Class Concept in Java

Concept of encapsulation

• The object is at the core of Java programming.

• Java provides the concept of class to build objects.

• A class defines the shape and working of an object.

• The concept of class is the logical construct upon which the entire Java
language is built.
 What is a class?
• A class is a group of objects, which have common
properties. Fields
• It is a template or blueprint from which objects are
created. Methods
• It is a logical entity.
Constructors
A class in Java can contain:
Blocks
• Fields
• Methods Nested Class
• Constructors
• Blocks Interfaces
• Nested class(es) and interface(s)
General structure of a class
class <class-name>{
<type> <variable 1>;
<type> <variable 2>;
<type> <variable 3>;
...
<type> <variable n>;

<type> <method 1>(<parameter-list 1>){

// Body of the method 1
}
<type> <method 1>(<parameter-list 2>){
// Body of the method 2
}
...
<type> <method 1>(<parameter-list m>){
// Body of the method m
}
}
Java class – An example

class Circle {
double x, y; // The coordinates of the center r
double r; // The radius
} (x, y)
Adding methods to Circle class

class Circle {
double x,y; // The coordinates of the center
double r; // The radius

// Method that returns circumference

double circumference(){
return 2*3.14159*r;
}
// Method that returns area
double area(){
return (22/7)*r*r;
}
}
 Declaring object of type Circle class
// A program that uses the circle class
// Call this file circledemo1.java
class Circle { //The following class declare an object of type Circle
double x,y; // The coordinates of the center class CircleDemo1 {
double r; // The radius public static void main(String args[]){
Circle c = new Circle();
// Method that returns circumference c.x = 0.0;
double circumference(){ c.y = 0.0;
return 2*3.14159*r; c.r = 5.0;
} System.out.println("Circumference" + c.circumference());
// Method that returns area System.out.println("Area" + c.area());
double area(){ }
return (22/7)*r*r; }
}
}
 Multiple objects declaration

//The following class declares multiple objects of type Circle

class CircleDemo2 {
public static void main(String args[]){
// A program that declares two objects of the Circle class
// Call this file CircleDemo2.java
Circle c1 = new Circle();
class Circle { Circle c2 = new Circle();
double x, y; // Initialize the circles
double r; c1.x = 3.0;
c1.y = 4.0;
double circumference(){ c1.r = 5.0;
return 2*3.14159*r; c2.x = -4.0;
}
c2.y = -8.0;
double area(){
return (22/7)*r*r;
c2.r = 10.0;
} System.out.println("Circumference Circle 1" + c1.circumference());
} System.out.println("Area Circle 1" + c1.area());
System.out.println("Circumference Circle 2" + c2.circumference());
System.out.println("Area Circle 2" + c2.area());
}
}
Multiple Classes Declaratio
Multiple classes in a program
width
depth
r
(x, y) height

class Box{
class Circle {
double width;
double x,y; double height;
double r; double depth;
double circumference(){ double area(){
double a;
return 2*3.14159*r;
a = (width*height + height*depth + width*depth) * 2;
} return a;
double area(){ }
return (22/7)*r*r; double volume(){
double v;
}
v = width*height*depth;
} return v;
}
}
Multiple class objects

// Declaring objects of type Circle and Box

class MulticlassDemo {
public static void main(String args[]){
Circle c = new Circle();
Box b = new Box();
// Initialize the circles
c.x = 3.0; c.y = 4.0; c.r = 5.0;
b.width = 3.0; b.height = 4.0; b.depth = 5.0;
System.out.println("Circumference Circle" + c.circumference());
System.out.println("Area Circle" + c.area());
System.out.println("Area of Box" + b.area());
System.out.println("Volume of Box" + b.volume());
}
}
// Save this file as MulticlassDemo.java
Important notes
1. There should be a class which contains a method main(). This class is
called main class.

2. There should be only one main class.

3. The name of the program file should be same as the name of the main
class followed by .java as an extension.

4. If there is no main class, then there should be compilation error.

 Java program without main class
class Circle {
double x, y;
double r;
double circumference(){
return 2*3.14159*r;
}
double area(){

}
return (22/7)*r*r; Name the file as Test.java.
}
class Box{
This program reports compilation error as follows.
double width;
double height;
double depth;
double area(){
double a;
a = (width*height + height*depth + width*depth) * 2;
return a;
}
double volume(){
double v;
v = width*height*depth;
return v;
}
}
 Method with parameters
class Circle { class CircleDemo3 {
double x,y; public static void main(String args[]){
double r; Circle c1 = new Circle();
double circumference(){ Circle c2 = new Circle();
return 2*3.14159*r; // Initialize the circles
} c1.setCircle(3.0,4.0,5.0);
double area(){ c2.setCircle(-4.0,8.0,10.0);
return (22/7)*r*r; System.out.println("Circumference Circle 1" + c1.circumference());
} System.out.println("Area of circle 1" + c1.area());
void setCircle(double a, double b, double c){ System.out.println("Circumference Circle 2" + c2.circumference());
x = a; // Set center x-coordinate System.out.println("Area of circle 2" + c2.area());
y = b; // Set center y-coordinate }
r = c; // Set radius }
}
}

Name the file as CircleDemo3.java

Constructors
Constructor for automatic object initialization

1. It can be tedious to initialize all of the variables in a class each time an

object is instantiated.

