Java Coding Guidelines: 75 Recommendations for Reliable and Secure Programs Book Review

Although this book is written for the Java programmer, I would recommend reading it to any .NET or iOS developer as well. It is a must read for the Java developer, but is also a valuable read for developers of other languages because the guidelines are often built around a programmer's intent. No matter what language you use most, many of the intentions that are targeted by the guidelines are the same. Do I wish there was a C# and Objective-C version of this book? Heck Yeah!!! But, one of the things that helped get to a deeper understanding of the guidelines was thinking about where and how they apply to C# and Objective-C. There is Secure Coding in C and C++ (Second Edition) and The CERT C Secure Coding Standard which are both great too. The guidelines are broken down by chapter. The book also has an appendix that lists all 75 guidelines and whether or not the guideline is applicable to Android development. I have listed the chapters below. I have also included an overview of what the guidelines in the chapters are targeting as described in the introduction to the chapters. Chapter 1. Security 1. Dealing with sensitive data 2. Avoiding common injection attacks 3. Language features that can be misused to compromise security 4. Details of Java’s fine-grained security mechanism Chapter 2. Defensive Programming The guidelines in this chapter address areas of the Java language that can help to constrain the effect of an error or help to recover from an error. A good overall principle for defensive programming is simplicity. If a construct turns out to be complicated to implement, consider redesigning or refactoring it to reduce the complexity. Chapter 3. Reliability 1. Guidelines that help reduce errors, and are consequently important for developing reliable Java code. 2. Guidelines that contain specific Java coding recommendations to improve software reliability Chapter 4. Program Understandability Program understandability is the ease with which the program can be understood—that is, the ability to determine what a program does and how it works by reading its source code and accompanying documentation. Some guidelines in this chapter are stylistic in nature; they will help a Java programmer to write clearer, more readable code. Failure to follow these guidelines could result in obscure code and design defects. Chapter 5. Programmer Misconceptions 1. Misconceptions about Java APIs and language features 2. Assumptions and ambiguity-laced programs 3. Situations in which the programmer wanted to do one thing but ended up doing another Appendix A: Android This appendix describes the applicability of the guidelines in this book to developing Java apps for the Android platform. I really liked the way the chapter on defensive programming brought the goal of simplicity to the forefront. One of the hardest things to do is maintain simplicity when coding. Often times getting through very complex situations ends with a lot of the code being in a state where it can be refactored into much cleaner code. I find one of the biggest mistakes programmers make is saying they will come back to it later and clean it up. They honestly have the best intention of doing that and sometimes even come back to do that. When they do they realize that the big ball of mud they made just getting the problem resolved will take too much time to relearn. What they had done two weeks prior gets left alone with the thought, it isn't broke, so I'll just leave it. Cleaning it up while it is fresh in your head is what needs to become a habit, otherwise never cleaning up will become your habit. One of the really nice features of the book is that the author's include references to the rules that apply from The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java. All of the rules are available on line- just google "CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java". Once there you just plug the code used in the book into the search and you're taken to the rule. The rule has more information and more code samples. They also include references back to the online The Java Virtual Machine Specification- Java SE 7 Edition. Having these references really helps you get any additional information to help you fully understand the topic at hand. Another thing I really like is that they show tons of noncompliant code examples and compliant solutions. It really helps to have the examples along with the explanations. In the beginning of the book the authors say "While primarily designed for building reliable and secure systems, these guidelines are also useful for achieving other quality attributes such as safety, dependability, robustness, availability, and maintainability." I must agree and say that they have really provided a treasure chest of wisdom in this book. Following the guidelines in this book will go a long way in helping you achieve the quality attributes listed above in your architecture. All in all I highly recommend this book to all Java developers. It is a must read for you. I also recommend to developers of other languages that want to gain new insight into guidelines that they can apply in their language of choice.

Java Coding Guidelines: 75 Recommendations for Reliable and Secure Programs (SEI Series in Software Engineering)