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Lec 4 - Passing Object in Java

1. In Java, primitive parameters are passed by value, meaning a copy of the primitive value is passed into the method. Modifying the primitive parameter inside the method does not change its value outside the method. 2. Object parameters are passed by reference, where a reference to the object is passed. While the reference itself is passed by value, modifications to the object inside the method are reflected outside the method since the reference refers to the same object. 3. The equals() method compares object contents by default rather than memory addresses like the == operator. Developers should override equals() to define object equality based on attribute values rather than memory location.

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Jawad Nasir
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43 views

Lec 4 - Passing Object in Java

1. In Java, primitive parameters are passed by value, meaning a copy of the primitive value is passed into the method. Modifying the primitive parameter inside the method does not change its value outside the method. 2. Object parameters are passed by reference, where a reference to the object is passed. While the reference itself is passed by value, modifications to the object inside the method are reflected outside the method since the reference refers to the same object. 3. The equals() method compares object contents by default rather than memory addresses like the == operator. Developers should override equals() to define object equality based on attribute values rather than memory location.

Uploaded by

Jawad Nasir
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PARAMETER PASSING

Primitive Parameters

 Primitive types: boolean, byte, char, short, int,


long, float, double
 In Java, all primitives are passed by value. This
means a copy of the value is passed into the
method
 Modifying the primitive parameter in the method
does NOT change its value outside the method
Object Parameters

 Objects can be passed natively, just like primitives


 Complex { • Public class ComplexTest {
 Private double real; void main()
 Private double imag; {
Complex C1 = new Complex(11, 2.3);
 Public Complex() // Default Constructor Complex C2 = new Complex(9, 2.3);
 { real = 0.0; imag = 0.0; } Complex C3 = C1.Add(C2);
C3.show();
 Public Complex (double r, double im) }
 { real = r; imag = im; } }

 Public Complex Add (Complex b)


 {
 Double r= real + b.real
 Double i = imag + b.imag;
 Complex c_new = new Complex (r,i);
 return c_new;
 }
 Public Show ()
 {
 System.out,println( real + imag);
 }
Objects are passed by Value
 It is often misstated that Object parameters are
passed by Reference.
 While it is true that the parameter is a reference
to an Object, the reference itself is passed by
Value.
Modify a Parameter Value

…
Point p = new Point(10, 20);
addTen(p);
System.out.println(p.x + “,“ + p.y);
…
void addTen(Point pa) {
pa.x = pa.x + 10;
pa.y = pa.y + 10;
}
Modify a Parameter Value

 The output of the System.out.println will be 20, 30


 public class ObjectPass {
 public  int value;
 public static void increment(ObjectPass a){
      a.value++;
   }
 }

 Public class ObjectPassTest {


   public static void main(String[] args) {
     ObjectPass p = new ObjectPass();
     p.value = 5;
      System.out.println("Before calling: " + p.value);
      increment(p);
     System.out.println("After calling: " + p.value);
      }
 }
Output

 Before calling: 5
After calling: 6
 The point here is that what we pass exactly is
a handle of an object, and in the called
method a new handle created and pointed to
the same object.
 Now when more than one handles tied to the
same object, it is known as aliasing.
 From the example above you can see that
both p and a refer to the same object
 To prove this try to System.out.println(p) and
System.out.println(a) you will see the same
address.
 This is the default way Java does when
passing the handle to a called method, create
alias.
 When you pass argument just to manipulate
its value and not doing any changes to it, then
you are safe. 

 Note: Clone() will be studied later


Beware…..
 public void tricky (Point pa, Point pb)
 {
 Point ptemp = new Point ();
 ptemp = pb;
 pb= pa;
 pa= ptemp;
 System.out.println("X: " + pa.x + " Y: " +pb.x); System.out.println("X:
" + + pa.x + " Y: " + pb.y); }

 public static void main(String [] args)


 {
 Point pnt1 = new Point(1,2);
 Point pnt2 = new Point(3,4);
 System.out.println("X: " + pnt1.x + " Y: " +pnt1.y);
System.out.println("X: " + pnt2.x + " Y: " +pnt2.y); System.out.println("
"); tricky(pnt1,pnt2);
 System.out.println("X: " + pnt1.x + " Y:" + pnt1.y);
System.out.println("X: " + pnt2.x + " Y: " +pnt2.y);
 }
 The method “tricky” is not performing
swapping of object passed by main(), it swaps
the objects in the function “tricky”
The equals Method

 When the == operator is used with reference


variables, the memory address of the objects are
compared.
 The contents of the objects are not compared.
 All objects have an equals method.
 The default operation of the equals method is
to compare memory addresses of the objects
(just like the == operator).

9-18
The equals Method
 The Stock class has an equals method.
 If we try the following:

Stock stock1 = new Stock("GMX", 55.3);


Stock stock2 = new Stock("GMX", 55.3);
if (stock1 == stock2) // This is a mistake.
System.out.println("The objects are the same.");
else
System.out.println("The objects are not the same.");

only the addresses of the objects are compared.

9-
19
The equals Method
 Instead of using the == operator to compare two Stock
objects, we should use the equals method.
public boolean equals(Stock object2)
{
boolean status;

if(symbol.equals(Object2.symbol) && sharePrice == Object2.sharePrice)


status = true;
else
status = false;
return status;
}

 Now, objects can be compared by their contents rather


than by their memory addresses.

9-
20
Methods That Copy Objects

 There are two ways to copy an object.


 You cannot use the assignment operator to copy
reference types

 Reference only copy


 This is simply copying the address of an object into another
reference variable.

 Deep copy (correct)


 This involves creating a new instance of the class and copying
the values from one object into the new object.

9-21
Copy Constructors
 A copy constructor accepts an existing object of the same
class and clones it

public Stock(Stock object 2)


{
this.symbol = object2.symbol;
this.sharePrice = object2.sharePrice;
}

// Create a Stock object


Stock company1 = new Stock("XYZ", 9.62);

//Create company2, a copy of company1


Stock company2 = new Stock(company1);

9-
22
END

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