10c3226e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestReloadingController.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/reloading/TestReloadingController.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public class TestReloadingController {
     /**
      * Creates a mock event listener.
      *
-     * @return the mock listener
+     * @return The mock listener
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private static EventListener<ReloadingEvent> createListenerMock() {
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class TestReloadingController {
     /**
      * Creates a default test instance.
      *
-     * @return the test instance
+     * @return The test instance
      */
     private ReloadingController createController() {
         return new ReloadingController(detector);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/TestReadWriteSynchronizer.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/TestReadWriteSynchronizer.java
index 568e0c947..719a73107 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/TestReadWriteSynchronizer.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/sync/TestReadWriteSynchronizer.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public class TestReadWriteSynchronizer {
         /**
          * Returns the amount of money stored in this account.
          *
-         * @return the amount
+         * @return The amount
          */
         public long getAmount() {
             return amount;
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public class TestReadWriteSynchronizer {
         /**
          * Returns the number of errors occurred during read operations.
          *
-         * @return the number of errors
+         * @return The number of errors
          */
         public int getErrors() {
             return errors;
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ public class TestReadWriteSynchronizer {
      * Helper method to calculate the sum over all accounts.
      *
      * @param accounts the accounts to check
-     * @return the sum of the money on these accounts
+     * @return The sum of the money on these accounts
      */
     private static long sumUpAccounts(final Account... accounts) {
         long sum = 0;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/AbstractCombinerTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/AbstractCombinerTest.java
index 551c309ef..6c3c530bf 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/AbstractCombinerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/configuration2/tree/AbstractCombinerTest.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractCombinerTest {
     /**
      * Constructs a union configuration based on the source configurations.
      *
... 741 lines suppressed ...