java-coding-standards
Java coding standards for Spring Boot and Quarkus services: naming, immutability, Optional usage, streams, exceptions, generics, CDI, reactive patterns, and project layout. Automatically applies framework-specific conventions.
Java Coding Standards
Standards for readable, maintainable Java (17+) code in Spring Boot and Quarkus services.
When to Use
- Writing or reviewing Java code in Spring Boot or Quarkus projects
- Enforcing naming, immutability, or exception handling conventions
- Working with records, sealed classes, or pattern matching (Java 17+)
- Reviewing use of Optional, streams, or generics
- Structuring packages and project layout
- [QUARKUS]: Working with CDI scopes, Panache entities, or reactive pipelines
How It Works
Framework Detection
Before applying standards, determine the framework from the build file:
- Build file contains
quarkus→ apply [QUARKUS] conventions - Build file contains
spring-boot→ apply [SPRING] conventions - Neither detected → apply shared conventions only
Core Principles
- Prefer clarity over cleverness
- Immutable by default; minimize shared mutable state
- Fail fast with meaningful exceptions
- Consistent naming and package structure
- [QUARKUS]: Favor build-time over runtime processing; avoid runtime reflection where possible
Examples
The sections below show concrete Spring Boot, Quarkus, and shared Java examples for naming, immutability, dependency injection, reactive code, exceptions, project layout, logging, configuration, and tests.
Naming
// PASS: Classes/Records: PascalCasepublic class MarketService {}public record Money(BigDecimal amount, Currency currency) {}
// PASS: Methods/fields: camelCaseprivate final MarketRepository marketRepository;public Market findBySlug(String slug) {}
// PASS: Constants: UPPER_SNAKE_CASEprivate static final int MAX_PAGE_SIZE = 100;
// PASS: [QUARKUS] JAX-RS resources named as *Resource, not *Controllerpublic class MarketResource {}
// PASS: [SPRING] REST controllers named as *Controllerpublic class MarketController {}Immutability
// PASS: Favor records and final fieldspublic record MarketDto(Long id, String name, MarketStatus status) {}
public class Market { private final Long id; private final String name; // getters only, no setters}
// PASS: [QUARKUS] Panache active-record entities use public fields (Quarkus convention)@Entitypublic class Market extends PanacheEntity { public String name; public MarketStatus status; // Panache generates accessors at build time; public fields are idiomatic here}
// PASS: [QUARKUS] Panache MongoDB entities@MongoEntity(collection = "markets")public class Market extends PanacheMongoEntity { public String name; public MarketStatus status;}Optional Usage
// PASS: Return Optional from find* methods// [SPRING]Optional<Market> market = marketRepository.findBySlug(slug);
// [QUARKUS] PanacheOptional<Market> market = Market.find("slug", slug).firstResultOptional();
// PASS: Map/flatMap instead of get()return market .map(MarketResponse::from) .orElseThrow(() -> new EntityNotFoundException("Market not found"));Streams Best Practices
// PASS: Use streams for transformations, keep pipelines shortList<String> names = markets.stream() .map(Market::name) .filter(Objects::nonNull) .toList();
// FAIL: Avoid complex nested streams; prefer loops for clarityDependency Injection
// PASS: [SPRING] Constructor injection (preferred over @Autowired on fields)@Servicepublic class MarketService { private final MarketRepository marketRepository;
public MarketService(MarketRepository marketRepository) { this.marketRepository = marketRepository; }}
// PASS: [QUARKUS] Constructor injection@ApplicationScopedpublic class MarketService { private final MarketRepository marketRepository;
@Inject public MarketService(MarketRepository marketRepository) { this.marketRepository = marketRepository; }}
// PASS: [QUARKUS] Package-private field injection (acceptable in Quarkus — avoids proxy issues)@ApplicationScopedpublic class MarketService { @Inject MarketRepository marketRepository;}
// FAIL: [SPRING] Field injection with @Autowired@Autowiredprivate MarketRepository marketRepository; // use constructor injection
// FAIL: [QUARKUS] @Singleton when interception or lazy init is needed@Singleton // non-proxyable — use @ApplicationScoped insteadpublic class MarketService {}Reactive Patterns [QUARKUS]
// PASS: Return Uni/Multi from reactive endpoints@GET@Path("/{slug}")public Uni<Market> findBySlug(@PathParam("slug") String slug) { return Market.find("slug", slug) .<Market>firstResult() .onItem().ifNull().failWith(() -> new MarketNotFoundException(slug));}
// PASS: Non-blocking pipeline compositionpublic Uni<OrderConfirmation> placeOrder(OrderRequest req) { return validateOrder(req) .chain(valid -> persistOrder(valid)) .chain(order -> notifyFulfillment(order));}
// FAIL: Blocking call inside a Uni/Multi pipelinepublic Uni<Market> find(String slug) { Market m = Market.find("slug", slug).firstResult(); // BLOCKING — breaks event loop return Uni.createFrom().item(m);}
// FAIL: Subscribing more than once to a shared UniUni<Market> shared = fetchMarket(slug);shared.subscribe().with(m -> log(m));shared.subscribe().with(m -> cache(m)); // double subscribe — use Uni.memoize()Exceptions
- Use unchecked exceptions for domain errors; wrap technical exceptions with context
