Coding Conventions

While coding:

• Prevent to add extra spaces/line breaks, even when there are already existing ones in the code between statements. Below is an example that comes from net.minecraft.entity.item.EntityItem#attackEntityFrom(DamageSource, float):

//snip
this.setBeenAttacked();
this.health = (int)((float)this.health - p_70097_2_);

if (this.health <= 0)
{
    this.setDead();
}

return false;
//snip

Lets say we add an if-statement between this.setBeenAttacked(); and this.health = (int)((float)this.health - p_70097_2_);. It seems that if-statements get extra spaces/line breaks in the original code. However, when contributing to a java.patch-file you should always try to keep the changes as minimal as possible. So, don't do:

//snip
this.setBeenAttacked();
++
++  if(isCondition) return false;
++
this.health = (int)((float)this.health - p_70097_2_);

if (this.health <= 0)
{
    this.setDead();
}

return false;
//snip

But do:

//snip
this.setBeenAttacked();
++ if(isCondition) return false;
this.health = (int)((float)this.health - p_70097_2_);

if (this.health <= 0)
{
    this.setDead();
}

return false;
//snip

• In spirit of the previous point: prevent to add more lines than necessary. If you can reduce your statement to one single line, please do so. Example here is an if-statement that could be written as follows to improve readability:

if((float)this.field_70291_e - p_70097_2_ <= 0.0F)
{
    if(net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeHooks.onItemDeath(this, p_70097_1_))
    {
        return false;
    }
}

However, to keep changes to .java.patch-files as minimal as possible. Try to write that statement to one single line:

if((float)this.field_70291_e - p_70097_2_ <= 0.0F && net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeHooks.onItemDeath(this, p_70097_1_)) return false;

• Prevent using imports and try using full qualifications in the code. Using imports will generate extra lines in patch-files which can be prevented. Imports that are already in the file are not your concern. Example below:

//snip
import net.minecraft.otherimports
import net.minecraftforge.event.GenericEvent
import net.minecraftforge.otherimports
//snip
        if (isCondition) MinecraftForge.EVENT_BUS.post(new GenericEvent());
//snip

Instead try to code it as:

//snip
import net.minecraft.otherimports
import net.minecraftforge.otherimports
//snip
        if (isCondition) MinecraftForge.EVENT_BUS.post(new net.minecraftforge.event.GenericEvent());
//snip

Sidenote: The previous example can be improved further. As FML/Forge, and Cloud as extension, is trying to move away from imports try to use net.minecraftforge.common.MinecraftForge even when an existing import is already there. An even better way is to add a function in net.minecraftforge.event.EventFactory or net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeHooks and use the full qualification function names.

Before gradlew genPatches & Committing

Before committing, check if your IDE hasn't put in extra spaces/line breaks in the import section of your java-file. Eclipse tend to reorganize the imports to improve readability and will cause extra spaces/line breaks to appear in the .java.patch-files. Review your patches (ClassName.java.patch) and the diff-states of your uncommitted changes on these patches for extra ++'s or + +'s. This means an extra space/line break has been added. Keep in mind that the original .java.patch-file never add extra spaces/break lines in between imports.