While Java 25+ allows statements to appear before the super(…​) or this(…​) call in a constructor, this area should be reserved for simple validation, transformation, or preparation of arguments. Excessive logic in this "pre-construction" phase makes the code harder to read and maintain.

Why is this an issue?

The ability to place code before super() is intended for basic tasks like parameter validation or simple transformations. Using this space for complex logic obscures the primary purpose of the constructor, increases maintenance risk by introducing complex control flow before object initialization, and violates the separation of concerns.

How to fix it

Refactor complex pre-construction logic into private static helper methods or static factory methods. Keep statements before super() limited to simple validations and direct parameter transformations.

Parameters

statementsThreshold 
5

Maximum number of statements allowed before the constructor call.

Code examples

public class SecureFile extends File {
    public SecureFile(String path) {
        // Noncompliant: Validation and path normalization logic is too verbose
        if (path == null || path.isBlank()) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Path cannot be empty");
        }
        if (path.contains("..")) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Relative path traversal is forbidden");
        }
        if (path.startsWith("/root") || path.startsWith("/etc")) {
            throw new SecurityException("Access to system directories is restricted");
        }
        if (path.length() > 255) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Path exceeds maximum length");
        }
        if (!path.matches("^[a-zA-Z0-9/._-]+$")) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Path contains illegal characters");
        }

        String sanitizedPath = path.trim().replace("//", "/");
        if (sanitizedPath.endsWith("/")) {
            sanitizedPath = sanitizedPath.substring(0, sanitizedPath.length() - 1);
        }

        super(sanitizedPath);
    }
}

Compliant solution

public class SecureFile extends File {
    public SecureFile(String path) {
        // Compliant: Logic is encapsulated in static helpers
        validatePathSecurity(path);
        validatePathFormat(path);
        String sanitizedPath = normalizePath(path);
        super(sanitizedPath);
    }

    private static void validatePathSecurity(String path) {
        if (path == null || path.contains("..")) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid or dangerous path sequence");
        }
        if (path.startsWith("/root") || path.startsWith("/etc")) {
            throw new SecurityException("Access to system directories is restricted");
        }
    }

    private static void validatePathFormat(String path) {
        if (path.length() > 255 || !path.matches("^[a-zA-Z0-9/._-]+$")) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Path format or length is invalid");
        }
    }

    private static String normalizePath(String path) {
        String cleaned = path.trim().replace("//", "/");
        return cleaned.endsWith("/") ? cleaned.substring(0, cleaned.length() - 1) : cleaned;
    }
}

Documentation