Recommended books:

 "Java Programming: from Problem Analysis to

Program Design", Malik & Nair, 2003
Course Technology ISBN 0-619-06497-8
 "Core Java 2: Fundamentals" Horstmann and Cornell,
The Sun Microsystems Press Java Series, 2002.
 or any other introductory Java text
 applications, not applets
 text output, not graphical

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 Applets vs. applications
 Java applets
 a program embedded into a web page

 download and run on user's browser (or applet viewer)

 internet programming

 Java applications
 stand-alone programs – Java is a fully-fledged programming

language
 many Java class libraries for

 GUI, graphics, networking

 data structures
 database connectivity
 we will be writing applications in this module.

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 First, a bit of background…
 1st Generation – machine language
 (raw machine code – lots of binary 0100101010001000111)

 2nd Generation – assembly language

 (mnemonic representation – short series of chars to represent binary)

 3rd Generation – structured programming

 (e.g. Pascal, C, C++, Java)

 4th Generation – application specific

 (SQL, Mathematica, RPG II, PostScript)

 5th Generation – combining artificial intelligence

 (best not mentioned…)

 The aim is to have a programming language that is as close as possible to

natural speech – a bit like in ‘Star Trek’.

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 The Software Crisis
 The “software crisis”, recognized c.1969. - threatened
the progress of the computer industry.
 People-time was and still is relatively expensive,
machine-time is now very, very cheap.
 Programming was and still is very time intensive.
 Products need support - this is probably more than ever
 Software is complex; imagine creating a car with no
drawings, specifications or planning.
 Amazingly, this is how a lot of the software in the past
was created (some of it still is)!
 This situation had to end…

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 Towards Structured Programming
 As computer programs become larger and more complex, more errors are
introduced.
 It has been estimated that there are 15 bugs in every 1000 lines of
commercial code.
 Windows 2000 had 40 million lines of code!
 Most bugs are caused by poor memory management.
 Clearly there is a need for a structured programming language that helps in
reducing the number of errors and speeds development for programming
teams.
 C  C++  Java
 Functional Programming  Object Orientation
“C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot; C++ makes it harder,
but when it happens you tend to take off the whole leg!”

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 What is Object-Oriented code?
 Procedural coding is just a list of instructions.
 Object-oriented code has a lot of similarity with code from
other procedural languages.
 Basically, a lot of the ‘words’ are the same but the way the
words are put together (the structure) is different.
 Object-oriented coding does also contain lists of instructions
but these lists are bound to specific objects.
 What an object actually represents is up to the programmer.

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 Simple Example
 A car is an object (in the real world) and in our program we can
make a software object to represent it.
 Fundamentally, an object contains data and methods which can act
on that data.
 The data we might want to have in our ‘software’ car could be
things like: body colour, engine size, current speed, whether it has
electric windows etc. Basically it’s up to you.
 The methods we might want our ‘car’ to have could be things like:
accelerate, brake, respray body, open passenger window etc. Again,
it’s up to you.
 Whatever you need your software car to model from the real world
object must be present in your code.
 The OO syntax enables you to do this intuitively.

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 What technology does it replace?

 Procedural programming (C, Visual Basic, Fortran etc.)

 In procedural programming, functions were the most
important part of the software.
 Where and how the data was stored was secondary (at best).
 Procedural code is process-oriented, OO code is data-
oriented.
 In procedural programming, if your code is in error then it is
relatively easy to fix but incorrect data may be impossible to
fix!

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Java (why use it?)
Advantages over C & C++

 WORA - Write Once, Run Anywhere (portable).

 Security (can run “untrusted” code safely).
 Robust memory management (opaque references, automatic garbage
collection)
 Network-centric programming.
 Multi-threaded (multiple simultaneous tasks).
 Dynamic & extensible.
 Classes stored in separate files
 Loaded only when needed
 Can dynamically extend itself to expand its functionality (even over a
network and the Internet!)

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 How does it help?
 Large projects can be broken down into modules more easily.
 Aids understanding.
 Groupwork is easier.
 Less chance of data corruption.
 Aids reusability/extensibility.
 Maintaining code is far easier.
 Hides implementation details (just need to know what
methods to call but no need to understand how the methods
work to use them).

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 Programming vs Puzzle Solving
 With any programming language, there are concepts and some
terminology to learn.
 It takes time for these things to sink into your brain.
 Rule #1 – Do not panic!
 Like driving a car, you cannot learn in a day and it takes practice with a
lot of trial and error.
 This is normal. You can only learn by experience.
 Programming is very similar to solving puzzles.
 Solving any complex puzzle (Su Doku, Rubik’s Cube, Mah-jong etc.)
requires you to think and trying out ideas until you finally (hopefully)
solve the puzzle.
 The only difference is that with programming you have to translate your
ideas into code before you can test your solution.

