6.8.3 Method Names

Method names should be verbs or verb phrases, in mixed case, with the first letter lowercase and the first letter of any subsequent words capitalized. Here are some additional specific conventions for method names:

• Methods to get and set an attribute that might be thought of as a variable V should be named getV and setV. An example is the methods getPriority (§20.20.22) and setPriority (§20.20.23) of class java.lang.Thread.
• A method that returns the length of something should be named length, as in class java.lang.String (§20.12.11).
• A method that tests a boolean condition V about an object should be named isV. An example is the method isInterrupted of class java.lang.Thread (§20.20.32).
• A method that converts its object to a particular format F should be named toF. Examples are the method toString of class java.lang.Object (§20.1.2) and the methods toLocaleString (§21.3.27) and toGMTString (§21.3.28) of class java.util.Date.

Whenever possible and appropriate, basing the names of methods in a new class on names in an existing class that is similar, especially a class from the standard Java Application Programming Interface classes, will make it easier to use.

Method names cannot hide or be hidden by other names (§6.5.6).