Default method parameter values

Question

I really, really think that they should incorporate default method parameter values in the next major release.
It is time-consuming, obstructing and confusing to have methods with 1...n parameters.
I.e.
public void doStuff(int id)
    doStuff(id,"",false,Collections.EMPTY_LIST, new Date());
public void doStuff(int id, String name)
doStuff(id,name,false,Collections.EMPTY_LIST, new Date());
public void doStuff(int id, String name, boolean sort)
doStuff(id,name,sort,Collections.EMPTY_LIST, new Date());
public void doStuff(int id, String name, boolean sort, List values)
doStuff(id,name,sort,values, new Date());
public void doStuff(int id, String name, boolean sort, List values, Date date)
doStuff(id,name,sort,values, date);
}Not to mention the amount of JavaDoc-tags it requires.
Wouldn't it just be simpler, more understandable and easier to have it as:
public void doStuff(int id, String name : "", boolean sort : false, List values : Collections.EMPTY_LIST, Date date : new Date())
    //Do the stuff here
}Suggestions?

Answer 1

I agree that getting default method parameter values implemented will be a good thing.
If you really have a large number of methods (>5) that usally just add a parameter with a default value, you could introduce a "Parameter Object" that contains the defaults for the parameters. The drawback is of course an extra indirection to get to the parameter.
class MyParameterClass() {
  String name = "";
  boolean sort = false;
  List values = Collections.EMPTY_LIST;
  Date date = new Date();
myMethod(String arga, String argb) {
   return myMethod(arga, argb, new MyParameterClass());
myMethod(String arga, String argb, MyParameterClass params) {
}arga and argb are there to illustrate you might have parameters you don't have defaults for. (Yes, you could include them in the constructor of MyParameterClass instead.)