Rationale
The Java Coding Guidelines focuses on the Java SE 7 Platform environment and includes guidelines that address the issue of secure coding using the Java SE 7 API. The Java Language Specification: Java SE 7 Edition [JLS 2011] prescribes the behavior of the Java programming language and serves as the primary reference for the development of these guidelines.
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Coding style issues are subjective, and it has proven impossible to develop a consensus on appropriate style guidelines. Consequently, the Java the Java Coding Guidelines does not require any particular coding style to be enforced but only that the user defines style guidelines and applies these guidelines consistently. The easiest way to consistently apply a coding style is with the use of a code formatting tool. Many integrated development environments (IDEs) provide such capabilities.
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