Are there any Java method ordering conventions?

Some conventions list all the public methods first, and then all the private ones - that means it's easy to separate the API from the implementation, even when there's no interface involved, if you see what I mean.

Another idea is to group related methods together - this makes it easier to spot seams where you could split your existing large class into several smaller, more targeted ones.


  1. Class (static) variables: First the public class variables, then the protected, and then the private.

  2. Instance variables: First public, then protected, and then private.

  3. Constructors

  4. Methods: These methods should be grouped by functionality rather than by scope or accessibility. For example, a private class method can be in between two public instance methods. The goal is to make reading and understanding the code easier.

Source: https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/codeconventions-fileorganization.html