Java Essentials

Object-Oriented Design, IV1350

Contents

Contents
1 Arrays and Lists 1

2 Objects 2

3 Constructors 3

4 References 4

5 Exceptions 5

6 Javadoc 6

7 Annotations 6

8 Interfaces 6

9 Inheritance 7

1 Arrays and Lists

Array
An array is appropriate if the number of elements is fixed and known.
int[] myArray = new int[5];

List

• It is better to use a java.util.List if the number of elements is not both fixed and known.
1 import java.util.ArrayList;
2 import java.util.List;
3
4 public class Lists {
5 public static void main(String[] args) {
6 List myList = new ArrayList();
7 myList.add("Hej");

1
 8 myList.add(3);
9 }
10 }

• A List can contain objects of any class, this example stores a String (line 7) and an Integer
(line 8).

Generic List

• The list content can be restricted to objects of one specific class.

– Adding <String> on line six specifies that the list may only contain String objects.
– Adding <> on line seven specifies that this holds also for the created ArrayList.
1 import java.util.ArrayList;
2 import java.util.List;
3
4 public class Lists {
5 public static void main(String[] args) {
6 List<String> myList =
7 new ArrayList<>();
8 myList.add("Hej");
9 myList.add("Hopp");
10 }
11 }

Generic List (Cont’d)

• A generic list can be iterated using a for-each loop, see lines 11-13.
1 import java.util.ArrayList;
2 import java.util.List;
3
4 public class Lists {
5 public static void main(String[] args) {
6 List<String> myList =
7 new ArrayList<>();
8 myList.add("Hej");
9 myList.add("Hopp");
10
11 for(String value : myList) {
12 System.out.println(value);
13 }
14 }
15 }

2 Objects
What is an Object?

• The goal of object-oriented programming is to declare classes that group data and methods oper-
ating on that data.
• A class represents an abstraction, for example person. An object of the class represents a specific
instance of the class, for example the person you.

2
Code Example

• Create project in NetBeans

• Create class

Use static Very Restrictively

• Static fields are shared by all objects of the class.

• If for example the account balance was static, all accounts would have the same balance. Such a
program would be useless.

• Since fields can not be static, neither can methods since static methods can only access static
fields.

• Static fields and methods are normally not used at all, except in few very special cases.

Creating New Objects

Whenever we want to create a new account, we create a new object of the Account class. This is
done with the operator new.
Account acct = new Account(1234567, 100);

Code Example

• Create an Account object and use it

• Demonstrate the debugger

3 Constructors
Providing Initial Values

• The constructor is used to provide initial values to newly created objects.

1 public class Account {
2 private long acctNo;
3 private int balance;
4
5 public Account(long acctNo, int balance) {
6 this.acctNo = acctNo;
7 this.balance = balance;
8 }
9 //The methods are not showed.
10 }

• The values passed to the constructor are saved in the object’s fields on lines 6 and 7.

• Sending parameters to a constructor is just like sending parameters to a method.

3
Calling the Constructor
Account acct = new Account(1234567, 100);

• The constructor is invoked when an new object is created.

• Parameters are passed to the constructor just the same way parameters are passed when an ordinary
method is called.

The Variable this

The variable this always refers to the current object.
1 public class Account {
2 private long acctNo;
3 private int balance;
4
5 public Account(long acctNo, int balance) {
6 this.acctNo = acctNo;
7 this.balance = balance;
8 }

• Lines 6 and 7 illustrate the use of this.

• this.balance on line 7 refers to the field declared on line 3.

• balance on line 7 refers to the constructor parameter declared on line 5.

• These are two different variables.

More Than One Constructor

1 public class Account {
2 private long acctNo;
3 private int balance;
4
5 public Account(long acctNo) {
6 this(acctNo, 0);
7 }
8
9 public Account(long acctNo, int balance) {
10 this.acctNo = acctNo;
11 this.balance = balance;
12 }
13 }

• We need more constructors if we do not always provide the same set of initialization parameters.
• The constructor on lines 5-7 is used when no initial balance is specified.
• Calls constructor on lines 9-11, with balance = 0.

4 References
A Reference Is a Value

• The new operator returns a reference to the newly created object.

4
 • A reference can, like any other value, be stored in variables, sent to methods, sent to constructors,
etc.

• Whenever the new operator is used, a new object with a new reference is created. Many bugs
arise because wrong reference is used.

Code Example

• Passing references

• It is impossible to follow the course without understanding the following example.

5 Exceptions
Exception Changes Execution

• Method throwing exception is interrupted.

