diff --git a/src/main/java/org/json/CookieList.java b/src/main/java/org/json/CookieList.java
index 8ad8b589d..03e54b997 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/json/CookieList.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/json/CookieList.java
@@ -46,19 +46,19 @@ public static JSONObject toJSONObject(String string) throws JSONException {
      * @throws JSONException if a called function fails
      */
     public static String toString(JSONObject jo) throws JSONException {
-        boolean             b = false;
+        boolean             isEndOfPair = false;
         final StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
         // Don't use the new entrySet API to maintain Android support
         for (final String key : jo.keySet()) {
             final Object value = jo.opt(key);
             if (!JSONObject.NULL.equals(value)) {
-                if (b) {
+                if (isEndOfPair) {
                     sb.append(';');
                 }
                 sb.append(Cookie.escape(key));
                 sb.append("=");
                 sb.append(Cookie.escape(value.toString()));
-                b = true;
+                isEndOfPair = true;
             }
         }
         return sb.toString();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/json/NumberConversionUtil.java b/src/main/java/org/json/NumberConversionUtil.java
index d53c5e277..c2f16d74c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/json/NumberConversionUtil.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/json/NumberConversionUtil.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ static Number stringToNumber(final String input) throws NumberFormatException {
             val = "-0."+val.substring(2);
         }
         char initial = val.charAt(0);
-        if ((initial >= '0' && initial <= '9') || initial == '-' ) {
+        if ( isNumericChar(initial) || initial == '-' ) {
             // decimal representation
             if (isDecimalNotation(val)) {
                 // Use a BigDecimal all the time so we keep the original
@@ -53,13 +53,13 @@ static Number stringToNumber(final String input) throws NumberFormatException {
             initial = val.charAt(0);
             if(initial == '0' && val.length() > 1) {
                 char at1 = val.charAt(1);
-                if(at1 >= '0' && at1 <= '9') {
+                if(isNumericChar(at1)) {
                     throw new NumberFormatException("val ["+input+"] is not a valid number.");
                 }
             } else if (initial == '-' && val.length() > 2) {
                 char at1 = val.charAt(1);
                 char at2 = val.charAt(2);
-                if(at1 == '0' && at2 >= '0' && at2 <= '9') {
+                if(at1 == '0' && isNumericChar(at2)) {
                     throw new NumberFormatException("val ["+input+"] is not a valid number.");
                 }
             }
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@ static Number stringToNumber(final String input) throws NumberFormatException {
         throw new NumberFormatException("val ["+input+"] is not a valid number.");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Checks if the character is a numeric digit ('0' to '9').
+     *
+     * @param c The character to be checked.
+     * @return true if the character is a numeric digit, false otherwise.
+     */
+    private static boolean isNumericChar(char c) {
+        return (c <= '9' && c >= '0');
+    }
+
     /**
      * Checks if the value could be considered a number in decimal number system.
      * @param value
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/json/XML.java b/src/main/java/org/json/XML.java
index 04c8bcd2e..a94c3fc4b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/json/XML.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/json/XML.java
@@ -847,14 +847,14 @@ private static String toString(final Object object, final String tagName, final
 
 
         string = (object == null) ? "null" : escape(object.toString());
-
+        String indentationSuffix = (indentFactor > 0) ? "\n" : "";
         if(tagName == null){
-            return indent(indent) + "\"" + string + "\"" + ((indentFactor > 0) ? "\n" : "");
+            return indent(indent) + "\"" + string + "\"" + indentationSuffix;
         } else if(string.length() == 0){
-            return indent(indent) + "<" + tagName + "/>" + ((indentFactor > 0) ? "\n" : "");
+            return indent(indent) + "<" + tagName + "/>" + indentationSuffix;
         } else {
             return indent(indent) + "<" + tagName
-                    + ">" + string + "</" + tagName + ">" + ((indentFactor > 0) ? "\n" : "");
+                    + ">" + string + "</" + tagName + ">" + indentationSuffix;
         }
     }