2. Java allows objects to initialize themselves when they are created/

declared.

3. This automatic initialization is performed through the concept of

constructor.
Constructors – Some properties
1. A constructor initializes an object immediately upon creation.

2. Constructor in Java is a method.

3. This method has the same name as the class in which it resides.

4. Once defined, the constructor is automatically called immediately after object is created.

5. Constructor is a method which has no return type.

6. In fact, the implicit return type of a class constructor is the class type itself.

7. Constructor initialize the internal state of an object.

 Constructor : An example
class Circle {
double x,y;
double r;
double circumference(){
return 2*3.14159*r;
}
double area(){
return (22/7)*r*r;
}

Circle (double a, double b, double c){

x = a; // Set center x-coordinate class CircleDemo4 {
y = b; // Set center y-coordinate public static void main(String args[]){
r = c; // Set radius Circle c1 = new Circle(3.0,4.0,5.0);
} Circle c2 = new Circle(-4.0,8.0,10.0);
} System.out.println("Circumference Circle 1" + c1.circumference());
System.out.println("Area Circle 1" + c1.area());
System.out.println("Circumference Circle 2" + c2.circumference());
System.out.println("Area Circle 2" + c2.area());
}
}
The this Keyword
this keyword concept

1. this is used to reduce name-space collisions.

2. Sometimes a method will need to refer to the object that invoked it.

3. To allow this Java defines this keyword.

4. this can be used inside any method to refer to the current object.

5. That is, this is always a reference to the object on which the method
is invoked.
Constructor : An example
class Circle { class Circle {
double x,y; double x,y;
double r; double r;
double circumference(){ double circumference(){
return 2*3.14159*r; return 2*3.14159*r;
} }
double area(){ double area(){
return (22/7)*r*r; return (22/7)*r*r;
} }
void setCircle(double a, double b, double c){ Circle (double x, double y, double r){
x = a; // Set center x-coordinate this.x = x; // Set center x-coordinate
y = b; // Set center y-coordinate this.y = y; // Set center y-coordinate
r = c; // Set radius this.r = r; // Set radius
} }
} }

class CircleDemo5 {
public static void main(String args[]){
Circle c1 = new Circle();
c1.setCircle(3.0,4.0,5.0);
Circle c2 = new Circle (-4.0,8.0,10.0);
System.out.println("Circumference Circle 1" + c1.circumference());
System.out.println("Area Circle 1" + c1.area());
System.out.println("Circumference Circle 2" + c2.circumference());
System.out.println("Area Circle 2" + c2.area())
}
}

Name the file as

CircleDemo5.java
Multiple constructors

1. Sometimes, it is necessary to initialize an object in a number

of ways.

2. Java allows his using the concept of constructor overloading.

3. In other words, Java allows to declare one or more constructor

method with different lists of parameters and different method
definition.
 Constructor overloading : An example
class Circle { class CircleDemo6 {
double x,y; public static void main(String args[]){
double r; Circle c1 = new Circle(3.0,4.0,5.0);
Circle (double x, double y, double r){
Circle c2 = new Circle(5.0);
this.x = x; this.y = y; this.r = r;
}
Circle c3 = new Circle(c1);
Circle (double r){ Circle c4 = new Circle();
x = 0; y=0; this.r = r; System.out.println("Circumference Circle 1" + c1.circumference());
} System.out.println("Area Circle 1" + c1.area());
Circle (Circle c){ System.out.println("Circumference Circle 2" + c2.circumference());
x = c.x; y = c.y; r = c.r; System.out.println("Area Circle 2" + c2.area());
} System.out.println("Circumference Circle 3" + c3.circumference());
Circle (){
System.out.println("Area Circle 3" + c3.area());
x = 0.0; y = 0.0; r = 1.0;
}
System.out.println("Circumference Circle 4" + c4.circumference());
double circumference(){ System.out.println("Area Circle 4" + c4.area());
return 2*3.14159*r; }
} }
double area(){
return (22/7)*r*r;
}
}
Name the file as CircleDemo6.java
this keyword again

1. There is a specialized use of this keyword that arises when a class has
multiple constructors.

2. In that case, this can be used from one constructor to invoke one of the
other constructor of the same class.
 this with multiple constructors : An example
class Circle {
double x, y;
double r;
Circle (double x, double y, double r){
this.x = x; this.y = y; this.r = r;
}
Circle (double r){
this(0.0, 0.0, r);
} Note:
Circle (Circle c){
1. There is a very important restriction on the this syntax.
this(c.x, c.y. c.r);
} 2. It should appear only as the first statement in a
Circle (){ constructor.
this(0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
}
double circumference(){
return 2*3.14159*r;
}
double area(){
return (22/7)*r*r;
}
}
Questions to think…

• How Java developer makes the language

simple compared to other language?
• Are there any specific things in Java, which a
programmer should aware about those?