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Lecture 3 Methods and Constructors

The lecture discusses methods, constructors, objects, classes and the this keyword in Java. It defines methods and constructors, explains how to create objects using constructors, access object data and methods via references, and use the this keyword to refer to hidden fields or invoke constructors.

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biswa
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33 views

Lecture 3 Methods and Constructors

The lecture discusses methods, constructors, objects, classes and the this keyword in Java. It defines methods and constructors, explains how to create objects using constructors, access object data and methods via references, and use the this keyword to refer to hidden fields or invoke constructors.

Uploaded by

biswa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 3

Methods and Constructors


Outcome of the Lecture

Upon completion of this lecture you will be able to


✓ Understand and write methods and constructors
✓ Create Objects using constructors
✓ Access objects via reference variable
✓ Writing and using complete classes
✓ Use of this keyword
Outline of the Presentation

✓ Defining and invoking Methods


✓ main() method
✓ Constructors
✓ Constructing Objects using constructors
✓ Reference variables and reference types
✓ Accessing Object’s data and methods via reference
variables
✓ this keyword
Defining and invoking Methods

Defining and invoking Methods


✓ A method is a collection of statements that are grouped together to perform an operation.
Define a method Invoke a method

return value method formal


modifier type name parameters
int z = max(x, y);
method
public static int max(int num1, int num2) {
header
actual parameters
int result; (arguments)
method
body parameter list
if (num1 > num2)
result = num1;
else
method
result = num2; signature

return result; return value


}
main() method

Special Methods
✓ main() method
✓ constructors

main() method
• Execution starts from main() method
• main is defined as
public static void main(String[] args)

public: so that it may be accessed outside the class by JVM


static: need not to create any instance (object) to call main() by JVM
void: does not return any value to JVM
main: registered name of the method to be called by JVM
String[] args: command line arguments of String type
Constructors

Special Methods
✓ main() method
✓ constructors
Constructors
• Constructors are a special kind of methods that are invoked to construct objects
• Constructors must have the same name as the class itself.
• Constructors do not have a return type—not even void.
• A constructor with no parameters is referred to as a no-argument constructor (parameter
less constructor)

No argument Constructor Parameterized Constructor


Circle() { Circle(double newRadius) {
} radius = newRadius;
}
Constructing Objects using Constructors

✓ Constructors are invoked using the new operator when an object is created.

new ClassName();
Example
new Circle(); // creating object using no argument constructor
new Circle(5.0); // creating object using parameterized constructor

Default Constructor
* A no-arg constructor with an empty body is implicitly declared in the
class, if class is declared without constructors.
* This is called default constructor
* This provided automatically only if no constructors are explicitly
declared in the class.
Reference Variables and Reference Types

✓ A class defines a type called reference type e.g. Circle


✓ Objects are accessed via object reference variables which contains references
to objects
ClassName objectRefVar;
Example:
Circle myCircle;
Creating Objects and assigning reference in single step
ClassName objectRefVar = new ClassName();
Reference variable Create an object
Example:Reference type
Circle myCircle = new Circle();

* If a data field of a reference type does not reference any object, the data field
holds a special literal value, null
Accessing Object’s data and methods via reference variables

✓ Referencing the object’s data:


objectRefVar.data
e.g., myCircle.radius
data field radius is instance variable because it is dependent on a specific instance
✓ Invoking the object’s method:
objectRefVar.methodName(arguments)
e.g., myCircle.getArea()
method getArea() is instance method because it is dependent on a specific instance
Complete Java Program (Circle.java)

public class Circle {


double radius = 1.0;
Circle() {
}
Circle(double newRadius) {
radius = newRadius;
}
double getArea() {
return radius * radius * Math.PI;
}
public static void main(String args[]) {
Circle myCircle = new Circle(10);
System.out.println(“Area is “+myCircle.getArea());
}
}
Variation in Circle.java

If default constructor is not defined explicitly

public class Circle {


• Default constructor will not be double radius = 1.0;
provided implicitly Circle(double newRadius) {
• Can not create instance of circle radius = newRadius;
}
using double getArea() {
return radius * radius * Math.PI;
Circle myCircle = new Circle(); }
public static void main(String args[]) {
Circle myCircle = new Circle(10);
System.out.println(“Area is “+myCircle.getArea());
}
}
this keyword

✓Refers to calling object itself

✓Used to
• To refer to hidden data field of the class
• To enable a constructor to invoke another
constructor of same class (statement that uses the
keyword this appear first in the constructor)
this keyword

class This{
int i;
public This(){
this(5); Invoking parameterized constructor
}
public This(int i){
this.i=i; Referring hidden data member i
}
public void show(){
System.out.println("i = "+i);
}
} public This(int x){ public This(int x){
Equivalent to
public class DemoThis{ x=i; this.x=i;
public static void main(String[] a){ } }
This t1 = new This();
t1.show();
This t2 = new This(20);
t2.show();
}
}

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