Is There a Java Equivalent to MISRA C?

Question

In some languages, there are rules/best practices/etc. that promote software safety, ensure expected runtime behavior, etc. Two that come to mind are MISRA for C/C++, and the Ravenscar profile for Ada. There is typically a warm fuzzy feeling about your code if it is stamped as following these standards. Is there any such standard for Java?

I use IntelliJ CE with almost all the intentions turned on. It checks of my source code as I type the code (rather than waiting to compile the code), but many have quick fixes as well so you are more likely to change the code and change the way you write code. There are over 650 checks, but I find about 150 are regularly useful for me. Sometime I use the "fixes" to write code for me ;) — Peter Lawrey, May 19 '11 at 05:18
Interesting to monitor this thread overtime and see how it ages. — JustADude, Jul 21 '23 at 14:07

score 9 · Accepted Answer · edited Aug 30 '21 at 22:37

I don't think there is something like the MISRA C/C++ best practices for Java, and I think it is also less necessary with a language like Java because it doesn't have as many corners of undefined or unspecified behaviour like C and C++ have. Features such as the lack of explicit pointers in Java and the fact that the bounds of array indices are always checked by the runtime make Java a safer language than C or C++.

There is a common coding standard that most Java developers seem to follow: Code Conventions for the Java Programming Language, but that is more a style guide than a best practices guide.

There are a few good and well-known static code analysis tools for Java: FindBugs and PMD for example, which will check your code for possibly dangerous constructions or bad practices.

If you want to learn about the potential pitfalls in Java, then two books are highly recommended: Effective Java and Java Puzzlers.

Additional, similar resources include:

I took a look at the code conventions you mentioned, and I think that is what I am going to implement for a convention. I pretty much follow that in my personal style anyway. I was aware of FindBugs and PMD, as I have used them before. I didn't think there was a MISRA for Java (or similar), but I thought I would ask just to make sure. — gmletzkojr, May 19 '11 at 13:41

Andrew · Answer 2 · 2023-07-22T18:42:11.043

Currently, there is no MISRA Java - nor any immediate plans to create one.

The topic has been discussed briefly a couple of times by the MISRA Technical Board, but in the absence of any demand (and/or volunteers to work on it) it is unlikely to happen.

Update: Six years on...

This question has been asked several times, at Conferences that I have been a speaker at, usually with broad support from the audience. I always reply by asking the audience who'll volunteer to be part of the committee... which silences the room :(

TL;DR: If enough volunteers come forward, we'll do it!

[Posted in a personal capacity, albeit a MISRA Tech Board member]

--- Update July 2023 ---

We're no longer being asked about MISRA Java, but of course MISRA Rust is the latest suggestion.

The same applies: if enough volunteers come forward, we may do it.

thanks for the insights.... and update... – JustADude Jul 21 '23 at 14:06 — JustADude, Jul 21 '23 at 14:06

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 13 '14 at 13:28

SEI CERT:

The Java Coding Guidelines includes recommended practices for secure programming in the Java Standard Edition 7 Platform environment. This is a work in progress, and we actively seek your feedback and involvement in making this effort a success. We thank and acknowledge all of the contributors.

https://www.securecoding.cert.org/confluence/display/jg/Java+Coding+Guidelines

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 07 '13 at 13:25

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For those following this thread, there is a Open Safety Critical JAVA (oSCJ) initiative going-on, which is defining a subset of the JAVA language for Safety-Critical Applications (JSR-302). http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=302

answered Aug 07 '13 at 13:25

user2660895

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score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Nov 04 '12 at 20:29

There is a book called "Code Complete". This is written by a programmer who has worked for Microsoft and also has knowledge in professional software development using 2/3 different high-level languages. I use this book besides MISRA C++. "Code Complete" is a language independent book and helpful to shape your professional software engineering practices.

Is There a Java Equivalent to MISRA C?

5 Answers5