diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/util/CellUtil.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/util/CellUtil.java
index 972780a06..0ac220928 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/util/CellUtil.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/util/CellUtil.java
@@ -332,11 +332,11 @@ public final class CellUtil {
 
 	/**
 	 * Utility method that returns the named short value form the given map.
-	 * @return zero if the property does not exist, or is not a {@link Short}.
 	 *
 	 * @param properties map of named properties (String -> Object)
 	 * @param name property name
-	 * @return property value, or zero
+	 * @return zero if the property does not exist, or is not a {@link Short}
+	 * 		otherwise the property value
 	 */
 	private static short getShort(Map<String, Object> properties, String name) {
 		Object value = properties.get(name);
@@ -348,14 +348,15 @@ public final class CellUtil {
 
 	/**
 	 * Utility method that returns the named boolean value form the given map.
-	 * @return false if the property does not exist, or is not a {@link Boolean}.
 	 *
 	 * @param properties map of properties (String -> Object)
 	 * @param name property name
-	 * @return property value, or false
+	 * @return false if the property does not exist, or is not a {@link Boolean},
+	 * 		true otherwise
 	 */
 	private static boolean getBoolean(Map<String, Object> properties, String name) {
 		Object value = properties.get(name);
+		//noinspection SimplifiableIfStatement
 		if (value instanceof Boolean) {
 			return ((Boolean) value).booleanValue();
 		}
@@ -397,10 +398,9 @@ public final class CellUtil {
 		boolean foundUnicode = false;
 		String lowerCaseStr = s.toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT);
 
-		for (int i = 0; i < unicodeMappings.length; i++) {
-			UnicodeMapping entry = unicodeMappings[i];
+		for (UnicodeMapping entry : unicodeMappings) {
 			String key = entry.entityName;
-			if (lowerCaseStr.indexOf(key) != -1) {
+			if (lowerCaseStr.contains(key)) {
 				s = s.replaceAll(key, entry.resolvedValue);
 				foundUnicode = true;
 			}
diff --git a/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFCell.java b/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFCell.java
index 4a0fe8274..f41e5c53e 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFCell.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFCell.java
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ public final class TestXSSFCell extends BaseTestXCell {
         ((XSSFRow)row).onDocumentWrite();
         
         for(Cell cell : row) {
-            cell.toString();
+            assertNotNull(cell.toString());
         }
     }    
 
@@ -453,8 +453,8 @@ public final class TestXSSFCell extends BaseTestXCell {
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void testEncodingbeloAscii() throws IOException {
-        StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
+    public void testEncodingBelowAscii() throws IOException {
+        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
         // test all possible characters
         for(int i = 0; i < Character.MAX_VALUE; i++) {
         	sb.append((char)i);
@@ -466,10 +466,10 @@ public final class TestXSSFCell extends BaseTestXCell {
         int pos = 0;
         while(pos < strAll.length()) {
         	String str = strAll.substring(pos, Math.min(strAll.length(), pos+SpreadsheetVersion.EXCEL2007.getMaxTextLength()));
-        	
+
             Workbook wb = HSSFITestDataProvider.instance.createWorkbook();
             Cell cell = wb.createSheet().createRow(0).createCell(0);
-            
+
             Workbook xwb = XSSFITestDataProvider.instance.createWorkbook();
             Cell xCell = xwb.createSheet().createRow(0).createCell(0);
 
@@ -482,19 +482,19 @@ public final class TestXSSFCell extends BaseTestXCell {
         	assertEquals(str, xCell.getStringCellValue());
         	sCell.setCellValue(str);
         	assertEquals(str, sCell.getStringCellValue());
-        	
+
         	Workbook wbBack = HSSFITestDataProvider.instance.writeOutAndReadBack(wb);
         	Workbook xwbBack = XSSFITestDataProvider.instance.writeOutAndReadBack(xwb);
         	Workbook swbBack = SXSSFITestDataProvider.instance.writeOutAndReadBack(swb);
         	cell = wbBack.getSheetAt(0).createRow(0).createCell(0);
         	xCell = xwbBack.getSheetAt(0).createRow(0).createCell(0);
         	sCell = swbBack.getSheetAt(0).createRow(0).createCell(0);
-        	
+
         	assertEquals(cell.getStringCellValue(), xCell.getStringCellValue());
         	assertEquals(cell.getStringCellValue(), sCell.getStringCellValue());
-        	
+
         	pos += SpreadsheetVersion.EXCEL97.getMaxTextLength();
-        	
+
         	swbBack.close();
         	xwbBack.close();
         	wbBack.close();
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ public final class TestXSSFCell extends BaseTestXCell {
         wb.close();
     }
     
-    private final void setUp_testCopyCellFrom_CellCopyPolicy() {
+    private void setUp_testCopyCellFrom_CellCopyPolicy() {
         @SuppressWarnings("resource")
         final XSSFWorkbook wb = new XSSFWorkbook();
         final XSSFRow row = wb.createSheet("Sheet1").createRow(0);
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFCell.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFCell.java
index f61cc3c44..1ac9e5d11 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFCell.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFCell.java
@@ -308,8 +308,8 @@ public final class TestHSSFCell extends BaseTestCell {
 			// expected during successful test
 		}
 
-		HSSFCell cellA = wbA.createSheet().createRow(0).createCell(0);
-		HSSFCell cellB = wbB.createSheet().createRow(0).createCell(0);
+		Cell cellA = wbA.createSheet().createRow(0).createCell(0);
+		Cell cellB = wbB.createSheet().createRow(0).createCell(0);
 
 		cellA.setCellStyle(styA);
 		cellB.setCellStyle(styB);
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ public final class TestHSSFCell extends BaseTestCell {
 		} else {
 			assertFalse(StringRecord.class == recs[index].getClass());
 		}
-		Record dbcr = recs[index++];
+		Record dbcr = recs[index];
 		assertEquals(DBCellRecord.class, dbcr.getClass());
 	}
 
@@ -417,12 +417,14 @@ public final class TestHSSFCell extends BaseTestCell {
             cell.getCachedFormulaResultType();
             fail("Should catch exception");
         } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
+			// expected here
         }
         
         try {
             assertNotNull(new HSSFCell(wb, sheet, 0, (short)0, Cell.CELL_TYPE_ERROR+1 ));
             fail("Should catch exception");
         } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+			// expected here
         }
         
         cell.removeCellComment();