Chapter 5: Java Basics

Class and main Method Headings

• Class: is simply a container for the program code
• Class heading: public class Hello
• public: class is accessible by other classes or programs
• class: identifies the beginning of class code
• Hello: class name. (class name describes the task of class)

• main Method: is where computer start execution of code

• main Method Heading: public static void main(String[] args)
• public: everyone can access the method
• static: method is accessible from any class
• void: method doesn’t return a value
• main: reserved name (keyword)
• String[] args: arguments for main method
Class and main Method Headings
• Braces { } :
• Opening brace { determines the beginning of a class or a method
• Closing brace } determines the end of a class or a method
Comments
• One-line: //
• Block-comment: /* */
Example:
/* This program prints Hello World! On screen
It is an example of using comments with codes*/
public class Hello
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("Hello World!"); //print on screen
}
}
Readability
Increase the program readability by:
• Comments
• Blank lines: makes the program easy to read and understand
Hard to understand Easy to understand
public class Hello{public static void public class Hello
main(String[] args) {
{System.out.println("Hello World! ");}} public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("Hello World! ");
}
}
Getting Inputs and Outputs
• Scanner stdIn = new Scanner(System.in): takes inputs from keyboard
• stdIn is the name of the scanner
• Note: the statement "import java.util.Scanner;" should be used to use scanner.
• Examples:
• int x = stdIn.nextInt()
• float y = stdIn.nextFloat()
• String s = stdIn.nextLine()
• System.out.println( ) statement gives output on screen
• Examples:
• System.out.println("Hello World! ");
• System.out.println("I am " + "a programmer");
• System.out.println(result);
Keywords
• Keywords: are words that have already been defined for Java
compiler. They have special meaning for the compiler and cannot be
used as a variable, class or a method name.
• Examples:
• public,static,class,import (keywords for defining parts of code)
• int, float, double, char (keywords for data types)
• if, else, switch (keywords for conditions)
• for, while (keywords for loops)
Identifiers
• Identifier: a name of any component in the program (a class, method,
or variable)
Examples: Hello , main, x, a2.
• Letters (A-Z) , numbers (0-9), _ , $ can be used (use any combination)
• Don’t start with a number
• Cannot use keywords as names
• Recommendation:
• Identifier should be descriptive
• class name should start with uppercase e.g. Hello
• method name should start with lowercase e.g. printResult
Variables
• Variable: is a reserved memory location to store a value
• Variable Datatypes: int, long, float, char, double, String
• Variable can only hold one type of value.
• Declaration of variables: writing data type and name in a single command
• int a1;
• float dist;
• double result;
• char op;
• String msg;
• Assignment: writing variable name, = , and value in a single command
• a1 = 25;
• Op = ‘+’;
Variables
• Initialization: writing data type, name, and value in a single command
• int a1 = 64;
• float dist = 31.7f;
• char op =‘%’;
• String msg = "I am new to programming";
• Constant:
• final int SPEEDOFSOUND = 343;
• Recommendation:
• variable name should start with lowercase e.g. firstName
Variables and Type Casting
• Type casting: means to convert the value from one data type to
another
• Conversion from smaller size data types to larger size data type are
done automatically, but some precision could be lost.
• Use the cast operator (int), (float), (double) to convert between
different data types.
• Examples
• From float to integer: int x = (int) 5.25
• From integer to double: double r = (double) 41/3
Arithmetic Operations
• Addition: a + b
• Subtraction: x – y
• Multiplication: d * r
• Division: s / h
• Modulus: k % q
• Operator precedence order:
• Parenthesis: ()
• Exponent: XY
• Multiplication and Division: *,/
• Addition and Subtraction: +,-
Relational Operations
• Greater than : a > 6
• Less than: x < 15
• Greater than or equal: c >= d
• Less than or equal: p <= r
• Equal: s == 10
• Not equal: h != 1
Escape Sequences
• Escape sequences: are special characters used with strings.
Escape Sequences
• Example 1:
System.out.println("Hello \nWorld");
Output is:
Hello
World
• Example 2:
System.out.println("Hello \tWorld");
Output is:
Hello World
Tracing
• Tracing: means to understand the program details and follow the
changes in values after each line of code.
Program 1: Prints “Hello World”
//This program prints the message "Hello World" on screen
public class Hello
{
public static void main(String []args)
{ System.out.println("Hello World"); }
}
Program 2: Prints Values of Variables
//This program prints the values of variables x and y on screen
public class Variable
{
public static void main(String []args)
{
int x; // variable declaration
x= 12; // value assignment to a variable
float y = 6.89f; //variable initialization
System.out.println("x="+ x);
System.out.println("y="+ y);
}
}
Program 3: Getting Inputs from keyboard
//This program gets the values of variables x and y from keyboard
import java.util.Scanner;
public class Variable
{
public static void main(String []args)
{
Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in); //use scanner class for inputs
int x;
x= input.nextInt(); //gets integer inputs from keyboard
float y = input.nextFloat(); //gets float inputs from keyboard
System.out.println("x="+ x);
System.out.println("y="+ y);
}
}
Program 4: Constants (final)
//This program declare a variable as a constant
public class Variable
{
public static void main(String []args)
{
final int x= 92;
// x=25;
/*this will give an error because the value of the final variable
cannot be changed*/
System.out.println(x+1);
}
}
Program 5: Arithmetic Operations
//This program adds two numbers
public class Add
{
public static void main(String []args)
{
int a,b;
a=9;
b=8;
System.out.println(a+b);
}
}
Program 6: Arithmetic Operations
//This program adds any two numbers entered by user
import java.util.Scanner;
public class Add2
{
public static void main(String []args)
{
Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
int a,b;
a=input.nextInt();
b=input.nextInt();
int result=a+b;
System.out.println("a+b=" + result);
}
}
Program 7: Type Casting
//This program demonstrates the use of type casting
public class TCasting
{
public static void main(String []args)
{
int a,b;
a=7;
b=2;
int idivision = a/b;
float fdivision= (float) a/b; //to get the floating point
System.out.println("integer division=" + idivision);
System.out.println("float division " + fdivision);
}
}