JLinX – Blog

• The name of the method should describe what the method actually does.
• A method should do one and only one thing.
• A method should either DO something or RETURN something.  If it returns something, you should be able to call the method over and over with no negative consequences.
• The method should be viewable without scrolling.  Fewer than 10 lines of code is desirable (my pain point).
• The method should take few arguments.  If the method needs more, refactor to require and object that contains all the information required (parameter object).
• The method depends only on method parameters or members passed into the class constructor.
• A method should only have one indented code block – don’t nest code blocks.  Extract method first.
• Don’t try/catch in a method unless you can handle the exception or add value.  Let the exception bubble up to a point where you can actually do something about the exception.

(Quelle: How to design a single method – Jeffrey Palermo)