Code Conventions for the Java^TM Programming Language

1 - Introduction

1.1 Why Have Code Conventions

Code conventions are important to programmers for a number of reasons:

• 80% of the lifetime cost of a piece of software goes to maintenance.
• Hardly any software is maintained for its whole life by the original author.
• Code conventions improve the readability of the software, allowing engineers to understand new code more quickly and thoroughly.
• If you ship your source code as a product, you need to make sure it is as well packaged and clean as any other product you create.

  For the conventions to work, every person writing software must conform to the code conventions. Everyone.

1.2 Acknowledgments

This document reflects the Java language coding standards presented in the Java Language Specification, from Sun Microsystems, Inc. Major contributions are from Peter King, Patrick Naughton, Mike DeMoney, Jonni Kanerva, Kathy Walrath, and Scott Hommel.

This document is maintained by Scott Hommel. Comments should be sent to shommel@eng.sun.com