- Create domain-specific exceptions (e.g.,
MarketNotFoundException) - Avoid broad
catch (Exception ex)unless rethrowing/logging centrally
throw new MarketNotFoundException(slug);Centralised Exception Handling
// [SPRING]@RestControllerAdvicepublic class GlobalExceptionHandler { @ExceptionHandler(MarketNotFoundException.class) public ResponseEntity<ErrorResponse> handle(MarketNotFoundException ex) { return ResponseEntity.status(404).body(ErrorResponse.from(ex)); }}
// [QUARKUS] Option A: ExceptionMapper@Providerpublic class MarketNotFoundMapper implements ExceptionMapper<MarketNotFoundException> { @Override public Response toResponse(MarketNotFoundException ex) { return Response.status(404).entity(ErrorResponse.from(ex)).build(); }}
// [QUARKUS] Option B: @ServerExceptionMapper (RESTEasy Reactive)@ServerExceptionMapperpublic RestResponse<ErrorResponse> handle(MarketNotFoundException ex) { return RestResponse.status(Status.NOT_FOUND, ErrorResponse.from(ex));}Generics and Type Safety
- Avoid raw types; declare generic parameters
- Prefer bounded generics for reusable utilities
public <T extends Identifiable> Map<Long, T> indexById(Collection<T> items) { ... }Project Structure
[SPRING] Maven/Gradle
src/main/java/com/example/app/ config/ controller/ service/ repository/ domain/ dto/ util/src/main/resources/ application.ymlsrc/test/java/... (mirrors main)[QUARKUS] Maven/Gradle
src/main/java/com/example/app/ config/ # @ConfigMapping, @ConfigProperty beans, Producers resource/ # JAX-RS resources (not "controller") service/ repository/ # PanacheRepository implementations (if not using active record) domain/ # JPA/Panache entities, MongoDB entities dto/ util/ mapper/ # MapStruct mappers (if used)src/main/resources/ application.properties # Quarkus convention (YAML supported with quarkus-config-yaml) import.sql # Hibernate auto-import for dev/testsrc/test/java/... (mirrors main)Formatting and Style
- Use 2 or 4 spaces consistently (project standard)
- One public top-level type per file
- Keep methods short and focused; extract helpers
- Order members: constants, fields, constructors, public methods, protected, private
Code Smells to Avoid
- Long parameter lists → use DTO/builders
- Deep nesting → early returns
- Magic numbers → named constants
- Static mutable state → prefer dependency injection
- Silent catch blocks → log and act or rethrow
- [QUARKUS]:
@Singletonwhere@ApplicationScopedis intended — breaks proxying and interception - [QUARKUS]: Mixing
quarkus-resteasy-reactiveandquarkus-resteasy(classic) — pick one stack - [QUARKUS]: Panache active-record + repository pattern in the same bounded context — pick one
Logging
// [SPRING] SLF4Jprivate static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(MarketService.class);log.info("fetch_market slug={}", slug);log.error("failed_fetch_market slug={}", slug, ex);
// [QUARKUS] JBoss Logging (default, zero-cost at build time)private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(MarketService.class);log.infof("fetch_market slug=%s", slug);log.errorf(ex, "failed_fetch_market slug=%s", slug);
// [QUARKUS] Alternative: simplified logging with @Inject@InjectLogger log; // CDI-injected, scoped to declaring classNull Handling
- Accept
@Nullableonly when unavoidable; otherwise use@NonNull - Use Bean Validation (
@NotNull,@NotBlank) on inputs - [QUARKUS]: Apply
@Validon@BeanParam,@RestForm, and request body parameters
Configuration
// [SPRING] @ConfigurationProperties@ConfigurationProperties(prefix = "market")public record MarketProperties(int maxPageSize, Duration cacheTtl) {}
// [QUARKUS] @ConfigMapping (type-safe, build-time validated)@ConfigMapping(prefix = "market")public interface MarketConfig { int maxPageSize(); Duration cacheTtl();}
// [QUARKUS] Simple values with @ConfigProperty@ConfigProperty(name = "market.max-page-size", defaultValue = "100")int maxPageSize;Testing Expectations
Shared
- JUnit 5 + AssertJ for fluent assertions
- Mockito for mocking; avoid partial mocks where possible
- Favor deterministic tests; no hidden sleeps
[SPRING]
@WebMvcTestfor controller slices,@DataJpaTestfor repository slices@SpringBootTestreserved for full integration tests@MockBeanfor replacing beans in Spring context
[QUARKUS]
- Plain JUnit 5 + Mockito for unit tests (no
@QuarkusTest) @QuarkusTestreserved for CDI integration tests@InjectMockfor replacing CDI beans in integration tests- Dev Services for database/Kafka/Redis — avoid manual Testcontainers setup when Dev Services suffice
@QuarkusTestResourcefor custom external service lifecycle
// [SPRING] Controller test@WebMvcTest(MarketController.class)class MarketControllerTest { @Autowired MockMvc mockMvc; @MockBean MarketService marketService;}
// [QUARKUS] Integration test@QuarkusTestclass MarketResourceTest { @InjectMock MarketService marketService;
@Test void should_return_404_when_market_not_found() { given().when().get("/markets/unknown").then().statusCode(404); }}
// [QUARKUS] Unit test (no CDI, no @QuarkusTest)@ExtendWith(MockitoExtension.class)class MarketServiceTest { @Mock MarketRepository marketRepository; @InjectMocks MarketService marketService;}Remember: Keep code intentional, typed, and observable. Optimize for maintainability over micro-optimizations unless proven necessary.