Our interfaces are distinguished from classes by appending "Ifc" or "able". We use javadoc comments before each class and method (unless they are short and obvious). We terminate them with "**/" for symmetry with the "/**" that must start a javadoc comment.

The sample code shown below illustrates the code styling we use for the remainder of this book. Each distinct code section, such as a method or an if-else statement, is indented to the right from the section in which it is nested. All primitive variables are initialized explicitly. (Default values would be assigned automatically but by initializing them you make clear that the values given are what you intended for those variables.)

For the class definition and for long methods we put the name in a comment after the final brace. (We use "// ctor" for long constructors.)

The getVal() and setVal() are examples of the common getter and setter methods use to get and set the value of a particular variable whose name is included in the method name. In this way we follow the important JavaBeans standard although the use of JavaBeans is not discussed here.

We also note that the consistent use of the fMemberVariable notation for member variables and local_variable_name notation for local variables inside a method makes it impossible to accidentally shadow a member variable with a local variable

Note: Shadowing occurs when a subclass has a data field or local variable with the same name as that of a data field in a super class. This is almost never useful and should be avoided.

References and Web Resources