Java Tutorial
Write Once, Run Anywhere
Java - General
Java is:
– platform independent programming
language
– similar to C++ in syntax
– similar to Smalltalk in mental paradigm
Pros: also ubiquitous to net
Cons: interpreted, and still under
development (moving target)
Java - General
Java has some interesting features:
– automatic type checking,
– automatic garbage collection,
– simplifies pointers; no directly accessible
pointer to memory,
– simplified network access,
– multi-threading!
How it works…!
Compile-time Environment Compile-time Environment
Class
Loader Java
Class
Bytecode Libraries
Java Verifier
Source
(.java)
Just in
Java Java
Time
Bytecodes Interpreter Java
Compiler
move locally Virtual
or through machine
Java network
Compiler
Runtime System
Java
Bytecod Operating System
e
(.class )
Hardware
How it works…!
Java is independent only for one reason:
– Only depends on the Java Virtual Machine
(JVM),
– code is compiled to bytecode, which is
interpreted by the resident JVM,
– JIT (just in time) compilers attempt to
increase speed.
Java - Security
Pointer denial - reduces chances of
virulent programs corrupting host,
Applets even more restricted -
– May not
• run local executables,
• Read or write to local file system,
• Communicate with any server other than the
originating server.
Object-Oriented
Java supports OOD
– Polymorphism
– Inheritance
– Encapsulation
Java programs contain nothing but
definitions and instantiations of classes
– Everything is encapsulated in a class!
Java Advantages
Portable - Write Once, Run Anywhere
Security has been well thought through
Robust memory management
Designed for network programming
Multi-threaded (multiple simultaneous tasks)
Dynamic & extensible (loads of libraries)
– Classes stored in separate files
– Loaded only when needed
Basic Java Syntax
Primitive Types and Variables
boolean, char, byte, short, int, long, float, double etc.
These basic (or primitive) types are the only types
that are not objects (due to performance issues).
This means that you don’t use the new operator to
create a primitive variable.
Declaring primitive variables:
float initVal;
int retVal, index = 2;
double gamma = 1.2, brightness
boolean valueOk = false;
Initialisation
If no value is assigned prior to use, then the
compiler will give an error
Java sets primitive variables to zero or false
in the case of a boolean variable
All object references are initially set to null
An array of anything is an object
– Set to null on declaration
– Elements to zero false or null on creation
Declarations
int index = 1.2; // compiler error
boolean retOk = 1; // compiler error
double fiveFourths = 5 / 4; // no error!
float ratio = 5.8f; // correct
double fiveFourths = 5.0 / 4.0; // correct
1.2f is a float value accurate to 7 decimal places.
1.2 is a double value accurate to 15 decimal places.
Assignment
All Java assignments are right associative
int a = 1, b = 2, c = 5
a=b=c
System.out.print(
“a= “ + a + “b= “ + b + “c= “ + c)
What is the value of a, b & c
Done right to left: a = (b = c);
Basic Mathematical Operators
* / % + - are the mathematical operators
* / % have a higher precedence than + or -
double myVal = a + b % d – c * d / b;
Is the same as:
double myVal = (a + (b % d)) –
((c * d) / b);
Statements & Blocks
A simple statement is a command terminated by
a semi-colon:
name = “Fred”;
A block is a compound statement enclosed in
curly brackets:
{
name1 = “Fred”; name2 = “Bill”;
}
Blocks may contain other blocks
Flow of Control
Java executes one statement after the other
in the order they are written
Many Java statements are flow control
statements:
Alternation: if, if else, switch
Looping: for, while, do while
Escapes: break, continue, return
If – The Conditional Statement
The if statement evaluates an expression and if that
evaluation is true then the specified action is taken
if ( x < 10 ) x = 10;
If the value of x is less than 10, make x equal to 10
It could have been written:
if ( x < 10 )
x = 10;
Or, alternatively:
if ( x < 10 ) { x = 10; }
Relational Operators
== Equal (careful)
!= Not equal
>= Greater than or equal
<= Less than or equal
> Greater than
< Less than
If… else
The if … else statement evaluates an expression and
performs one action if that evaluation is true or a
different action if it is false.
