The topics in this discussion forum relate to material presented in the articles of Design Techniques, my column on designing Java programs. This page contains an archived index of the Design Forum (formerly called the Flexible Java Forum) from March 1998 through February 2002. If you wish to participate in discussions, please visit the new Artima Forums.

Topics

Designing with Static Members Discussing when use static members in Java programs
Designing with Runtime Class Information Discussing when to use runtime class information in Java programs	Designing with Dynamic Extension Discussing when to use dynamic extension in Java programs
Designing with Interfaces Discussing when to use interfaces	Composition Versus Inheritance Discussing how to choose between composition and inheritance
Event Generator Idiom Discussing an idiom that shows how to use nofication in Java program designs	Canonical Object Idiom Discussing a base level functionality for classes
To Bean or Not To Bean Text of an e-mail debate on when to make classes into JavaBeans	When To Bean? Discussing when make classes into JavaBeans
Designing For Thread Safety Discussing when and how to make classes thread-safe	Designing With Exceptions Discussing when and how to use exceptions
The Hotspot Virtual Machine Discussing the Hotspot Virtual Machine and its impact on Java program design	Finalization and Cleanup Discussing the end of object lives
Maximizing Method Cohesion Discussing how to chop up responsibilities into methods	Designing Fields and Methods Discussing the nuts and bolts of designing fields and methods
The Set/Get Question Discussing the merits of methods that give the clients a view of an object's attributes versus methods that perform services	Flexibility as a Design Goal A look at different people's ideas and opinions on software design and the overall software development process