Java Pet Peeves #1:Pointless Constructors

So I was looking through some code (the author shall remain nameless :)) and spotted a shed load of my number #1 pet peeve; useless constructors:

public class Something {
  public void aMethod() {
    …
  }
}

In the above circumstance there is absolutely no point (as far as the JRE is concerned) to put a default constructor. The following will result in exactly the same byte code (I imagine; I cannot verify this :)):

public class Something {
  public Something() {
    super();
  }

  public void aMethod() {
    …
  }
}

or even worse:

public class Something {
  public class Something() {
  }

  public void aMethod() {
    …
  }
}

Why, oh why must people do it?

Admittedly; stupidly Eclipse provides a default constructor (with the super() call) by default, but that is no excuse.

It is quite simple; if you have no constructors, the JDK will provide a default constructor which contains a call to super() for you. You must provide a constructor if either you do not wish to have a default constructor, or the super class does not include one.

For example, if you have a class which requires a number of collaborators to work, then you should create a constructor which takes in those collaborators. Because you have provided a constructor, the JDK won't put a default one in for you, so:

public class Something {
  public Something(final String s) {
  }
  public void aMethod() {
    …
  }
}

can be instantiated with:

  new Something("ssss");  // good
  new Something();  // bad

The JDK cannot create a default constructor if the super class doesn't itself contain a default constructor:

public class BaseClass {
}

public class ExtendedClass extends BaseClass {
  // no need to put a constructor
}

public class BaseClass {
  public BaseClass() {
    // stupid, but used for illustrative purposes.
  }
}

public class ExtendedClass extends BaseClass {
  // still no need to put a constructor
}

however:

public class BaseClass {
  public BaseClass(final String s) {
  }
}

public class ExtendedClass extends BaseClass {
  // absolutely must put a constructor in, even if it is a no-args constructor
  public ExtendedClass() {
    super("some value");
  }
}

So please; when you create the next class, ask yourself whether it requires any collaborators, if it does, provide a single constructor with those collaborators (which should be marked final BTW :)). If it doesn't, don't provide any constructors; let the JDK do it's job.

And if you must provide a constructor; make sure you call super(...) :)

Please, for my sanity :)

: 06 Feb 2006 11:11 |  Tags: Java Peeve |  Comments (2) |  Report a problem