6.8.2

Class and Interface Type Names

NAMES

6.8.2   Class and Interface Type Names

Names of class types should be descriptive nouns or noun phrases, not overly

long, in mixed case with the first letter of each word capitalized. For example:

ClassLoader

SecurityManager

Thread

Dictionary

BufferedInputStream

Likewise, names of interface types should be short and descriptive, not overly

long, in mixed case with the first letter of each word capitalized. The name may be

a descriptive noun or noun phrase, which is appropriate when an interface is used

as if it were an abstract superclass, such as interfaces

java.io.DataInput

 and

java.io.DataOutput

; or it may be an adjective describing a behavior, as for the

interfaces

java.lang.Runnable

 and

java.lang.Cloneable

.

Hiding involving class and interface type names is rare. Names of fields,

parameters, and local variables normally do not hide type names because they

conventionally begin with a lowercase letter whereas type names conventionally

begin with an uppercase letter.

6.8.3   Method Names

Method names should be verbs or verb phrases, in mixed case, with the first letter

lowercase and the first letter of any subsequent words capitalized. Here are some

additional specific conventions for method names:

Methods to

get

 and

set

 an attribute that might be thought of as a variable

V

should be named

get

V

 and

set

V

. An example is the methods

getPriority

( 20.20.22) and

setPriority

 ( 20.20.23) of class

java.lang.Thread

.

A method that returns the length of something should be named

length

, as in

class

java.lang.String

 ( 20.12.11).

A method that tests a

boolean

 condition

V

 about an object should be named

is

V

. An example is the method

isInterrupted

 of class

java.lang.Thread

( 20.20.32).

A method that converts its object to a particular format

F

 should be named

to

F

. Examples are the method

toString

 of class

java.lang.Object

( 20.1.2) and the methods

toLocaleString

 ( 21.3.27) and

toGMTString

( 21.3.28) of class

java.util.Date

.

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