Review Changes (Java/Spring Boot)

Systematic workflow for reviewing Java/Spring code against established standards.

1. Understand the Change

• What problem does this solve?
• What is the scope of impact?
• Are tests included and do they cover the use cases?

2. Java Best Practices Review

• Robustness:
  • Is try-with-resources used to close resources?
  • Is exception handling correct?
• Immutability:
  • Are fields declared final where possible?
  • Could the class be immutable?
• Types:
  • Are Raw Types (e.g., List) avoided?
  • Is Optional used correctly (e.g., isPresent() followed by get(), or prefer orElse, map)?
• Contracts:
  • If equals() is implemented, is hashCode() also implemented?
• Lambdas/Streams:
  • Is the streams code readable?
  • Are Method References used where possible?
• Naming:
  • Clear and descriptive names (no abbreviations)?

3. Spring Patterns Review

• Dependency Injection:
  • Is injection done via constructor? (Avoid @Autowired on fields).
• Configuration:
  • Is it using @ConfigurationProperties (preferred) or @Value?
• Layers:
  • Is business logic in the @Service?
  • Is the @Controller only orchestrating the call (no business logic)?
  • Is the @Repository called directly by the Controller? (Should not be).
• Transactions:
  • Is @Transactional used correctly (generally on public Service methods)?
• Web:
  • Is WebClient used instead of RestTemplate?
• Security:
  • Are endpoints secured by Spring Security?
  • Is sensitive data excluded from logs?

4. Testing

• Unit Tests: Use Mockito correctly?
• Test Slices: Is the correct slice used (e.g., @WebMvcTest)?
• Testcontainers: Is it used for integration tests with a real database?
• Assertions: Are assertions clear and testing behavior, not implementation?

5. Feedback Format

Required Changes (Blocking)

• Security vulnerabilities.
• Violations of Java contracts (e.g., equals/hashCode).
• Use of Raw Types.
• Field-based dependency injection.

Suggested Improvements (Non-blocking)

• Refactoring opportunities (e.g., use Method Reference).
• Naming could be clearer.
• Convert @Value to @ConfigurationProperties.

Positive Feedback

• Great use of Testcontainers!
• Good application of the Builder pattern.