The idea of chained calls all returning this forms the basis of the phenomenally useful Builder Pattern, from Bloch's "Effective Java". There are three main re

The idea of chained calls all returning this forms the basis of the phenomenally useful Builder Pattern, from Bloch's "Effective Java". There are three main reasons for using the Builder Pattern: 1) Allows for "constructor-like" calls to functions that don't necessarily share the name of the class. 2) Allows for complex, multi-parameter "constructor-like" calls without needing to make one massive function call. 3) Allows intermediate argument checking on particular constructor arguments, and allows sane optional constructor arguments. (I find this pattern very useful). See: http://rwhansen.blogspot.com/2007/07/theres-builder-pattern-that-joshua.html http://rwhansen.blogspot.com/2007/07/theres-builder-pattern-... http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5007355/builder-pattern-in-effective-java http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5007355/builder-pattern-i... https://manuelselva.wordpress.com/2010/04/09/effective-java-2nd-edition-builder-pattern-in-eclipse/ https://manuelselva.wordpress.com/2010/04/09/effective-java-...