1. There should be only one single exit point to each method (use if-else whenever needed). 2. When using if-else, make sure to place the shorter code snippet in the if: if (cond) { } else { ... ... . . . } 3. Do not throw exceptions if you can avoid it, it makes your code much slower, if you feel like throwing something and then catching it – go play ball with your dog. If you don’t have a dog ge