Do not return internal array

Documentos > Code Analysis > Static Analysis Rules > Do not return internal array

This page is not yet available in Spanish. We are working on its translation.
If you have any questions or feedback about our current translation project, feel free to reach out to us!

Metadata

ID: java-best-practices/return-internal-array

Language: Java

Severity: Warning

Category: Best Practices

Description

Avoid returning an array that was defined as a class member. If you want to return an array or the values of the array that is a class member, consider returning a copy of the array.

Non-Compliant Code Examples

public class SecureSystem {
    String foo;
    UserData [] ud;
    Object bar;
    public void something() {

    }
    public UserData [] getUserData() {
        return ud;
    }
    public void somethingElse() {
        
    }
}

Compliant Code Examples

public class SecureSystem {
    String foo;
    
    Object bar;
    public void something() {

    }
    public UserData [] getUserData() {
        UserData [] ud;
        return ud;
    }
    public void somethingElse() {
        
    }
}