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Style Guide

This project follows the Google Java Style Guide.

Code Formatting

Auto-formatting

One of the CI checks will fail if source code is not formatted according to Google Java Style.

Run the following command to reformat all files:

./gradlew spotlessApply

In addition to Google Java Style formatting, spotless applies custom static importing rules (e.g. rewriting Objects.requireNonNull to a static import).

Pre-commit hook

To completely delegate code style formatting to the machine, there is a pre-commit hook setup to verify formatting before committing. It can be activated with this command:

git config core.hooksPath .githooks

Additional checks

The build uses checkstyle to verify some parts of the Google Java Style Guide that cannot be handled by auto-formatting.

To run these checks locally:

./gradlew checkstyleMain checkstyleTest

Java Language Conventions

Visibility modifiers

Follow the principle of minimal necessary visibility. Use the most restrictive access modifier that still allows the code to function correctly.

Internal packages

Classes in .internal packages are not considered public API and may change without notice. These packages contain implementation details that should not be used by external consumers.

Use .internal packages for implementation classes that need to be public within the module but should not be used externally

Class organization

Prefer this order:

  • Static fields (final before non-final)
  • Static initializer
  • Instance fields (final before non-final)
  • Constructors
  • Methods
  • Nested classes

Method ordering: Place calling methods above the methods they call. For example, place private methods below the non-private methods that use them.

Exception — static field initialization: When a static final field is initialized by a private static method or a static {} block, it is acceptable to place the method or block immediately after the field to keep initialization logic co-located, even when this contradicts the general method ordering above.

Static utility classes: Place the private constructor (used to prevent instantiation) after all methods.

final keyword usage

Public non-internal non-test classes should be declared final where possible. "Internal" here includes .internal packages and javaagent/src/main/ classes — javaagent instrumentation code is not public API. "Test" here includes src/test/ directories and any module whose directory name starts or ends with testing or tests (e.g., testing/, testing-common/, testing-apps/, quarkus-2.0-testing/, smoke-tests/).

Methods should only be declared final if they are in public non-internal non-test non-final classes.

Fields should be declared final where possible.

Method parameters and local variables should never be declared final.

Null comparisons

Prefer value == null and value != null over left-hand null comparisons such as null == value and null != value.

This applies throughout the codebase, including Java, Kotlin, and Scala sources.

Uppercase field names

Use uppercase (SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE) for constant-like fields whose value is treated as a stable identifier, immutable descriptor, or immutable value constant.

Examples that may remain uppercase include:

  • literal strings, numbers, and booleans that behave like module constants
  • immutable value objects that are treated as fixed constants after initialization, such as Duration timeouts, intervals, or deadlines
  • semantic keys and handles such as AttributeKey, ContextKey, VirtualField, MethodHandle, and Pattern
  • canonical singleton or sentinel fields named INSTANCE, EMPTY, or NOOP

Do not use uppercase solely because a field is static final.

Use lower camel case for runtime-created collaborator objects even when they are static final, for example loggers, instrumenters, helpers, sanitizers, mappers, caches, and similar service objects.

When deciding between uppercase and lower camel case, distinguish immutable value constants from collaborators. A private static final Duration FLUSH_TIMEOUT = ...; field may remain uppercase when it is used as a fixed timeout constant, even if its value is computed from configuration at startup. In contrast, runtime-created service objects such as instrumenters, tracers, loggers, or helpers should use lower camel case.

@Nullable annotation usage

Note: This section is aspirational and may not reflect the current codebase.

Annotate all parameters and fields that can be null with @Nullable (specifically javax.annotation.Nullable, which is included by the otel.java-conventions Gradle plugin as a compileOnly dependency).

@NonNull is unnecessary as it is the default.

Test code: Do not add @Nullable annotations in test code.

Defensive programming: Public APIs should still check for null parameters even if not annotated with @Nullable. Internal APIs do not need these checks.

To help enforce @Nullable annotation usage, the otel.nullaway-conventions Gradle plugin should be used in all modules to perform basic nullable usage validation:

plugins {
  id("otel.nullaway-conventions")
}

Optional usage

Following the reasoning from Writing a Java library with better experience (slide 12), java.util.Optional usage is kept to a minimum.

Guidelines:

  • Optional shouldn't appear in public API signatures
  • Avoid Optional on the hot path (instrumentation code), unless the instrumented library uses it

Semantic convention constants

Library instrumentation: Copy semantic convention constants directly into library instrumentation classes rather than depending on the semconv artifact. Library instrumentation is used by end users, and this avoids exposing a dependency on the semconv artifact (which may change across versions). For example:

// copied from MessagingIncubatingAttributes
private static final AttributeKey<String> MESSAGING_SYSTEM =
    AttributeKey.stringKey("messaging.system");

Javaagent instrumentation: Use the semconv constants from the semconv artifact directly. The javaagent bundles its own dependencies, so there is no risk of version conflicts for end users.

Tests: Use the semconv constants from the semconv artifact directly. Test dependencies do not affect end users.

Tooling conventions

AssertJ

Prefer AssertJ assertions over JUnit assertions (assertEquals, assertTrue, etc.) for better error messages.

JUnit

Test classes and test methods should generally be package-protected (no explicit visibility modifier) rather than public. This follows the principle of minimal necessary visibility and is sufficient for JUnit to discover and execute tests.

Performance

Avoid allocations on the hot path (instrumentation code) whenever possible. This includes Iterator allocations from collections; note that for (SomeType t : plainJavaArray) does not allocate an iterator object.

Non-allocating Stream API usage on the hot path is acceptable but may not fit the surrounding code style; this is a judgment call. Some Stream APIs make efficient allocation difficult (e.g., collect with pre-sized sink data structures involves convoluted Supplier code, or lambdas passed to forEach may be capturing/allocating lambdas).