Annotations are a new language feature introduced in Java 5 that allows Java code elements such as classes or methods to be annotated with structured metadata. This metadata can then be used at compile-time or at run-time by other code. Annotations are commonly used to provide configuration information for infrastructure frameworks to provide cross-cutting functionality.
Using […]
Hibernate is a de facto standard for object-relational mapping. One of my recent projects involved the use of the latest version of Hibernate (3.2). Since I had not used Hibernate since its version 2 days, I picked up the authoritative reference Java Persistence with Hibernate which is co-authored by Gavin King, the founder of […]
One fairly common coding style I have seen from more experienced developers is what I will call highly-aggressive null checking. Such developers have most likely been burned by null pointer exceptions in the past and hence have evolved a style of coding which confirms that parameters or fields are non-null before using them. The code […]
Code reviews are an important practice for improving the quality of your software and ensuring that it is ready for release. Software engineering research has found that reviews (or inspections) are a powerful QA practice and have many advantages over testing:
A higher percentage of defects are found when using reviews – as high as […]
To code or not to code, that is the question for senior software developers when they are presented with the opportunity to move into an architect, project manager or team lead position. Rob Walling recently wrote an excellent article titled Why Good Developers Are Promoted Into Unhappiness describing his unsatisfying experiences as a manager and […]
When are you done writing a piece of code? Is it when you have implemented the necessary functionality? When you have tested it? I believe there is more to professional-quality code than just getting it to function properly. What else is there? Making sure the code is maintainable - well designed and understandable. I use […]
My previous article discussed the question how much do you code?. After thinking more about this, I realized that a more important question is whether you are doing enough coding. How much is enough versus too little? This depends on the reasons why you code.
For myself, I can think of several reasons why I […]
As a software developer, how much time do you actually spend writing code? I recently have discussed this topic with both junior and senior coworkers, from which I have realized that this is a very important question for many developers. The amount of time the average developer actually spends coding can be surprisingly small, and […]
