Because Java projects are so often tied to mission-critical Web applications, Java developers often find themselves writing applications under cruelly insufficient time frames. The urge to cut corners in an effort to demonstrate progress can be great. But for every shortcut, do not doubt that there is a tradeoff down the line.
Experienced and successful developers know that a well-designed application can serve as a foundation for years of iterative improvements, and that an ad hoc development environment will usually result in applications with very short life cycles. By adopting these 10 maxims you should be able to get your project out the door on time (or close to it) while preserving the quality and longevity of what you output.
Editor's Note: The tips published here are excerpted from Bruce Eckel's book, "Thinking in Java, Second Edition," (Prentice Hall, 2000). It is the first article in a series of similar articles where Eckel shares his explicit advice on Java development, design, and implementation.
Elegance always pays off 
Use bare bones methodology 
First make it work, then make it fast 
Automate everything 
Remember the "divide and conquer" principle 
Write test code early 
Separate the class creator from the class user (client programmer) 
Get abstract 
Name classes intelligently 
An indirection should have a meaning 
Eckel's Ten Java Maxims for Good Design Implementation