• Execution continues in catch block in calling method.
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
ClassThatThrowsException ctte = new ClassThatThrowsException();
System.out.println("before call to methodThatThrowsException");
ctte.methodThatThrowsException(true);
System.out.println("after call to methodThatThrowsException");
} catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println("in catch block");
}
}
}

public class ClassThatThrowsException {

public void methodThatThrowsException(boolean throwException) throws Exception {
System.out.println("Before throw");
if (throwException) {
throw new Exception("Information about the exception");
}
System.out.println("After throw");
}
}
The code above prints the following.
before call to methodThatThrowsException
Before throw
in catch block

5
Code Example

• The catch block need not be in calling method.

• Can be placed further up in the method call stack.

• Illustrated in the following code example.

Runtime Exceptions

• All examples so far have been checked exceptions.

• There are also runtime exceptions, which inherits the class java.lang.RuntimeException.

• Runtime exceptions do not have to be specified in a throws clause.

6 Javadoc
Javadoc

• Javadoc is used to generate html pages with code documentation.

• It is strongly recommended to write Javadoc for all declarations (classes, interfaces, methods,
fields etc) that are not private.

• A Javadoc comment is written between /** and */.

• The tags @param and @return are used to document method parameters and return values.

Code Example
Write Javadoc comments and generate html pages.

7 Annotations
Annotations

• Annotations provide information about a piece of source code for the compiler, JVM or something
else.

• Usually used for properties unrelated to the functionality of the source code, for example to con-
figure security, networking or multithreading.

• Starts with the at sign, @, for example @SomeAnnotation.

• May take parameters, for example @SomeAnnotation(someString = ‘‘abc’’, someBoolean

= true)

6
8 Interfaces
Interface Is a Contract

• An interface is a contract. A class implementing the interface must fulfill the contract specified
by the interface.

• The contract is specified as a set of methods. The implementing class must provide implementa-
tions for those methods.

• The methods must do what is intended in the interface. This should be documented in the interface.

• All declarations in an interface are always public.

Interface Example
The following interface defines the contract Write the specified string to the log.
public interface Logger {
/**
* Writes the specified message to the log.
* @param message This string is written
* to the log.
*/
void log(String message);
}

The interface is implemented by the following class.

public class FileLogger implements Logger {
...
public void log(String message) {
//write to file
}
}

The @Override Annotation

• The @Override annotation specifies that the annotated method should be inherited from a
superclass or interface.

• A compiler error will result if the method is not inherited.

• Always use @Override for inherited methods since it eliminates the risk of accidentally speci-
fying a new method.

• For example accidentally naming the method logg instead of log in the implementing class in
the previous example.

9 Inheritance
Inheritance
Everything in the superclass that is not private is also present in the the subclass.

7
public class Superclass {
public void methodInSuperclass() {
System.out.println(
"Printed from methodInSuperclass");
}
}

public class Subclass extends Superclass {

public static void main(String[] args) {
Subclass subclass = new Subclass();
subclass.methodInSuperclass();
}
}

The program above prints the following.

Printed from methodInSuperclass

Override (Omdefiniera)

• A method in the subclass with the same signature as the method in the superclass will override
the superclass’ method.

• A method’s signature consists of its name and parameter list.

• Overriding means that the overriding method will be executed instead of the overridden.

• Do not confuse with overloading (överlagra), which is to have methods with same name but dif-
ferent signatures, due to different parameter lists. This has nothing to do with inheritance.

Override Example
public class Superclass {
public void overriddenMethod() {
System.out.println("Printed from overriddenMethod" +
" in superclass");
}
}

public class Subclass extends Superclass {

@Override
public void overriddenMethod() {
System.out.println("Printed from overriddenMethod" +
" in subclass");
}

public static void main(String[] args) {

Subclass subclass = new Subclass();
subclass.overriddenMethod();
}
}

The program above prints the following.

Printed from overriddenMethod in subclass

8
To Call the Superclass
super is a reference to the superclass.
public class Superclass {
public void overridenMethod() {
System.out.println("Printed from Superclass");
}
}

public class Subclass extends Superclass {

public void overridenMethod() {
System.out.println("Printed from Subclass");
super.overridenMethod();
}

public static void main(String[] args) {

Subclass subclass = new Subclass();
subclass.overridenMethod();
}
}

The program above prints the following.

Printed from Subclass
Printed from Superclass

The assigned instance is executed, not the declared type.

public class Superclass {
public void overriddenMethod() {
System.out.println("Printed from overriddenMethod" +
" in superclass");
}
}

public class Subclass extends Superclass {

@Override
public void overriddenMethod() {
System.out.println("Printed from overriddenMethod" +
" in subclass");
}

public static void main(String[] args) {

Subclass subclass = new Subclass();
subclass.overriddenMethod();
Superclass superclass = new Subclass();
superclass.overriddenMethod();
}
}

The program above prints the following.

Printed from overriddenMethod in subclass
Printed from overriddenMethod in subclass