Basics of

Java

Mateen Ahmed Abbasi

Department of Computer Science
Khwaja Fareed University Of Engineering and Information Technology
 Categories of Java
Java divided into three categories
• J2SE (Java 2 Standard Edition)
• J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition)
• J2ME (Java 2 Micro or Mobile Edition)

• J2SE
• J2SE is used for developing client side applications.
• J2EE
• J2EE is used for developing server side applications.
• J2ME
• J2ME is used for developing mobile or wireless application by making use of
a predefined protocol called WAP(wireless Access / Application protocol).
 Basic Points of Java
Java is a platform independent, more powerful, secure, high
performance, multithreaded programming language. Here we discuss
some points related to Java.
• Byte Code
Byte code is the set of optimized instructions generated during
compilation phase and it is more powerful than ordinary pointer
code.
• JRE
The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is part of the Java Development
Kit (JDK). It contains a set of libraries and tools for developing Java
application. The Java Runtime Environment provides the minimum
requirements for executing a Java application.
 Cont..
• JVM
JVM is set of programs developed by sun Micro System and supplied as
a part of the JDK for reading line by line line of byte code and it
converts into a native understanding form of operating system. The Java
language is one of the compiled and interpreted programming
language.
• Garbage Collector
The Garbage Collector is the system Java program which runs in the
background along with a regular Java program to collect un-Referenced
(unused) memory space for improving the performance of our
applications.
• Note: Java programming does not support destructor concept in place
of destructor, we have garbage collector program.
 Cont..
• API
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a
collection of packages, a package is the collection of
classes, interfaces and sub-packages. A sub-package
is a collection of classes, Interfaces and sub sub
packages etc.
Java programming contains user friendly syntax so
that we can develop effective applications. in other
words if any language is providing user friendly
syntax, we can develop error free applications.
Features of Java
 First Java Program
• Requirements for java Program
For executing any java program we need given
things.
Install the JDK version 1.8 if you don't have
installed it.
Set path of the jdk/bin directory.
Create the java program
Compile and run the java program
 Cont..
Steps For compiling and executing the java program
Java is very simple programming language first we write a java program and save
it with program class name.
In below program we create a java program with "First" name so we save this
program with "First.java" file name. We can save our java program anywhere in
our system or computer.
class First
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("Hello Java");
System.out.println("My First Java Program");
}
}
Compile and Execute as discussed is lecture 1
 Process
During the program execution internally following steps will be
occurs.
• Class loader subsystem loads or transfer the specified class into
main memory(RAM) from secondary memory(hard disk)
• JVM takes the loaded class
• JVM looks for main method because each and every java program
start executing from main() method.
• Since main() method of java is static in nature, JVM call the main()
method with respect to loaded class (Example: First as
First.main(--))
• Note: A java program can contain any number of main method but
JVM start execution from that main() method which is taking array
of object of String class.
 Object and class in Java
• Object is the physical as well as logical entity where as class is the
only logical entity.
• Class: Class is a blue print which is containing only list of variables
and method and no memory is allocated for them. A class is a group
of objects that has common properties. (A class is a set of objects
that share a common structure and a common behavior)
• A class in java contains:
• Data Member
• Method
• Constructor
• Block
• Class and Interface
 Cont..
• Object is a instance of class, object has state and
behaviors. (a visible or tangible thing of relative
stable form; A thing that may be apprehended
intellectually; A thing to which thought or action
is directed)
• An Object in java has three characteristics:
• State
• Behavior
• Identity
 Cont..
• State: The state of an object encompasses all of the (static) properties of the object plus the
current (dynamic) values of each of these properties
• A property is an inherent or distinctive characteristic, trait, quality, or feature that contribute
to making an object uniquely that object
• Examples
• Properties ( Attributes ) :
– Elevators travel up or down
– Vending machines accept coins
– Clocks indicate the current time
• Values
– Current floor
– Number of coins deposited
– The number of minutes since the last hour

•
Behavior: Behavior is how an object acts and reacts, in terms of state changes and
interactions with other objects.
• An operation is some action that one object performs upon another in order to elicit a
reaction.
• We will use the word method to describe object behavior in java.
• Invoking a method causes the behavior to take place.
 Cont..
• Types of Methods
• There are 4 basic types of methods:
• Modifier (sometimes called a mutator)
• Changes the value associated with an attribute of the object
• E.g. A method like Change_Car_Color
• Accessor
• Returns the value associated with an attribute of the object
• E.g. A method like Price_of_Car
• Constructor
• Called once when the object is created (before any other method will be invoked)
• E.g. Car(Mustang)
• Destructor
• Called when the object is destroyed
• E.g.~Car( )
• Identity: Identity is the property of an object that distinguishes it from all other objects.
• The failure to recognize the difference between the name of the object and the object itself
is the source of many errors in object-oriented (OO) programming.
Difference between Class and Object in
Java
Class Object
Class is a container which collection Object is a instance of class
of variables and methods.

