InfoQ recently published an interview with Joshua Bloch, who is the author of “Effective Java”– an updated second edition was released, which includes some tips with dealing with Java’s generics, autoboxing, and annotations, to name a few.

“Effective Java” is one of the best books I’ve ever read regarding the Java language and has served me well over the years– the second edition also appears to follow suit. InfoQ also has a sample chapter available, which focuses on Generics and already I’ve found it helpful.

Don’t forget to read the interview as well– the author has some great insights into refactoring and Java in general. My favorite part of the interview was this exchange:

Do you believe that other tools and processes such as unit testing, Test-driven development or pair programming also aid in programming effectively in Java?

Joshua’s response is right on:

Absolutely. Unit testing is key. And writing your tests first is a great thing. Pair programming works very well for some people, as do variants such as “buddy programming” (where you show your code to someone else after you’ve written it, and refactor as necessary together). Writing code in a vacuum is bad thing. Code reviews (which I view as another variant) are essential…

If you don’t have a copy of Joshua’s book, pick one up as soon as possible– your users will thank you!