Chapter 10 Objects and Classes

CS1: Java Programming

Colorado State University

Original slides by Daniel Liang

Modified slides by Kris Brown

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 Motivations
Suppose you want to develop a graphical user interface as
shown below. How do you program it?

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 OO Programming Concepts
Object-oriented programming (OOP) involves
programming using objects.

An object represents an entity in the real world that

can be distinctly identified.

For example, a student, a desk, a circle, a button,

and even a loan can all be viewed as objects.

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 Classes (Cookie Cutters)
Classes are constructs that define objects of the
same type. A Java class uses variables to define
data fields and methods to define behaviors.

Additionally, a class provides a special type of

methods, known as constructors, which are
invoked to construct objects from the class.

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 Classes

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 UML Class Diagram

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 Objects (Cookies)
An object has a unique identity, state, and
behavior.

The state of an object consists of a set of data

fields (also known as properties) with their
current values.

The behavior of an object is defined by a set

of methods.

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 Objects

An object has both a state and behavior. The state

defines the object, and the behavior defines what
the object does.

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 Your turn!
Write 1 class describing something in the
classroom

Write 1 class describing something on campus

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 Example: Defining Classes
and Creating Objects

Objective: Demonstrate creating objects,

accessing data, and using methods: Circles.

Let’s go study it.

TestSimpleCircle Run

Your turn!
Also print the perimeter for each circle.

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Example: Defining Classes and Creating
Objects

TV
Let’s go look . . .
TestTV Run

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 Lecture 2

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 Constructors, cont.
A constructor with no parameters is referred to as a
no-arg constructor or default constructor.
· Constructors must have the same name as the
class itself.
· Constructors do not have a return type—not
even void.
· Constructors are invoked using the new operator
when an object is created. Constructors play the
role of initializing objects.
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 Constructors
Constructors are a special
Circle() { kind of methods that are
} invoked to construct objects.

Circle(double newRadius) {
radius = newRadius;
}

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 Default Constructor
A class may be defined without constructors. In
this case, a no-arg constructor with an empty body
is implicitly defined in the class. This constructor,
called a default constructor, is provided
automatically only if no constructors are explicitly
defined in the class.

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 Creating Objects Using
Constructors
new ClassName();

Example:
new Circle();

new Circle(5.0);

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 Declaring Object Reference Variables
To reference an object, assign the object to a reference
variable.

To declare a reference variable, use the syntax:

ClassName objectRefVar;

Example:
Circle myCircle;

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 Declaring/Creating Objects
in a Single Step
ClassName objectRefVar = new ClassName();

Assign object reference Create an

Example: object

Circle myCircle = new Circle();

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 Accessing Object’s Members
❑ Referencing the object’s data:
[Link]
e.g., [Link]

❑ Invoking the object’s method:

[Link](arguments)
e.g., [Link]()

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animation
Trace Code
Declare myCircle

Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0); no value

myCircle
Circle yourCircle = new Circle();

[Link] = 100;

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animation

Trace Code, cont.

Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0); no value

myCircle
Circle yourCircle = new Circle();

[Link] = 100;

Create a circle

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animation

Trace Code, cont.

Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0);

myCircle reference value
Circle yourCircle = new Circle();

[Link] = 100; Assign object reference

to myCircle

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animation

Trace Code, cont.

Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0);
myCircle reference value
Circle yourCircle = new Circle();

[Link] = 100;

yourCircle no value

Declare yourCircle

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animation

Trace Code, cont.

Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0);
myCircle reference value
Circle yourCircle = new Circle();

[Link] = 100;

yourCircle no value

Create a new
Circle object

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animation

Trace Code, cont.

Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0);
myCircle reference value
Circle yourCircle = new Circle();

[Link] = 100;

yourCircle reference value

Assign object reference

to yourCircle

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animation

Trace Code, cont.

Circle myCircle = new Circle(5.0);
myCircle reference value
Circle yourCircle = new Circle();

[Link] = 100;

yourCircle reference value

Change radius in
yourCircle

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 Reference Data Fields
The data fields can be of reference types. For example,
the following Student class contains a data field name of
the String type.

public class Student {

String name; // name has default value null
int age; // age has default value 0
boolean isScienceMajor; // isScienceMajor has default value false
char gender; // c has default value '\u0000'
}

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 The null Value
If a data field of a reference type does not
reference any object, the data field holds a
special literal value, null.

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 Default Value for a Data Field
The default value of a data field is null for a
reference type, 0 for a numeric type, false for a
boolean type, and '\u0000' for a char type.

public class Test {

public static void main(String[] args) {
Student student = new Student();
[Link]("name? " + [Link]);
[Link]("age? " + [Link]);
[Link]("isScienceMajor? " + [Link]);
[Link]("gender? " + [Link]);
}
}

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 Example
Java assigns no default value to a local variable
inside a method body.
public class Test {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int x; // x has no default value
String y; // y has no default value
[Link]("x is " + x);
[Link]("y is " + y);
}
}

Compile error: variable not

initialized
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 Differences between Variables of
Primitive Data Types and Object Types

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Copying Variables of Primitive
Data Types and Object Types

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 Garbage Collection
As shown in the previous figure, after the
assignment statement c1 = c2, c1 points to
the same object referenced by c2. The object
previously referenced by c1 is no longer
referenced. This object is known as garbage.

Garbage is automatically collected by JVM.

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 The Date Class
Java provides a system-independent encapsulation of date
and time in the [Link] class. You can use the Date
class to create an instance for the current date and time and
use its toString method to return the date and time as a string.

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 The Date Class Example
For example, the following code

[Link] date = new [Link]();

[Link]([Link]());

displays a string like Sun Mar 09 [Link]

EST 2003.

