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1-3-Objects Classes

The document discusses objects and classes in object-oriented programming. It covers key concepts like reference types versus primitive types, class definitions, constructors, and special objects like strings and arrays. Specific topics covered include defining classes, creating objects, using methods and arguments, the this keyword, method overloading, constructors, arrays, and strings.

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Arsalan Ahmed
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
73 views

1-3-Objects Classes

The document discusses objects and classes in object-oriented programming. It covers key concepts like reference types versus primitive types, class definitions, constructors, and special objects like strings and arrays. Specific topics covered include defining classes, creating objects, using methods and arguments, the this keyword, method overloading, constructors, arrays, and strings.

Uploaded by

Arsalan Ahmed
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 13

Objects and Classes

Reference types and their characteristics Class Definition Constructors and Object Creation Special objects: Strings and Arrays

OOAD 1998/99 Claudia Niedere, Joachim W. Schmidt Software Systems Institute [email protected] http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de

Reference Types
Predefined or user-defined Classes String Array The values of reference types are not manipulated directly. Instead handles (references) to the actual values are used.

OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes

Reference Type Variables


A variable of a reference type contains a reference to an anonymous object in storage. An uninitialized variable contains a null-reference.
Point a,b; a object a b

Objects are created at run-time.


new Point(0,0);

0 0

Objects are anonymous. They have an immutable identity.


OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes 3

Binding Reference Type Variables


Assigning an object to a variable, the variable gets a reference to the object as its value.
a = new Point(0,0); b = new Point(3,4); a b
0 0 3 4

Assigning values of other variables means assigning the references! The value of the object does not change
a = b; a b

0 0 3 4
4

May be a pitfall, as the object may change


OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes

Comparing Objects
Comparing two reference type variables means comparing the references they contain and, thus, comparing the identity of the referenced objects.
a b c
3 4

a == b

3 4

a != c

d == null

OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes

Comparing the Contents of Objects


The contents of objects belonging to pre-defined classes can be compared using the method equals. If you define a class of your own, equals by default only compares references, as == does. => You have to override equals for newly defined classes.

OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes

Creating New Data Types: class


Class keyword introduces definition of new data type
class ATypeName { /* class body goes here */ } ATypeName a = new ATypeName();

Data members
class DataOnly { int i; float f; boolean b; }

Each instance of DataOnly gets its own copy of the data members In a class, primitives get default values.
OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes 7

Methods, Arguments and Return Values


Methods: how you get things done in an object May inspect and change the state of the object Traditionally called functions Can only be defined inside classes
returnType methodName(/* argument list */) { /* Method body */ }

Example method call:


int x = a.f(); // For object a

OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes

The Argument List


Types of the objects to pass in to the method Name (identifier) to use for each one Whenever you seem to be passing objects in Java, you actually passing handles re
void reset(Cell c) { c.setValue(0); } Cell cell1 = new Cell(); cell1.setValue(4); reset(cell1); cell1.getValue();

OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes

this: Handle to Current Object


public class Leaf { private int i = 0; Leaf increment() { i++; return this; } void print() { System.out.println("i = " + i); } public static void main(String args[]) { Leaf x = new Leaf(); x.increment().increment().increment().print(); } } no this in static methods
OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes 10

Nuance
We can deduce meaning from context Wash the shirt Wash the car Wash the dog Not shirtWash the shirt carWash the car dogWash the dog

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Method Overloading
class SuperWasher{ void wash(Shirt s) { ... } void wash(Car c) { ...} void wash(Dog d) { ...} ... }

One word, many meanings: overloaded Unique argument type combinations distinguish overloaded methods
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Overloading on Return Values


Why not also use return values in method overloading?
void f() {...} int f() {...}

Then what would this mean?


f();

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13

Default Constructor
Constructors are needed to create instances (objects) of a class Compiler provides one for you if you write no constructor
class Bird { int i; } public class DefaultConstructor { public static void main(String args[]) { Bird nc = new Bird(); // default! } }
OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes 14

Constructor Definition
class Rock { Rock() { // This is the constructor System.out.println("Creating Rock"); } } public class SimpleConstructor { public static void main(String args[]) { for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++) new Rock(); } }

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15

Constructor Overloading
Like methods constructors may be overloaded
class Tree { int height; Tree() { System.out.println("A seedling"); height = 0; } Tree(int i) { System.out.println("A new Tree, " + i + " feet tall"); height = i; } }

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this in Constructors
A very common kind to use this is in constructors to initialize data members with the constructor's arguments
public class Animal { private int numberOfLegs; Animal(int numberOfLegs) { this.numberOfLegs = numberOfLegs; } }

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Member Initialization
void f() { int i; // No initialization i++; }

Produces compile-time error Inside class, primitives are given default values if you don specify values t
class Data { int i = 999; long l; // defaults to zero // ...

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Constructor Initialization
Order of initialization Order that data members are defined in class Static data initialization
class Cupboard { Bowl b3 = new Bowl(3); static Bowl b4 = new Bowl(4); // ...

b4 only created on first access or when first object of class Cupboard is created

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Arrays and Array Initialization


Arrays are objects
int a1[]; int[] a1; // this... // is the same as this!

Creates a handle, not the array. Can size it. t To create an array of primitives:
int [] a1 = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };

Bounds are checked, length produces size of the array a1.length If you do anything wrong either the compiler will catch it or an exception will be thrown

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10

Arrays of Objects
An array of class objects:
Animal[] a = new Animal[20]; System.out.println(a.length + " animals"); for(int i = 0; i < a.length; i++) { a[i] = new Animal((i % 2 + 1) * 2);

Can also use bracketed list (The size is then fixed at compile-time)
Integer[] a = { new Integer(1), new Integer(2), new Integer(3), };

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Multi-dimensional Arrays
It is possible to define multi-dimensional arrays.
int[][] a;

The brackets even may be distributed between type and identifier.


int[] a[];

Initialization can be done directly


int[][] a = { { 1, 2, 3 }, { 5, 6} };

It can also be done by nested iterations over the array and its components.

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Strings
Strings are immutable objects of the class String. String literals are zero, one or more characters included within double quotes. When a binding to a string literal is executed for the first time, a new String object is created. If any other bindings to this literal appear, the respective variables will hold reference to the same object.
String a = "abc"; String b = "abc"; a b
OOAD98/99-STS-Objects and Classes

"abc"

23

String Constructors
String objects can also be created by calling a constructor. String constructors create new objects whenever they are called.
String c = new String("abc"); a
"abc"

b c
"abc"

There are several constructors defined for strings.


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String Concatenation
Strings can be concatenated by using +.
String c = "A " + "concatenation";

The concatenation also creates a new String object. Values of other types can be concatenated to strings, too. They are implicitly converted to String.
String n = "Number " + 49;

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Inside the Method Body


Variable declaration and assignments Operations on primitive data types Object creation Message sending Iteration Conditionals

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