MCPInstall

java-code-review

Systematic code review for Java with null safety, exception handling, concurrency, and performance checks. Use when user says "review code", "check this PR", "code review", or before merging changes.

Installs
1.1K
Last 24h
+9
Trending rank
#9191
Security
Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/decebals/claude-code-java --skill java-code-review
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads java-code-review automatically when relevant.

  3. 03

    Review the result

    The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Java Code Review Skill

Systematic code review checklist for Java projects.

When to Use

  • User says "review this code" / "check this PR" / "code review"
  • Before merging a PR
  • After implementing a feature

Review Strategy

  1. Quick scan - Understand intent, identify scope
  2. Checklist pass - Go through each category below
  3. Summary - List findings by severity (Critical → Minor)

Output Format

## Code Review: [file/feature name]

### Critical
- [Issue description + line reference + suggestion]

### Improvements
- [Suggestion + rationale]

### Minor/Style
- [Nitpicks, optional improvements]

### Good Practices Observed
- [Positive feedback - important for morale]

Review Checklist

1. Null Safety

Check for:

// ❌ NPE risk
String name = user.getName().toUpperCase();

// ✅ Safe
String name = Optional.ofNullable(user.getName())
    .map(String::toUpperCase)
    .orElse("");

// ✅ Also safe (early return)
if (user.getName() == null) {
    return "";
}
return user.getName().toUpperCase();

Flags:

  • Chained method calls without null checks
  • Missing @Nullable / @NonNull annotations on public APIs
  • Optional.get() without isPresent() check
  • Returning null from methods that could return Optional or empty collection

Suggest:

  • Use Optional for return types that may be absent
  • Use Objects.requireNonNull() for constructor/method params
  • Return empty collections instead of null: Collections.emptyList()

2. Exception Handling

Check for:

// ❌ Swallowing exceptions
try {
    process();
} catch (Exception e) {
    // silently ignored
}

// ❌ Catching too broad
catch (Exception e) { }
catch (Throwable t) { }

// ❌ Losing stack trace
catch (IOException e) {
    throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
}

// ✅ Proper handling
catch (IOException e) {
    log.error("Failed to process file: {}", filename, e);
    throw new ProcessingException("File processing failed", e);
}

Flags:

  • Empty catch blocks
  • Catching Exception or Throwable broadly
  • Losing original exception (not chaining)
  • Using exceptions for flow control
  • Checked exceptions leaking through API boundaries

Suggest:

  • Log with context AND stack trace
  • Use specific exception types
  • Chain exceptions with cause
  • Consider custom exceptions for domain errors

3. Collections & Streams

Check for:

// ❌ Modifying while iterating
for (Item item : items) {
    if (item.isExpired()) {
        items.remove(item);  // ConcurrentModificationException
    }
}

// ✅ Use removeIf
items.removeIf(Item::isExpired);

// ❌ Stream for simple operations
list.stream().forEach(System.out::println);

// ✅ Simple loop is cleaner
for (Item item : list) {
    System.out.println(item);
}

// ❌ Collecting to modify
List<String> names = users.stream()
    .map(User::getName)
    .collect(Collectors.toList());
names.add("extra");  // Might be immutable!

// ✅ Explicit mutable list
List<String> names = users.stream()
    .map(User::getName)
    .collect(Collectors.toCollection(ArrayList::new));

Flags:

  • Modifying collections during iteration
  • Overusing streams for simple operations
  • Assuming Collectors.toList() returns mutable list
  • Not using List.of(), Set.of(), Map.of() for immutable collections
  • Parallel streams without understanding implications

Suggest:

  • List.copyOf() for defensive copies
  • removeIf() instead of iterator removal
  • Streams for transformations, loops for side effects

4. Concurrency

Check for:

// ❌ Not thread-safe
private Map<String, User> cache = new HashMap<>();

// ✅ Thread-safe
private Map<String, User> cache = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();

// ❌ Check-then-act race condition
if (!map.containsKey(key)) {
    map.put(key, computeValue());
}

// ✅ Atomic operation
map.computeIfAbsent(key, k -> computeValue());

// ❌ Double-checked locking (broken without volatile)
if (instance == null) {
    synchronized(this) {
        if (instance == null) {
            instance = new Instance();
        }
    }
}

Flags:

  • Shared mutable state without synchronization
  • Check-then-act patterns without atomicity
  • Missing volatile on shared variables
  • Synchronized on non-final objects
  • Thread-unsafe lazy initialization

Suggest:

  • Prefer immutable objects
  • Use java.util.concurrent classes
  • AtomicReference, AtomicInteger for simple cases
  • Consider @ThreadSafe / @NotThreadSafe annotations

5. Java Idioms

equals/hashCode:

// ❌ Only equals without hashCode
@Override
public boolean equals(Object o) { ... }
// Missing hashCode!

// ❌ Mutable fields in hashCode
@Override
public int hashCode() {
    return Objects.hash(id, mutableField);  // Breaks HashMap
}

// ✅ Use immutable fields, implement both
@Override
public boolean equals(Object o) {
    if (this == o) return true;
    if (!(o instanceof User user)) return false;
    return Objects.equals(id, user.id);
}

@Override
public int hashCode() {
    return Objects.hash(id);
}

toString:

// ❌ Missing - hard to debug
// No toString()

// ❌ Including sensitive data
return "User{password='" + password + "'}";

// ✅ Useful for debugging
@Override
public String toString() {
    return "User{id=" + id + ", name='" + name + "'}";
}

Builders:

// ✅ For classes with many optional parameters
User user = User.builder()
    .name("John")
    .email("john@example.com")
    .build();

Flags:

  • equals without hashCode
  • Mutable fields in hashCode
  • Missing toString on domain objects
  • Constructors with > 3-4 parameters (suggest builder)
  • Not using instanceof pattern matching (Java 16+)

6. Resource Management

Check for:

// ❌ Resource leak
FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(file);
// ... might throw before close

// ✅ Try-with-resources
try (FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(file)) {
    // ...
}

// ❌ Multiple resources, wrong order
try (BufferedWriter writer = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(file))) {
    // FileWriter might not be closed if BufferedWriter fails
}

// ✅ Separate declarations
try (FileWriter fw = new FileWriter(file);
     BufferedWriter writer = new BufferedWriter(fw)) {
    // Both properly closed
}

Flags:

  • Not using try-with-resources for Closeable/AutoCloseable
  • Resources opened but not in try-with-resources
  • Database connections/statements not properly closed

7. API Design

Check for:

// ❌ Boolean parameters
process(data, true, false);  // What do these mean?

// ✅ Use enums or builder
process(data, ProcessMode.ASYNC, ErrorHandling.STRICT);

// ❌ Returning null for "not found"
public User findById(Long id) {
    return users.get(id);  // null if not found
}

// ✅ Return Optional
public Optional<User> findById(Long id) {
    return Optional.ofNullable(users.get(id));
}

// ❌ Accepting null collections
public void process(List<Item> items) {
    if (items == null) items = Collections.emptyList();
}

// ✅ Require non-null, accept empty
public void process(List<Item> items) {
    Objects.requireNonNull(items, "items must not be null");
}

Flags:

  • Boolean parameters (prefer enums)
  • Methods with > 3 parameters (consider parameter object)
  • Inconsistent null handling across similar methods
  • Missing validation on public API inputs

8. Performance Considerations

Check for:

// ❌ String concatenation in loop
String result = "";
for (String s : strings) {
    result += s;  // Creates new String each iteration
}

// ✅ StringBuilder
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
for (String s : strings) {
    sb.append(s);
}

// ❌ Regex compilation in loop
for (String line : lines) {
    if (line.matches("pattern.*")) { }  // Compiles regex each time
}

// ✅ Pre-compiled pattern
private static final Pattern PATTERN = Pattern.compile("pattern.*");
for (String line : lines) {
    if (PATTERN.matcher(line).matches()) { }
}

// ❌ N+1 in loops
for (User user : users) {
    List<Order> orders = orderRepo.findByUserId(user.getId());
}

// ✅ Batch fetch
Map<Long, List<Order>> ordersByUser = orderRepo.findByUserIds(userIds);

Flags:

  • String concatenation in loops
  • Regex compilation in loops
  • N+1 query patterns
  • Creating objects in tight loops that could be reused
  • Not using primitive streams (IntStream, LongStream)

9. Testing Hints

Suggest tests for:

  • Null inputs
  • Empty collections
  • Boundary values
  • Exception cases
  • Concurrent access (if applicable)

Severity Guidelines

SeverityCriteria
CriticalSecurity vulnerability, data loss risk, production crash
HighBug likely, significant performance issue, breaks API contract
MediumCode smell, maintainability issue, missing best practice
LowStyle, minor optimization, suggestion

Token Optimization

  • Focus on changed lines (use git diff)
  • Don't repeat obvious issues - group similar findings
  • Reference line numbers, not full code quotes
  • Skip files that are auto-generated or test fixtures

Quick Reference Card

CategoryKey Checks
Null SafetyChained calls, Optional misuse, null returns
ExceptionsEmpty catch, broad catch, lost stack trace
CollectionsModification during iteration, stream vs loop
ConcurrencyShared mutable state, check-then-act
Idiomsequals/hashCode pair, toString, builders
Resourcestry-with-resources, connection leaks
APIBoolean params, null handling, validation
PerformanceString concat, regex in loop, N+1

FAQ

What does the java-code-review skill do?

Systematic code review for Java with null safety, exception handling, concurrency, and performance checks. Use when user says "review code", "check this PR", "code review", or before merging changes.

How do I install java-code-review?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/decebals/claude-code-java --skill java-code-review in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/java-code-review/ (personal) or .claude/skills/java-code-review/ (project).

Which AI agents can use java-code-review?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is java-code-review safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains java-code-review?

It is published by decebals in decebals/claude-code-java. It has 1,056 recorded installs.

More from decebals/claude-code-java

View all →

clean-code

decebals/claude-code-java

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

concurrency-review

decebals/claude-code-java

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

solid-principles

decebals/claude-code-java

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

Backend & APIs350 installs

architecture-review

decebals/claude-code-java

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

design-patterns

decebals/claude-code-java

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

Backend & APIs340 installs

spring-boot-patterns

decebals/claude-code-java

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

Backend & APIs327 installs

Popular code quality & workflow skills

View category →

grill-me

mattpocock/skills

A relentless interview to sharpen a plan or design.

Scan a codebase for deepening opportunities, present them as a visual HTML report, then grill through whichever one you pick.

handoff

mattpocock/skills

Compact the current conversation into a handoff document for another agent to pick up.

domain-modeling

mattpocock/skills

Build and sharpen a project's domain model. Use when discussing codebase terminology, writing or editing a GLOSSARY.md, or recording or editing an ADR.

codebase-design

mattpocock/skills

Shared vocabulary for designing deep modules. Use when the user wants to design or improve a module's interface, find deepening opportunities, decide where a seam goes, make code more testable or AI-navigable, or when another skill needs the deep-module vocabulary.

diagnosing-bugs

mattpocock/skills

Diagnosis loop for hard bugs and performance regressions. Use when the user says "diagnose"/"debug this", or reports something broken/throwing/failing/slow.