Eclipse, Static imports quickly and GitHub gist.

Every one has a collection of favorite Eclipse templates.  I find the simple ones are often the most useful.  The examples below create you a static import and finish the method your typing.  They even put the cursor in the right place if you need arguments in the method.  I am going to collect more of them using the incredibly handy GitHub gist: My Static Import Templates For Eclipse.  GitHub gists are great for these kinds of programmer reminders.  In addition edits get version control.

Typical Eclipse template for Google Collections

${:importStatic(com.google.common.collect.Lists.newArrayList)}newArrayList();
${cursor}
${:importStatic(com.google.common.collect.Sets.newHashSet)}newHashSet();
${cursor}

To use them, just open Eclipse Preferences: Java Editor: Templates.  Add new templates, and give them a name similar to the method.  I.e newArrayList.  Then your code completion hot key will run the template completing the text your typing in.  i.e you type newArrayList [code complete key] and it adds the static, and the rest of the method, placing your cursor at the end of the line.  Neat!

Note: See the comment from Yuri below, the above templates are no longer required for static imports. Its possible to configure the Content Assist to bring in a whole type, or member using Prefs:Java:Editor:Content Assist:Favorites. This is better as it scans all possible available methods in the type.

The code you end up with is tidy too:

List myList = newArrayList();

There is another thing I can never remember the syntax for! :-)   The markup to add the syntax highlight for this blog. Available as a gist: http://gist.github.com/234709

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Test anti-patterns project, contributors wanted!

Take a look at the following test class.  I deliberately wrote this poor quality test, so that I could show how easy it is to re-factor it to a better one. I was driven by having seen lots of such poor tests and to be honest I don’t want to see another of its ilk again. I might write a test like this myself, but I would never leave it like this. Its part finished. Its littered with cut and paste, poorly named methods and hard coded values. It’s a bit like a surgeon performing an operation and not sewing up the hole! I would go as far as to say that leaving tests in this state is unprofessional. There is no excuse as most of the lessons of good naming and code re-use have been written down a long time back. More lately in Clean Code by Robert C. Martin. I just don’t understand why people still write rubbish like this! Possibly because they are allowed to get away with it! Note that the test provides 100% coverage of the implementation class, but its not enough to stop there.

Have a read over the class, and then move on to read the steps to re-factor to better patterns. I have several designs here that focus on the setup stage of a test. As your tests get more complex you will find the patterns here support ever increasing complexity. In an Agile project you might move from one system to the next as the requirements ramp up. Then once you see where I am heading, I lay down a challenge.

Test anti-patterns project, contributors wanted!

If you have a Test Anti-Pattern that you would like to showcase. Check out my code from gitHub, add the new example and examples of how to re-factor the code. Blog it to your own blog with a reference to this page, or drop a comment. If we get enough I will setup a page with an index to all the blogs.

The code can be forked out with git from gitHub http://github.com/mhgit/TerribleJavaTestingMadeGood. It should be an easy start. Its a full maven project with a small dependency set and maven site reports already built in for test coverage. Its fully open source with the Apache 2.0 license. Once you have your new example, tell me about it by adding a comment to this page, and following the git forking instructions for making a git pull available.

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