Motivations

• After learning the preceding chapters, you are capable

of solving many programming problems using
selections, loops, methods, and arrays.
Chapter 9 • However, these Java features are not sufficient for
Objects and Classes developing graphical user interfaces and large scale
software systems.
• Suppose you want to develop a graphical user interface
as shown below. How do you program it?

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OO Programming Concepts Objects

• Object-oriented programming (OOP) involves Class Name: Circle A class template

programming using objects. Data Fields:

radius is _______

• An object represents an entity in the real world that can be Methods:

getArea

distinctly identified.
• For example, a student, a desk, a circle, a button, and even Circle Object 1 Circle Object 2 Circle Object 3 Three objects of
the Circle class
Data Fields: Data Fields: Data Fields:
a loan can all be viewed as objects. radius is 10 radius is 25 radius is 125

• An object has a unique identity, state, and behaviors.

An object has both a state and behavior. The state
• The state of an object consists of a set of data fields (also
defines the object, and the behavior defines what
known as properties) with their current values.
the object does.
• The behavior of an object is defined by a set of methods.
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 Classes Classes
class Circle {
/** The radius of this circle */
• Classes are constructs that define objects of the double radius = 1.0; Data field
same type.
/** Construct a circle object */
Circle() {
• A Java class uses variables to define data fields }
Constructors
and methods to define behaviors. /** Construct a circle object */
Circle(double newRadius) {
• Additionally, a class provides a special type of radius = newRadius;
}
methods, known as constructors, which are
/** Return the area of this circle */
invoked to construct objects from the class. double getArea() { Method
return radius * radius * 3.14159;
}
}
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UML Class Diagram Constructors

Constructors are a special
UML Class Diagram Circle Class name Circle() { kind of methods that are
radius: double Data fields } invoked to construct objects.
Circle() Constructors and
Circle(newRadius: double) methods
getArea(): double
Circle(double newRadius) {
circle1: Circle circle2: Circle circle3: Circle UML notation
for objects
radius = newRadius;
radius = 1.0 radius = 25 radius = 125
}

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 Constructors, cont. Creating Objects Using Constructors
• A constructor with no parameters is referred to
as a no-arg constructor. new ClassName();

• Constructors must have the same name as the

class itself. Example:
new Circle();
• Constructors do not have a return type—not
even void.
new Circle(5.0);
• Constructors are invoked using the new
operator when an object is created. Constructors
play the role of initializing objects.
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Default Constructor Declaring Object Reference Variables

• A class may be declared without constructors. • To reference an object, assign the object to a
reference variable.
• In this case, a no-arg constructor with an empty
body is implicitly declared in the class. • To declare a reference variable, use the syntax:
• This constructor, called a default constructor, is
provided automatically only if no constructors ClassName objectRefVar;
are explicitly declared in the class.
Example:
Circle myCircle;

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 Declaring/Creating Objects Accessing Objects
in a Single Step • Referencing the object’s data:
objectRefVar.data
ClassName objectRefVar = new ClassName();
e.g., myCircle.radius
Assign object reference Create an object
Example: • Invoking the object’s method:
Circle myCircle = new Circle();
objectRefVar.methodName(arguments)
e.g., myCircle.getArea()

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Trace Code Trace Code, cont.

Declare myCircle

Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0); no value Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0); no value
myCircle myCircle
SCircle yourCircle = new Circle(); Circle yourCircle = new Circle();

yourCircle.radius = 100; yourCircle.radius = 100; : Circle

radius: 5.0

Create a circle

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 Trace Code, cont. Trace Code, cont.
Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0); reference value
myCircle
Circle yourCircle = new Circle();
Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0); myCircle reference value
yourCircle.radius = 100; : Circle
Circle yourCircle = new Circle();
radius: 5.0
yourCircle.radius = 100; Assign object reference : Circle
to myCircle
radius: 5.0 yourCircle no value

Declare yourCircle

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Trace Code, cont. Trace Code, cont.

Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0); reference value Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0); reference value
myCircle myCircle
Circle yourCircle = new Circle(); Circle yourCircle = new Circle();

yourCircle.radius = 100; : Circle yourCircle.radius = 100; : Circle

radius: 5.0 radius: 5.0

yourCircle no value yourCircle reference value

Assign object reference

: Circle to yourCircle : Circle
Create a new radius: 0.0 radius: 1.0
Circle object

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 Trace Code, cont. Caution
Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0);
myCircle reference value Recall that you use
Circle yourCircle = new Circle(); Math.methodName(arguments) (e.g., Math.pow(3, 2.5))

yourCircle.radius = 100; : Circle

to invoke a method in the Math class. Can you invoke getArea() using
radius: 5.0 Circle1.getArea()? The answer is no. All the methods used before this
chapter are static methods, which are defined using the static keyword.
However, getArea() is non-static. It must be invoked from an object
yourCircle reference value
using

: Circle objectRefVar.methodName(arguments) (e.g., myCircle.getArea()).

Change radius in radius: 100.0
yourCircle More explanations will be given in the section on “Static Variables,
Constants, and Methods.”

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Reference Data Fields The null Value

The data fields can be of reference types. For example, If a data field of a reference type does not
the following Student class contains a data field name of
the String type. reference any object, the data field holds a
special literal value, null.
public class Student {
String name; // name has default value null
int age; // age has default value 0
boolean isScienceMajor; // isScienceMajor has default value false
char gender; // c has default value '\u0000'
}

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 Default Value for a Data Field Example
• The default value of a data field is
– null for a reference type, Java assigns no default value to a local variable
– 0 for a numeric type, inside a method.
– false for a boolean type, and
– '\u0000' for a char type. public class Test {
• However, Java assigns no default value to a local public static void main(String[] args) {
variable inside a method. int x; // x has no default value
String y; // y has no default value
public class Test { System.out.println("x is " + x);
public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("y is " + y);
Student student = new Student(); }
System.out.println("name? " + student.name); }
System.out.println("age? " + student.age);
System.out.println("isScienceMajor? " + student.isScienceMajor);
System.out.println("gender? " + student.gender);
} Compilation error: variables not
} initialized
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Differences between Variables of

Primitive Data Types and Object Types

Created using new Circle()

Primitive type int i = 1 i 1

Object type Circle c c reference c: Circle

radius = 1

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