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 The Random Class
You have used [Link]() to obtain a random double
value between 0.0 and 1.0 (excluding 1.0). A more useful
random number generator is provided in the [Link]
class.

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 The Random Class Example
If two Random objects have the same seed, they will generate
identical sequences of numbers. For example, the following
code creates two Random objects with the same seed 3.
Random random1 = new Random(3);
[Link]("From random1: ");
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
[Link]([Link](1000) + " ");
Random random2 = new Random(3);
[Link]("\nFrom random2: ");
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
[Link]([Link](1000) + " ");

From random1: 734 660 210 581 128 202 549 564 459 961
From random2: 734 660 210 581 128 202 549 564 459 961

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 Caution
Recall that you use [Link](arguments) (e.g., [Link](3, 2.5))
to invoke a method in the Math class.

Can you invoke getArea() using [Link]()? NO!

All the methods used before this chapter are static methods,
which are defined using the static keyword, and not associated
with objects.

However, getArea() is non-static, and associated with a

particular object and invoked using
[Link](arguments) (e.g., [Link]()).

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 Static
A way of sharing variables, constants, and
methods. We use ONE static Math class, like a
library.

Static variables are shared by all the instances

of the class.
Static methods are not tied to a specific object.
Static constants are final variables shared by all
the instances of the class.
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 Static Variables, Constants,
and Methods, cont.

To declare static variables, constants, and methods,

use the static modifier.

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 Objects: Instance
Variables, and Methods

Instance variables belong to a specific object.

Instance methods are invoked by an instance of the

class.

Instance variables and methods are specified by

omitting the static keyword.

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Static Variables, Constants,
and Methods, cont.

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 Example of
Using Instance and Class Variables
and Method
Objective: Demonstrate the roles of
instance and class variables and their
uses. This example adds a class variable
numberOfObjects to track the number of
Circle objects created.

CircleWithStaticMembers
TestCircleWithStaticMember Run
s
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 Static
numberOfObjects is shared by ALL
objects because it is specified as static;
whereas, radius is an instance variable that
is only used in the instance of an object to
store the value for that object.

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 Modifiers

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 Visibility Modifiers and
Accessor/Mutator Methods
By default, the class, variable, or method can be
accessed by any class in the same package.
❑ public
The class, data, or method is visible to any class in any
package.
❑ private
The data or methods can be accessed only by the declaring
class.
The get and set methods are used to read and modify private
properties.
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The private modifier restricts access to within a class, the default
modifier restricts access to within a package, and the public
modifier enables unrestricted access.

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The default modifier on a class restricts access to within a package,
and the public modifier enables unrestricted access.

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 NOTE
An object cannot access its private members, as shown in (b).
It is OK, however, if the object is declared in its own class, as
shown in (a).

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 Why Data Fields Should Be
private?
To protect data.

To make code easy to maintain.

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 Lecture 3

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 Example of
Data Field Encapsulation

CircleWithPrivateDataFields

TestCircleWithPrivateDataFields Run

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 Passing Objects to Methods

❑Passing by value for primitive type value

(the value is passed to the parameter)
❑Passing by value for reference type value
(the value is the reference to the object)

TestPassObject Run

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Passing Objects to Methods, cont.

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 Array of Objects
Circle[] circleArray = new Circle[10];

An array of objects is actually an array of

reference variables. So invoking
circleArray[1].getArea() involves two
levels of referencing as shown in the next
figure. circleArray references to the entire
array. circleArray[1] references to a
Circle object.
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 Array of Objects, cont.
Circle[] circleArray = new Circle[10];

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 Array of Objects, cont.
Summarizing the areas of the circles

TotalArea Run

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 Mutator Methods
setters and getters

/** Return numberOfObjects */

static int getNumberOfObjects() {
return numberOfObjects;
}

/** Return the area of this circle */

double getArea() {
return radius * radius * [Link];
}

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 Immutable Objects and Classes
If the contents of an object cannot be changed once the object
is created, the object is called an immutable object and its class
is called an immutable class. If you delete the set method in
the Circle class in Listing 8.10, the class would be immutable
because radius is private and cannot be changed without a set
method.

A class with all private data fields and without mutators is not
necessarily immutable. For example, the following class
Student has all private data fields and no mutators, but it is
mutable.

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 Example public class BirthDate {
private int year;
public class Student {
private int month;
private int id;
private BirthDate birthDate; private int day;

public Student(int ssn, public BirthDate(int newYear,

int year, int month, int day) {
int newMonth, int newDay) {
id = ssn;
birthDate = new BirthDate(year, month, day); year = newYear;
} month = newMonth;
day = newDay;
public int getId() {
}
return id;
}
public void setYear(int newYear) {
public BirthDate getBirthDate() { year = newYear;
return birthDate;
}
}
} }

public class Test {

public static void main(String[] args) {
Student student = new Student(111223333, 1970, 5, 3);
BirthDate date = [Link]();
[Link](2010); // Now the student birth year is changed!
}
}

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 What Class is Immutable?
For a class to be immutable, it must mark all data fields private
and provide no mutator methods and no accessor methods that
would return a reference to a mutable data field object.

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 Scope of Variables
❑ The scope of instance and static variables is the
entire class. They can be declared anywhere inside
a class.
❑ The scope of a local variable starts from its
declaration and continues to the end of the block
that contains the variable. A local variable must be
initialized explicitly before it can be used.

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 The this Keyword
❑The this keyword is the name of a reference that
refers to an object itself. One common use of the
this keyword is to reference a class’s hidden
data fields.
❑Another common use of the this keyword to
enable a constructor to invoke another
constructor of the same class.

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Reference the Hidden Data Fields

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Calling Overloaded Constructor

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