ESc101 : Fundamental of Computing

I Semester 2008-09

Lecture 25

Object Oriented programming

• Static and non-static members of a class : Revision

• Arrays
Note : Arrays WILL NOT be part of the second mid semester exam. But whatever
we discussed today on arrays will be required in the lab assignment in the week
following the mid-semester break. So feel relaxed ... :-).

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 Complete picture of a class

class class_name
{
public static double pi=3.1426 ;
private static int count =0 ;
Static attributes
public static void method1() and
{ .... } Static methods
private static int method2(int n)
{....}

private double balance ;

public int id_num ;
Non−static attributes
and
private void methodk()
{ .... } non−static methods
public int methodj(int n)
{....}
}

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 Static and non-static methods

• A static method is invoked on behalf of an entire class, not on a specific

object. A static method might perform some general task (not specific to an
object of the class), whereas, a non-static method is used for accessing,
manipulating a specific object.

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 Revisit Point class
public class Point
{ double x;
double y;

public Point(double x1, double y1)

{ x = x1;
y = y1;
}

public double distance_from_origin()

{ double dist;
dist = Math.sqrt(x*x + y*y);
return dist;
}
}

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 Example : Point class

Suppose we want to add more functionality to Point class :

• Center(Point P,Point Q,Point R) : Computing center of three points P,Q,R.

• x MirrorImage(??) : Update the current point such that it becomes the mirror
image (with x-axis) of its existing position. For example, (4,5) becomes (4,-5)
and (2,-45) becomes (2,45).

Question : Should these methods be static methods or non-static ?

Hint : use previous slide.

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 Example : Point class

Suppose we want to add more functionality to Point class :

• Center(Point P,Point Q,Point R) : Computing center of three points P,Q,R.

• x MirrorImage(??) : Update the current point such that it becomes the mirror
image (with x-axis) of its existing position. For example, (4,5) becomes (4,-5)
and (2,-45) becomes (2,45).

Question : Should these methods be static methods or non-static ?

Hint : use previous slide.

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 Example : Point class

Suppose we want to add more functionality to Point class :

• Center(Point P,Point Q,Point R) : Computing center of three points P,Q,R.

• x MirrorImage(??) : Update the current point such that it becomes the mirror
image (with x-axis) of its existing position. For example, (4,5) becomes (4,-5)
and (2,-45) becomes (2,45).

Question : Should these methods be static methods or non-static ?

Hint : ponder over slide 3.

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 Example : Point class

• Center() should be static method.

For the reason, read carefully the description of method Center(). If it were
designed as a non-static method then P.Center(A,B,C) has got nothing to do with
the point P as such. So there is no reason we should invoke it as P.Center(A,B,C).
If you do so, it would not be an error but it is a very bad programing practice.

However if I had intended Center(Point A, Point B) to be a method which returns

the center of the current point and the points A and B, then it should be defined as
a non-static method.

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 Example : Point class

• x MirrorImage() should be non-static method.

Look at the description of the method x MirrorImage. It is clear from its
description that it manipulate the current point. For example, P.x MirrorImage()
would change the point on which it is called. So it is advisable if we declare it as a
non-static method.

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 Example : Point class

Hence :

1. Center() should be static method.

2. x MirrorImage() should be non-static method.

So whenever you design a method in Point class, first ask yourself whether the
method if invoked as P.method() involves the current point P in any way. If yes,
design it as non-static, otherwise design it as a static method.

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 Example : Point class
public class Point
{ double x;
double y;
// constructors and the existing method
// for Point are not shown here due to limited space

public void x_MirrorImage()

{ y = -y;
}

public static Point Center(Point P, Point Q)

{ Point mid = new Point((P.x+Q.x)/2,(P.y+Q.y)/2);
return mid;
}
public static Point Center(Point P, Point Q, Point R)
{ Point mid = new Point((P.x+Q.x+R.x)/3,(P.y+Q.y+R.y)/3);
return mid;
}
}

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 How to invoke a static method, say method1 ?

• Within its own class : you may invoke it in a method directly by calling
method1 and passing arguments if any.