if (x != oldx) {
System.out.print(“x was changed”);
}
else {
System.out.print(“x is unchanged”);
}
Nested if … else
if ( myVal > 100 ) {
if ( remainderOn == true) {
myVal = mVal % 100;
}
else {
myVal = myVal / 100.0;
}
}
else
{
System.out.print(“myVal is in range”);
}
else if
Useful for choosing between alternatives:
if ( n == 1 ) {
// execute code block #1
}
else if ( j == 2 ) {
// execute code block #2
}
else {
// if all previous tests have failed,
execute code block #3
}
A Warning…
WRONG! CORRECT!
if( i == j ) if( i == j ) {
if ( j == k ) if ( j == k )
System.out.print( System.out.print(
“i equals k”); “i equals k”);
else }
System.out.print( else
“i is not equal
to j”); System.out.print(“
i is not equal to
j”); // Correct!
The switch Statement
switch ( n ) {
case 1:
// execute code block #1
break;
case 2:
// execute code block #2
break;
default:
// if all previous tests fail then
//execute code block #4
break;
}
The for loop
Loop n times
for ( i = 0; i < n; n++ ) {
// this code body will execute n times
// ifrom 0 to n-1
}
Nested for:
for ( j = 0; j < 10; j++ ) {
for ( i = 0; i < 20; i++ ){
// this code body will execute 200 times
}
}
while loops
while(response == 1) {
System.out.print( “ID =” + userID[n]);
n++;
response = readInt( “Enter “);
}
What is the minimum number of times the loop
is executed?
What is the maximum number of times?
do {… } while loops
do {
System.out.print( “ID =” + userID[n] );
n++;
response = readInt( “Enter ” );
}while (response == 1);
What is the minimum number of times the loop
is executed?
What is the maximum number of times?
Break
A break statement causes an exit from the
innermost containing while, do, for or
switch statement.
for ( int i = 0; i < maxID, i++ ) {
if ( userID[i] == targetID ) {
index = i;
break;
}
} // program jumps here after break
Continue
Can only be used with while, do or for.
The continue statement causes the innermost loop to
start the next iteration immediately
for ( int i = 0; i < maxID; i++ ) {
if ( userID[i] != -1 ) continue;
System.out.print( “UserID ” + i + “ :” +
userID);
}
Arrays
Am array is a list of similar things
An array has a fixed:
– name
– type
– length
These must be declared when the array is created.
Arrays sizes cannot be changed during the execution
of the code
myArray = 3 6 3 1 6 3 4 1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
myArray has room for 8 elements
the elements are accessed by their index
in Java, array indices start at 0
Declaring Arrays
int myArray[];
declares myArray to be an array of integers
myArray = new int[8];
sets up 8 integer-sized spaces in memory,
labelled myArray[0] to myArray[7]
int myArray[] = new int[8];
combines the two statements in one line
Assigning Values
refer to the array elements by index to store values in
them.
myArray[0] = 3;
myArray[1] = 6;
myArray[2] = 3; ...
can create and initialise in one step:
int myArray[] = {3, 6, 3, 1, 6, 3, 4, 1};
Iterating Through Arrays
for loops are useful when dealing with arrays:
for (int i = 0; i <
myArray.length; i++) {
myArray[i] = getsomevalue();
}
Arrays of Objects
So far we have looked at an array of primitive types.
– integers
– could also use doubles, floats, characters…
Often want to have an array of objects
– Students, Books, Loans ……
Need to follow 3 steps.
Declaring the Array
1. Declare the array
private Student studentList[];
– this declares studentList
2 .Create the array
studentList = new Student[10];
– this sets up 10 spaces in memory that can
hold references to Student objects
3. Create Student objects and add them to the
array: studentList[0] = new
Student("Cathy", "Computing");
