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Follow the Sun coding conventions

The coding conventions sanctioned by Sun Microsystems constitute arguably the largest body of code to which the largest number of Java programmers will be exposed. Therefore, using the Sun conventions ensures that your code operates in a manner consistent with the vast majority of Java programs.

Whatever coding conventions you choose, use them consistently throughout any project. A very handy tool called Jindent from German company Software & Solutions will automatically reformat Java code based on user-configurable rule sets. Jindent costs $129 for a single user license.

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Next: #2 - Standardize!

Follow the Sun coding conventions	Use "get," "set," and "is"
Standardize!	Make iterative testing of classes easy
Follow standard capitalization rules	Avoid inheritance
Don't create your own "decorated" private data member names	Don't overuse finalization
Follow a canonical form	Use nested classes