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name: java-best-practices description: Apply core Effective Java patterns for robust, maintainable code. Use when applying SOLID principles, choosing between inheritance and composition, refactoring Java code smells, or reviewing class design. metadata: triggers: files: - '**/*.java' keywords: - refactor - SOLID - builder - factory - composition - immutable - Optional - checked exception - clean code

Java Best Practices

Priority: P1 (HIGH)

Implementation Guidelines

• Immutability: Prefer immutable objects (final fields, unmodifiable collections).
• Access Modifiers: Minimize visibility. Default to package-private (no modifier). Use private for all fields. Only public for API contracts.
• Composition > Inheritance: Favor Has-A over Is-A. Avoid deep hierarchies.
• Constructors: Use Static Factory Methods (User.of()) over complex constructors.
• Builder Pattern: Use for objects with 4+ parameters.
• Exceptions: Recoverable → Checked; Programming error → Unchecked.
• Fail Fast: Validate parameters (Objects.requireNonNull) at method start.
• Interfaces: Code to interfaces (List, Map), not implementations (ArrayList).
• Dependency Injection: Inject dependencies via constructor; don't create them internally.
• Method References: Use String::toUpperCase over s -> s.toUpperCase() where readable.

Anti-Patterns

• No Null Returns: Return Optional or empty collection instead.
• No Empty Catch: Log or rethrow; never swallow exceptions silently.
• No God Class: Split into focused classes following Single Responsibility Principle.
• No Magic Numbers: Extract named constants with clear meaning.
• No Mutable Statics: Avoid public static mutable fields (global state).

References

• Static Factory & Composition Examples