CS 1713/1711 Introduction to Computer Science Lecture 5

CS 1713 Lecture 5: An Overview of a Java Program
September 10, 1999
One more time... to get it right:

class - specification of a type of object
object - an instance of a class
constructor - specifies how to initialize a newly created object
field - object variable (corresponds to data - a noun)
method - code corresponding to an action that the object performs (Sometimes the methods are referred to as member functions.)

Most of the examples in Chapters 2 and 3 of the textbook use a case study based on ConvertFabric program (Fig. 2.3) and the PieceOfFabric class (Fig. 2.2). In this lecture we will examine the structure of a Java program using this case study.

Develop and run the ConvertFabric program (Fig. 2.3) and the PieceOfFabric class (Fig. 2.2) under Java WorkShop.

Look at overall structure of code in Fig. 2.2 and Fig. 2.3:

Class definition for PieceOfFabric
Main program ConvertFabric.
Trace the program.
Use the toSqYards method.
Diagram the structure of the class.

Go over key words (reserved words) used in code of Fig. 2.2 and Fig. 2.3:

import
class
extends
public
private
double
return
void
new
static

These terms are summarized in Table 2.1 of the text on page 49.

Look at, trace and compare the structure of two Java programs that develop and test a class representing a rectangle (handout):

The RectangleA example follows the pattern of the program in Figures 2.2 and 2.3.
The RectangleB is a more traditional object-oriented design.

Objective: To be able to read a simple Java program and understand what it does.

Last revision: September 9, 1999 at 9:30 am