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Java Programming Idioms

Java Programming Idioms  
ABSTRACT
 
The programming language Java was introduced to the IT community as an “easy-to-learn” and “easy-to-use” language (typically referring to C++ for comparison). While this is certainly true, it turns out that even this supposedly easy language offers a lot of choices and comes with many programming idioms that must be understood thoroughly in order to produce high-quality software implemented in Java. In this tutorial we look into the less obvious limitations of some concepts and discuss some fundamental, yet typical misunderstandings. 

Due to the time frame the discussion cannot be exhausting and we will focus on two language features that exist in Java since its advent, namely the implications of reference semantics on object copying and comparison and the use of exceptions for error indication and error handling. 

COPYING AND COMPARISON.     Regarding object copying and comparison in Java we examine the semantics of clone() and equals(). Questionable implementations of these functions can be found galore (in the JDK, in popular textbooks, even in commercial applications). It turns out that correct and symmetric implementation of these two functions is a non-trivial task. We will look into the details. 

EXCEPTION HANDLING.    Use of exceptions is mandatory in Java and cannot be avoided, yet in practice they are often misunderstood. We explain why and when one would want to handle exceptions at all (a common misunderstanding is that every potential exception must be caught.) We discuss common problems such as exception hiding, improper use of throws specification, and resource leaks and inconsistent object state.

 
 
OUTLINE
 

Copying and Comparison of Objects (ca. 90 min)

    Recap of reference semantics vs. value semantics
    The semantic meaning of equals() 
    The problem of asymmetric implementations in class hierarchies
    Discussion of conceivable solutions
    The semantic meaning of clone()
    Shallow vs. deep copying 
    Discussion of various solutions and related issues 

Exception Handling (ca. 90 min)

    Recap of the language means
    finally and its impact on control flow
    Problematic throws clause
    Hiding of exceptions
    Maintaining valid object state and avoiding resource leaks
    Reasons for catching and handling an exception
 
 
PREREQUISITES

 
Level: intermediate
Duration: 1.5 - 3.5  hours
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of Java.
Presented at: OOP 2000 , Munich, Germany, Janauray 2000
DevWeek Europe , London, UK, February 2000
TOOLS USA , Santa Barbara, CA, August 2000
TOOLS Europe 2001 , Zürich, CH, March 2001

 
 

If you are interested to hear more about this and related topics you might want to check out the following seminar or skim through some further reading:
Seminars
Effective Java
4-day seminar (open enrollment and on-site)
 
Paper
Myths and Truths Comparing Java
White Paper
 
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