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Effective Java

Author: Joshua Bloch
Edition: 3rd Edition (2018)
Priority: #1 Must-Read

Overview

The definitive guide to Java programming best practices, written by one of the language's key designers. This book should be read multiple times throughout your Java journey, with different items becoming relevant at different stages.

Book Structure

Chapter Items Related Notes
Creating and Destroying Objects 1-9 OOP & Class Design
Methods Common to All Objects 10-14 OOP & Class Design
Classes and Interfaces 15-25 OOP & Class Design
Generics 26-33 Abstraction, Interfaces & Generics
Enums and Annotations 34-41 Arrays, Lists & Autoboxing
Lambdas and Streams 42-48 Lambdas & Streams
Methods 49-56 Syntax & Control Flow
General Programming 57-68 Syntax & Control Flow
Exceptions 69-77 Phase 1 Advanced
Concurrency 78-84 Phase 2 - Advanced Java
Serialization 85-90 Phase 2 - Advanced Java

Phase 1 Items to Focus On

Creating and Destroying Objects (Items 1-9)

  • Item 1: Consider static factory methods
  • Item 2: Consider a builder for many parameters
  • Item 3: Enforce singleton with private constructor or enum
  • Item 7: Eliminate obsolete object references

Classes and Interfaces (Items 15-25)

  • Item 15: Minimize accessibility
  • Item 17: Minimize mutability
  • Item 18: Favor composition over inheritance
  • Item 20: Prefer interfaces to abstract classes

Generics (Items 26-33)

  • Item 26: Don't use raw types
  • Item 28: Prefer lists to arrays
  • Item 31: Use bounded wildcards (PECS)

Enums and Annotations (Items 34-39)

  • Item 34: Use enums instead of int constants
  • Item 35: Use instance fields instead of ordinals
  • Item 36: Use EnumSet instead of bit fields
  • Item 37: Use EnumMap instead of ordinal indexing

Lambdas and Streams (Items 42-48)

  • Item 42: Prefer lambdas to anonymous classes
  • Item 43: Prefer method references to lambdas
  • Item 45: Use streams judiciously
  • Item 46: Prefer side-effect-free functions

General Programming (Items 57-68)

  • Item 57: Minimize scope of local variables
  • Item 58: Prefer for-each loops
  • Item 61: Prefer primitives to boxed primitives

Reading Strategy

  1. First Pass (During Phase 1): Read items related to fundamentals
  2. Second Pass (During Phase 2): Read concurrency and advanced items
  3. Third Pass (During Projects): Reference specific items as needed
  4. Ongoing: Keep the book handy as a reference

Notes