Java™ Coding Guidelines consists of 75 guidelines organized into five chapters organized around the following principles:

• Chapter 1, Security, presents guidelines for ensuring the security of Java applications.
• Chapter 2, Defensive Programming, contains guidelines for defensive programming so that the programmer can write code that protects itself from unexpected circumstances.
• Chapter 3, Reliability, gives advice for improving the reliability and security of Java applications.
• Chapter 4, Program Understandability, provides advice about making programs more readable and understandable.
• Chapter 5, Programmer Misconceptions, exposes situations where Java language and programming concepts are often misunderstood.

Appendix A, Android, describes the applicability of the guidelines to developing Java apps for the Android platform.

There is also a glossary of common terms and a reference list. Java™ Coding Guidelines also contains a glossary of common terms and a list of references.

The guidelines have a consistent structure. The title and the introductory paragraphs define the essence of the guideline. This is typically followed by one or more pairs of noncompliant code examples and corresponding compliant solutions. Each guideline concludes with an applicability section and bibliographical references specific to that guideline.