On Sun, Feb 14, 2010 at 9:46 AM, Sean Owen <sro...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I think final is a must on static fields, except in a few exceptional cases. > While it doesn't mean immutable it expresses something useful and makes > static sins harder to commit. > > I feel similarly about instance fields where possible. Instance fields which > hold state must be mutable, but fields which refer to sub-components should > not. A Car should have a mutable fuel level, but its Engine should not be. > > I find these two practices useful enough to suggest they should be enforced. > > I am also a big fan of declaring classes (or more narrowly, certain methods) > final by default. Design for extension or prohibit if says the wise Reverend > Bloch. But this isn't something I'd actively foist on anyone since it needs > judgment about design intent.
Chiming in on this late. +1 on all of these points (final on statics, final on non-stateful instance fields, final on classes by default. I first came across this style in lucene many years ago and though it frustrated me at the time, I clearly see the wisdom in doing so). +0 for finals on method parameters. I understand why this is a good idea, but I find that it generally effects readability.
