Always maintain alphabetical ordering for lists of elements including dependencies, modules, configuration entries, and other similar collections. This convention improves code organization, makes it easier to locate items, prevents duplications, and ensures consistency across the codebase. When adding new elements to existing lists, ensure they are placed in the correct alphabetical position: ```gradle dependencies { // Correct: alphabetically ordered dockerTestRuntimeOnly("com.ibm.db2:jcc") dockerTestRuntimeOnly("io.r2dbc:r2dbc-mssql") dockerTestRuntimeOnly("org.postgresql:postgresql") dockerTestRuntimeOnly("org.postgresql:r2dbc-postgresql") // Incorrect: not alphabetically ordered dockerTestRuntimeOnly("io.r2dbc:r2dbc-mssql") dockerTestRuntimeOnly("org.postgresql:postgresql") dockerTestRuntimeOnly("org.postgresql:r2dbc-postgresql") dockerTestRuntimeOnly("com.ibm.db2:jcc") // Wrong position } ``` This rule applies to all list-like structures including gradle dependencies, spring.factories entries, module definitions, and similar configuration files throughout the project.