Java Best Practices #

Code Style #

• Follow Google Java Style Guide or project conventions
• Use meaningful variable and method names
• Keep methods short (< 30 lines)
• Prefer composition over inheritance

Error Handling #

// GOOD: Specific exceptions with context
public Config readConfig(Path path) throws ConfigException {
    try {
        String content = Files.readString(path);
        return objectMapper.readValue(content, Config.class);
    } catch (IOException e) {
        throw new ConfigException("Failed to read config: " + path, e);
    } catch (JsonProcessingException e) {
        throw new ConfigException("Invalid JSON in config: " + path, e);
    }
}

// BAD: Catching generic Exception
public Config readConfig(Path path) {
    try {
        return objectMapper.readValue(Files.readString(path), Config.class);
    } catch (Exception e) {
        return null;  // Swallowing error
    }
}

Security #

• Use PreparedStatement for SQL (never string concatenation)
• Validate all user input
• Use secure random (SecureRandom) for security-sensitive operations
• Never log sensitive data (passwords, tokens)

Testing #

• Use JUnit 5 for unit tests
• Use Mockito for mocking dependencies
• Aim for high coverage on business logic