My team does not assert

Question

I came back to Java after some years working mostly Python and C/C++. I often worked using asserts among other constructions. Today it's difficult to me to mindset me not to use assertions.

$ java -help 2>&1 | grep -2 "\-ea"
    -? -help      print this help message
    -X            print help on non-standard options
    -ea[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
    -enableassertions[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
                  enable assertions with specified granularity

My team does not use -ea under no circumstances, so I'm using constructs like:

assert COND;
if (! COND) {
    throw new AssertionError("COND was not true");
}

Where I would just put assert COND;.

Often like:

assert variable != null;
if (variable == null) {
    throw new AssertionError("variable was null");
}

Where I would just put assert variable != null;.

Do you have any comment on this or on on how can this be improved?

Answer 1

My team does not use -ea under no circumstances

Well, then change that? Shouldn't be difficult/hurt much to add that to a test server.

assert COND;
if (! COND) {
    throw new AssertionError("COND was not true");
}

Those things are not the same. One can be turned off, the other can't.

Always-enforced validation might be used for sanitation of untrusted inputs.

Assertions on the other hand should only be used to guard against programmer errors.