Outline Character Strings

Variables and Assignment

Primitive Data Types
Expressions
Data Conversion
Interactive Programs
Graphics
Applets
Drawing Shapes
Variables and assignment
 Variable
 A name for a location in memory holding data value

 Every variable has a type

 It depends on the intended use

 Example:
 use the int type for a variable storing integer values

 A variable declaration
 => reserve portion of memory large enough to hold the value
Variable declaration
 A variable
 must be declared before using it by specifying
 The variable’s name

 And the type of information that it will hold

data type variable name

int total;
int count, temp, result;

Multiple variables can be created in one declaration

Variables and assignment:
general rules
 A variable can be given an initial value
 in the declaration
int sum = 0;
int base = 32, max = 149;
 When a variable
 is referenced in a program, its current value is used

 You can change the value of an existing variable

 Using the assignment operator (=)
 lucky_number=13; (if the variable has been declared)

 See PianoKeys.java
Assignment
 An assignment statement
 Changes the value of a variable

 The assignment operator is the = sign

total = 55;

 The expression on the right is evaluated

 And the result is stored in the variable on the left

 The value that was in total is overwritten

 See Geometry.java
Sample programs
/* Input: Geometry.JAVA */

public class Geometry {

public static void main (String[ ] args) {

int sides = 5; // declaration with intialization
System.out.println(“ A pentagon has ”+ sides + “sides.”);
sides = 10; // assignment statement
System.out.println(“A decagon has ” + sides + “sides.”);
}
}
// Output:

A pentagon has 5 sides

A decagon has 10 sides
Constants
 A constant
 is an identifier that is similar to a variable

 except that it holds the same value

 During its entire existence

 By giving the value a name => explain role in program

 is named using uppercase letters

 To distinguish them from regular variables

 In Java, we use the final modifier to declare a variable

final int MIN_HEIGHT = 69;

Constants (cont’d)
 The compiler
 Produces an error message

 if you attempt to change the value of a constant

 This prevents coding errors

 Because the only valid place to change their value

 is the initial assignment

Why to use constants?
 Three reasons for using constants
 Giving a constant a value a name helps explain its role
 Give meaning to otherwise unclear values
 For example, MAX_LOAD means more than the literal 250

 Compiler protects constant values

 Avoid inadvertent errors by other programmers

 Prevent changing a constant value throughout a program

 They facilitate program maintenance

 If a constant is used in multiple places

 Its value need only be updated in one place

Outline Character Strings
Variables and Assignment
Primitive Data Types
Expressions
Data Conversion
Interactive Programs
Graphics
Applets
Drawing Shapes
Primitive data types
 There are eight primitive data types in Java

 Four of them represent integers

 byte, short, int, long

 Two of them represents floating point numbers

 float, double

 One of them represents characters

 char

 And one of them represent Boolean values

 boolean
JAVA Primitive data types
 All the numeric types differ
 By the amount of memory space used
 To store a value of that type

 Design programs so that space is not wasted

Type Storage Min Value Max Value

byte 8 bits -128 127

short 16 bits -32,768 32,767
int 32 bits -2,147,483,648 2,147,483,647
long 64 bits < -9 x 1018 > 9 x 1018

float 32 bits +/- 3.4 x 1038 with 7 significant digits

double 64 bits +/- 1.7 x 10308 with 15 significant digits
Integers and floating point
types
 By default
 JAVA assumes all integer literals are of type int

 To define a literal of type long

 L or l is appended to the end of the value

 Example: long counted_Stars = 86827263927L;

 JAVA assumes floating point literals are of type double

 If we need to treat a floating point as a float

 we append f or F to the end of the value

 Example: float ratio = 0.2363F;

characters
 A char variable stores a single character

 Character literals are delimited

 by single quotes
 Example
'a' 'X' '7' '$' ',' '\n'
 Data type char represents a single character
 Example: char topGrade = ‘A’;

 Characters include
 Uppercase, lowercase letters; punctuation ; etc..
Boolean type
 Declaration
 Example: boolean flag = true;

 Boolean variables have only two valid values

 true and
 false

 This type is used to represent situation with 2 states

 Example: a light bulb being on (true) or off (false)
Outline Character Strings
Variables and Assignment
Primitive Data Types
Expressions
Data Conversion
Interactive Programs
Graphics
Applets
Drawing Shapes