No memory is allocated at the time Sufficient memory space will be

of declaration allocated for all the variables of class
at the time of declaration.

One class definition should exist only For one class multiple objects can be
once in the program. created.
 Simple Example of Object and Class
In this example, we have created a Employee class that have two data members
eid and ename. We are creating the object of the Employee class by new keyword
and printing the objects value.
class Employee
{
int eid; // data member (or instance variable)
String ename; // data member (or instance variable)
eid=101;
ename=“Ahmed";
public static void main(String args[]) {
Employee e=new Employee(); // Creating an object of class Employee
System.out.println("Employee ID: "+e.eid);
System.out.println("Name: "+e.ename);
}
}
 Data Type in Java
Datatype is a spacial keyword used to allocate sufficient memory space for
the data, in other words Data type is used for representing the data in main
memory (RAM) of the computer.
In general every programming language is containing three categories of
data types. They are
• Fundamental or primitive data types
• Derived data types
• User defined data types.

• Primitive data types

• Primitive data types are those whose variables allows us to store only one
value but they never allows us to store multiple values of same type. This is
a data type whose variable can hold maximum one value at a time.
Example
• int a; // valid
• a=10; // valid
• a=10, 20, 30; // invalid
 Derived data types
Derived data types are those whose variables allow us to store multiple
values of same type. But they never allows to store multiple values of
different types. These are the data type whose variable can hold more than
one value of similar type. In general derived data type can be achieve using
array.
Example
• int a[] = {10,20,30}; // valid
• int b[] = {100, 'A', "ABC"}; // invalid

User defined data types

• User defined data types are those which are developed by programmers by
making use of appropriate features of the language.
• User defined data types related variables allows us to store multiple values
either of same type or different type or both. This is a data type whose
variable can hold more than one value of dissimilar type, in java it is
achieved using class concept.
• Note: In java both derived and user defined data type combined name as
reference data type.
Example
• Student s = new Student();
 Data Types
In java we have eight data type which are
organized in four groups. They are
• Integer category data types
• Character category data types
• Float category data types
• Boolean category data types
 Integer category data types
These category data types are used for storing integer data in the
main memory of computer by allocating sufficient amount of
memory space.
Integer category data types are divided into four types which are
given in following table
Data Type Size Range

1 Byte 1 + 127 to -128

2 Short 2 + 32767 to -32768
3 Int 4 + x to - (x+1)
4 Long 8 + y to - (y+1)
 Character category data types
A character is an identifier which is enclosed within single quotes. In java
to represent character data, we use a data type called char. This data type
takes two byte since it follows Unicode character set.
Data Type Size(Byte) Range
Char 2 232767 to -32768

Why Java take 2 byte of memory for store character ?

Java support more than 18 international languages so java take 2 byte for
characters, because for 18 international language 1 byte of memory is not
sufficient for storing all characters and symbols present in 18 languages. Java
supports Unicode but c support ascii code. In ascii code only English language
are present, so for storing all English letter and symbols 1 byte is sufficient.
Unicode character set is one which contains all the characters which are
available in 18 international languages and it contains 65536 characters
 Float category data types
Float category data type are used for representing
float values. This category contains two data types,
they are in the given table

Data Type Size Range Number of

decimal places
+2147483647
Float 4 to - 8
2147483648
Double 8 + 9.223*1018 16
 Boolean category data types
Boolean category data type is used for representing
or storing logical values is true or false. In java
programming to represent Boolean values or logical
values, we use a data type called Boolean.

Why Boolean data types take zero byte of

memory ?
Boolean data type takes zero bytes of main memory
space because Boolean data type of java
implemented by Sun Micro System with a concept of
flip - flop. A flip - flop is a general purpose register
which stores one bit of information (one true and
zero false).
 Cont..
Data Type Default Value Default size

boolean false 1 bit

char '\u0000' 2 byte

byte 0 1 byte

short 0 2 byte

int 0 4 byte

long 0L 8 byte

float 0.0f 4 byte

double 0.0d 8 byte

 Variable Declaration Rules in Java
Variable is an identifier which holds data or another one variable is an
identifier whose value can be changed at the execution time of
program. Variable is an identifier which can be used to identify input
data in a program.
 Cont..
Rules to declare a Variable
• Every variable name should start with either alphabets or
underscore ( _ ) or dollar ( $ ) symbol.
• No space are allowed in the variable declarations.
• Except underscore ( _ ) no special symbol are allowed in
the middle of variable declaration
• Variable name always should exist in the left hand side of
assignment operators.
• Maximum length of variable is 64 characters.
• No keywords should access variable name.
Operators in Java
 Operators in Java
Operator is a special symbol that tells the compiler
to perform specific mathematical or logical
Operation. Java supports following lists of operators.
• Arithmetic Operators
• Relational Operators
• Logical Operators
• Bitwise Operators
• Assignment Operators
• Ternary or Conditional Operators