• Outside its class : you may invoke it by class name.method1, where

class name is the class in which method1 is defined.

Note : Though you may invoke a static method as refer.method1 where refer is a
reference to an object of the same class (whose member is method1), but it is
considered a bad programming practice.

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 Example implementation

The files program1.java and Geometry package with altered Point class are on
the course webpage. Try it out.

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 Example2 of Static methods

Suppose you want to create a library of fundamental functions which canbe used
in your programs , so design a library of static methods.

public class My_math

{ public static long GCD(long i, long g)
{// write the statements of this method here
}
public static boolean IsPrime(long i, long g)
{// write the statements of this method here
}
.
. // add more functions here
}

It is meaningless to declare the above methods as non-static.

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 Example1 of Static attributes

Recall the example of Bank account class where we had to assign different
account number to each customer. We could achieve it using static attribute
NextN. Please refer to the lecture held on Friday 26th September for its
significance and implementation details. This example highlights the power of
static attributes,

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 Example2 of Static attributes
You might like to create a class which has all the constants of math and physics.

public class Constants

{
private static double pi = 3.1426;
private static double e = 2.31;
private static double G = 9.8;
...

public static double get_pi()

{ return pi; }
public static double get_e()
{ return e; }
...
}

You may use them as Constants.get pi(), Constants.get e(), ...

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Arrays

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What if you have a large collection of identical data items which you want to
process.
Examples :

• Sort n numbers.
• Compute the diameter of a set of 100 points in 2-D space.
• Compute the smallest enclosing sphere for a set of 10000 points in 3-D
space.

We need an easy way to identify and manipulate large number of variables

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What if you have a large collection of identical data items which you want to
process.
Examples :

• Sort n numbers.
• Compute the diameter of a set of 100 points in 2-D space.
• Compute the smallest enclosing sphere for a set of 10000 points in 3-D
space.

We need an easy way to identify and manipulate large number of variables

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 Arrays offers a solution

Array : An Object which is an ordered collection of data items. These data items
could be

• primitive types.

• references to objects of a class.

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 Array : declaration and creation

Memory

A
int[ ] A ;
?

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 Array : declaration and creation

Memory

A
int[ ] A ;
0 0 0 0

A = new int[4];

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 Array : declaration and creation

Memory

A
int[ ] A ;
0 0 0 0

A = new int[4];

Expression of type int

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 Manipulating the contents of array A

• A has four variables of type int

• A[0] represent the first variable, A[1] the second variable, ..., A[3] the last
variable.

• Each A[i], for 0 ≤ i ≤ 3, can be treated as a single independent variable.

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Array : Accessing and Manipulating elements of an array

Memory

A
int[ ] A ;
11 13 15 17
A = new int[4];
A [0] = 11;
A [1] = 13;
A [2] = 15;
A [3] = 17;

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What will be the result of execution of last statement ?

Memory

A
int[ ] A ;
11 13 15 17
A = new int[4];
A [0] = 11;
A [1] = 13;
A [2] = 15;
??
A [3] = 17;
A [3] = A [2] −A [1]+ 7;

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 Treat each element of array as a variable

Memory

A
int[ ] A ;
11 13 15 9
A = new int[4];
A [0] = 11;
A [1] = 13;
A [2] = 15;
A [3] = 17;
A [3] = A [2] −A [1]+ 7;

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 Array of Points

Memory

A
Point[ ] A ; ?

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 Array of Points

Memory

A
Point[ ] A ;
A = new Point[3];
null null null

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 Array of Points

Memory

A
Point[ ] A ;
A = new Point[3];

A [0] = new Point(1,2); null null

Point
x=1
y=2

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 More on arrays

1. the number of elements in an array is called length of an array.

2. array name.length returns the length of the array array name.

3. For example, A.length will be equal to 3.

4. Length of an array object once created can never be altered.

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A nice problem to work during vacations

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 Design a class My integers

which could be used for storing all integers in the range of long and could support
the following arithmetic operations without worrying about overflow.

• Addition of My integers
• Multiplication of My integers
• Subtraction of My integers.
• Computing mt where m is a My integer number and t is an integer of type
byte.

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