Hey everyone! I'm proofreading a Java book that mentions the 'Law of the Big 3', but I've never heard this term before. If anyone has, could you share when and where you first encountered it? And what do you think the concept is about?
5 Answers
This term sounds like a load of nonsense to me. I've been working with Java since version 1.1, and this is the first time I'm hearing of it. Just saying, you might want to flag it for the publisher if it feels off.
Honestly, I’ve been in this field for 25 years and I have no clue about this term. It doesn't seem to be a common Java term, even the older ones. However, it looks like it might be related to the ‘Rule of Three’ from C++. That's about ensuring if you define any of hashCode, equals, or toString, you should probably define all three. Some people think it might also involve compareTo instead of toString. In Java, I can't think of a standard name for that, but there's the idea of objects being ‘good citizens’ that vaguely fits.
If you’re proofreading, doesn’t the book explain what it means? That might help clarify things for you!
It does mention it, but I’m curious if it rings a bell for anyone, as I find the term a bit confusing.
I’ve been a Java developer for over 22 years, and I’ve never come across that term either. I think it’s totally valid for you to ask this question. You just want to see if others are familiar with it in a Java context.
Looks like some people just don’t get the point of your question.
I think ultimately, this whole ‘Big 3’ concept is just an overblown reference that doesn’t hold much weight in the Java community. There’s just so many variations and interpretations.
Isn’t the rule of three in C++ really about constructors and destructors?