return-meaningful-types

• Example: Map<String, Map<PhoneType, String>> is hard to understanding

  • could infer from body, docs, method name but add more verbosity

  • use a simpler return type ie PhoneBook

• This is a form of primitive obsession

  • writers want to stick with using only primitives, or base types

• Having complex types can lead to problems with having to change this return type

  • Encapsulating this will be better, allows for easier chagnes

• This example is solved by making Collections first class

  • Wrapping the collection in class

  • avoids pass around complex or hard to understand collections with primitives

  • Behaviours which are not part of collections api are encapsulated and can have complex uses of api as an encapsulated method

  • https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/139353/why-should-we-preferably-use-first-class-collections