The Java Coding Guidelines is organized into an introductory chapter and 75 guidelines organized into five additional chapters organized around the following principles:
- Chapter 2 Security presents guidelines for ensuring security of Java applications.
- Chapter 3 Defensive Programming contains guidelines for defensive programming so that the programmer can write code that protects itself from unwarranted assumptions.
- Chapter 4 Best Practices contains advice for improving the reliability and security of Java applications.
- Chapter 5 Program Understandability provides advice about making programs more readable and understandable.
- Chapter 6 Programmer Misconceptions exposes situations where Java language and programming concepts are often misunderstood.
There is a glossary of common terms and a reference list.
Guidelines have a consistent structure. The title and the introductory paragraphs define the essence of the guideline. This is typically followed by one or more pairs of noncompliant code examples and corresponding compliant solutions. Each guideline also includes an applicability section and bibliographical references specific to that guideline.