Java constructor with large arguments or Java bean getter/setter approach

Question

I can\'t decide which approach is better for creating objects with a large number of fields (10+) (all mandatory) the constructor approach of the getter/setter. Constructor

Answer 1

In his book Code Complete, Steve McConnell argues that no procedure should ever have more than a maximum of 6, maybe 7 arguments. Most of these statements are not just his opinion but backed by studies, e.g. of error rates related to code structure.

Clean Code by Robert Martin goes even further: He recommends 1 or 2 arguments, while 3 is already considered a "code smell". Personally, I think Clean Code is a bit extreme in places, but on the whole it makes some good arguments.

"A whole bunch of parameters" (however many that may be) bespeaks a "kitchen sink" design with lots of afterthoughts and little structure. It also makes maintenance more difficult and error prone; at the very least, it makes code hard to read.

All this makes for good reasons to think about cutting down on the number of parameters. Other answers have offered some practical suggestions.