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 Applets
 embed into web page using applet tag
 <APPLET src = "myprogram.class" width = "100"
height = "100"> < /APPLET>
 source code extends Java Applet class
 has skeleton user interface
 programmer can add code to be executed when
applet is initialised and painted
 programmer can easily add GUI components
such as buttons, labels, textfields, scrollbars….
and respond to their events

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Example
applet -
ManySpikes
 set up label
and textfield in
init() method
 draw the spikes
in the paint()
method
 Java applications
 stand-alone programs
 not GUI by default
 text input and output to a console
 can add user interface components
 execution always starts at a main() method
 analogous to init() method of applet

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 A simple Java application
import corejava.Console;
public class Hello {
public static void main(String args[])
{
String name; // this declares the variable “name”
name = Console.readString ("What is your name? ");
System.out.println("Hello, " + name);
}
} /* end of program */
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 The Hello class and its method
 name of class is same as name of file (which
has .java extension)
 body of class surrounded by { }
 this class has one method called main
 all Java applications must have a main method in one
of the classes
 execution starts here
 body of method within { }
 all other statements end with semicolon ;

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 Java keywords
 keywords appear in bold
 reserved by Java for predefined purpose
 don’t use them for your own variable, attribute or
method names!
 public
 visibility could be private
 static
 the main method belongs to the Hello class, and
not an instance (object) of the class
 void
 method does not return a value
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 Comments
 important for documentation!!!!
 ignored by compiler
// single line (or part of line)

/* multiple line comments go here

everything between the marks
is ignored */

 useful to ‘comment out’ suspect code or make notes

/**
* These are used by the javadoc utility to create HTML
* documentation files automatically.
*/

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 Variables and data types
 name is a variable of type String
 we have to declare variables before we use
them
 unlike C, variables can be declared anywhere
within block
 use meaningful names numberOfBricks
 start with lower case
 capitalise first letter of subsequent words

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 Data types
 int 4 byte integer (whole number)
 range -2147483648 to +2147483648

 float 4 byte floating point number

 decimal points, numbers outside range of int

 double 8 byte floating point number

 15 decimal digits (float has 7) so bigger precision

and range
 char 2 byte letter
 String string of letters
 boolean true or false (not 1 or 0)

20
 Console input
 data input is difficult in Java
 methods for input in the library class
corejava.Console
 we have to import corejava.Console to use it
 each book has its own methods for input!
 Malik and Nair "Java programming" book uses raw Java
which is difficult to read

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 Console methods
 general form:
myVariable = Console.readType("Put a prompt
here");
 Console.readString("prompt")

 Console.readInt("prompt")

 Console.readDouble("prompt")

 Console.readWord("prompt")

 gives error message if wrong type is input.

 Handy!

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 System output
 Java provides print methods in the class
System.out (don’t need to import)
 println(name);
 prints out what is stored in name, then goes to a
new line
 print(name);
 prints out what is stored in name, but does not
start a new line
 print("My name is " + name);
 put text in quotes
 use + to print more than one item
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 Methods in Java
 methods break down large problems into
smaller ones
 your program may call the same method
many times
 saves writing and maintaining same code
 methods take parameters
 information needed to do their job
 methods can return a value
 must specify type of value returned

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 Example method
signature

public static int addNums(int num1, int num2)

{
int answer = num1 + num2;
return answer;
}

body
25
 Method signature
visibility [static] returnType methodName(parameterList)
 visibility:
 public
 accessible to other objects and classes
 protected
 accessible to classes which inherit from this one
 private
 static keyword:
 use when method belongs to class as whole
 not object of the class
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 Method signature
visibility [static] returnType methodName(parameterList)
 return type:
 specifies type of information returned
 can be a simple type
 int, float, double, char, String, boolean
 or a class
 if nothing returned, use keyword void
 method name:
 use meaningful name which describes what method does!

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 Method signature
visibility [static] returnType methodName(parameterList)
 parameter list:
 information needed by method
 pairs of type name
 examples:
addNums(int num1, int num2)
drawPerson(boolean isBald, String name, int numEarrings)
 use empty brackets if method has no parameters
printHeadings()

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 Method body
signature

public static int addNums(int num1, int num2)

{
int answer = num1 + num2;
return answer;
}

body
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 Method body
 use curly brackets to enclose method body
 all your code goes in here
 write it so the method does what you intended
 last line should return a value of appropriate type
 must match type in method header
 nothing is executed after return statement
 if method returns void, can omit return statement
 method will automatically return at closing }

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 Calling a method
 methods will not run unless called from elsewhere
 a statement in main() method could call another

method
 this method could call a third method .....

 class methods are called with the form:

ClassName.methodName(parameters);
 omit ClassName if called in same class

 method name and parameters must match the

method signature
 if the method returns a value, it can be stored in a
variable or passed to another method
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 Calling methods
public static void main(String args[])
{
int input;
input = Console.readInt("Number? ");
System.out.print("Your number plus 3 is ");
System.out.println(addNums(input, 3));
}

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 Calling methods
 the previous example uses four methods
 from class Console:
public static int readInt(String prompt)
 store returned integer in variable input

 from System.out:
public void print(String s)
public void println(int x)
 no returned value (void)

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 Calling methods
 from class JavaTest:
public static int addNums(int num1, int num2)
 pass returned integer to println() method

 gets printed to screen

 could also store it in another variable

int answer = addNums(input, 3);

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 Summary
 reviewed Java basics
 applications vs. applets
 class declaration, main method
 Java keywords
 comments
 data types, variables
 input and output
 writing and using methods
 Tutorial
 write a calculator application which takes input
from the user, calls methods and output answers
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 Reading
 Malik and Nair
 Chapter 1 (Review)

 An overview of Computers and Programming

Languages
 Chapter 2

 Basic Elements of Java

 skip sections on Arithmetic Operators,

Expressions, Type Conversion, The class String

 remember the book does not use Console

methods for input

 Chapter 7

 section on "User-Defined Methods" only

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