Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd
Upload
364 views

Java Coding Conventions

This document discusses Java coding conventions and best practices. It recommends declaring local variables immediately before use, making fields private, separating public and private members, using Javadoc liberally, validating method arguments, using a testing framework, avoiding empty catch blocks, being specific in throws clauses, iterating without indexes, and organizing files with one public class per file. It also distinguishes between checked and unchecked exceptions.

Uploaded by

dzugeek
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
364 views

Java Coding Conventions

This document discusses Java coding conventions and best practices. It recommends declaring local variables immediately before use, making fields private, separating public and private members, using Javadoc liberally, validating method arguments, using a testing framework, avoiding empty catch blocks, being specific in throws clauses, iterating without indexes, and organizing files with one public class per file. It also distinguishes between checked and unchecked exceptions.

Uploaded by

dzugeek
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 19

07 Coding Conventions

Objectives
Demonstrate Developing Local Variables Describe Separating Public and Private Members during Declaration Explore Using System.exit Demonstrate Validating Method Arguments Describe Using Testing Framework Distinguish Checked Vs. Unchecked Exceptions Describe File Organization

Coding Conventions: Resource


Reference the Coding Conventions.pdf file on the Module 2 section of the Sharepoint site.
This is a booklet published by Sun that contains all of the basic coding standards for Java. It is easier to learn to follow coding standards early in your work with a programming language. Familiarize yourself with the most basic coding conventions, and notice how Eclipse supports you in developing within these guidelines. The remainder of this presentation will present more abstract but equally important Best Practices for coding.

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Declare local variables immediately before use
Defines their scope. Decreases the likelihood of illegibility or error.

Fields should be private


Declaring fields to be public is usually incorrect, it does not protect the user of the class from changes in class implementation. Declare fields as private. If fields need to be accessed by the user of the class, provide the necessary get and set methods.
4

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Separate public and private members during declaration
It is a common practice to separate the members of a class according to their scope (private, protected, public) It is the choice of the programmer which will come first.

Use Javadoc liberally


Javadoc is a great tool and should be used.

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Use System.exit(0) with care on multi-threading applications
System.exit should be used with care. The normal method of terminating a program is to terminate all user threads.

Use interface for constants


Creating a class whose sole job is to define widely-used constants is simple.

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Validate method arguments
The first lines of a method are usually devoted to checking the validity of all arguments. The idea is to fail as quickly as possible in the event of an error. This is particularly important for constructors.

Extra space in argument list


Some programmers feel that using extra spaces within parentheses - as in ( this ) instead of (that) - slightly increases the legibility of code.

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Use a testing framework
Use a testing framework to ensure your class fulfills its contract.

Use zero-length arrays instead of null

If a method returns an array which can be empty, do not allow it to return null. Instead, return a zero-length array. This simplifies the client, in that it never has to check for null values.

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Avoid empty catch blocks
It is not good to have an empty catch block. When the exception occurs, nothing happens, and the program fails for unknown reasons.

Be specific in the throws clause


In the throws clause of a method header, be as specific as possible. Do not group together related exceptions in a generic exception class this could result in a loss of important information.

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Checked vs. Unchecked Exceptions
Checked exceptions : Represent invalid conditions in areas outside the immediate control of the program (invalid user input, database problems, network outages, absent files). Are subclasses of Exception. Methods are obligated to establish a policy for all checked exceptions thrown by its implementation (either pass the checked exception further up the stack, or handle it somehow).

10

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Checked vs. Unchecked Exceptions
Unchecked exceptions : Represent defects in the program (often invalid arguments passed to a non-private method). Are subclasses of RuntimeException, and are usually implemented using:
IllegalArgumentException. NullPointerException. IllegalStateException.

Methods are not obligated to establish a policy for the unchecked exceptions thrown by their implementation.
11

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Choosing the right collection
Sun documentation refers to ArrayList, HashMap, and HashSet as being the preferred "primary implementations". Their overall performance is better, and should be used unless a special feature provided by another implementation is needed. These special features are usually ordering or sorting. Ordering" refers to the order of items returned by an Iterator, and "sorting" refers to sorting items according to Comparable or Comparator.

12

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Iterate without an index
Some programmers have a strong preference for using a for-each loop or an Iterator instead of indexed forloops. Indexes have always been a major source of error, and should generally be avoided if there is an alternative.

13

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


File Organization
Each Java source file contains a single public class or interface. When private classes and interfaces are associated with a public class, they can be placed in the same source file as the public class. The public class should be the first class or interface in the file.

14

Coding Conventions: Best Practices


Line Length
Avoid lines longer than 80 characters. They are not handled well by many terminals and tools.

Variable Assignments
Avoid assigning several variables to the same value in a single statement. It is hard to read.
Example:

fooBar.fChar = barFoo.lchar = 'c'; // AVOID!

15

Coding Conventions: Best Practices Declarations


One declaration per line is recommended since it encourages commenting. Please Note: int level; // indentation level int size; // size of table is preferred over int level, size; Do not put different types on the same line. Example: int foo, fooarray[]; //WRONG!
16

Coding Conventions: Best Practices Statements


Each line should contain only one statement. Example: argv++; // Correct argc--; // Correct argv++; argc--; // AVOID!

17

Key Points
Learn the traditional formats for naming variables, methods and other components of coding in Java. Notice the guidelines on indentation. Remember that you will be working on projects in teams, and following these conventions and standards will help to make your work much more readable for the other members of your team. Declare local variables immediately before use. Avoid declaring or assigning values of more than one variable per line of code. Fields should be private, with setters and getters if needed. Use System.exit with care. Use an interface for constants. Validate method arguments. Use a testing framework. Use zero-length arrays instead of null. Choose the best collection framework. Iterate without an index.
18

Resources
Helpful Websites:

http://www.javapractices.com/index.cjp http://java.sun.com/docs/codeconv/html/CodeConvTOC. doc.html http://geosoft.no/development/javastyle.html http://www.infospheres.caltech.edu/resources/code_sta ndards/java_standard.html http://www.ambysoft.com/javaCodingStandards.html

19

You might also like