CoreJava-2 - Class, Method, Object and Variables


Core Java - Class, Method, Object and Variables


1.      what is a class in Java ?

In Java, a class is a blueprint or a template for creating objects that define a set of data fields and methods that can be used to manipulate those data fields.

Each object created from a class has its own unique set of data fields, which can be manipulated using the methods defined in the class. A class is defined using the "class" keyword, followed by the name of the class, and then the class body, which includes the data fields and methods.

For example, the following code defines a simple class named "Person" with two data fields (name and age) and two methods (setName and setAge) for setting the values of these fields:

public class Person {

    private String name;

    private int age;

    public void setName(String name) {

        this.name = name;

    }

  public void setAge(int age) {

        this.age = age;

    }

}

Once a class is defined, you can create objects from the class using the "new" keyword and then access the data fields and methods of those objects. For example, to create a Person object and set its name and age, you could do something like this:

Person person = new Person();

person.setName("John");

person.setAge(30);

This creates a new Person object and sets its name to "John" and its age to 30.

Here are some examples of classes from the real world:

  1. Car: A car class can have data fields like the make, model, year, color, and the number of doors. The class can also have methods like start(), stop(), accelerate(), and brake() that manipulate these data fields.
  2. Bank Account: A bank account class can have data fields like the account holder's name, account number, balance, and interest rate. The class can also have methods like deposit(), withdraw(), and calculateInterest() that manipulate these data fields.
  3. Employee: An employee class can have data fields like the employee's name, employee ID, salary, and job title. The class can also have methods like getSalary(), promote(), and terminate() that manipulate these data fields.
  4. Book: A book class can have data fields like the title, author, publisher, ISBN number, and number of pages. The class can also have methods like borrow(), return(), and reserve() that manipulate these data fields.
  5. Student: A student class can have data fields like the student's name, student ID, major, and GPA. The class can also have methods like enroll(), drop(), and calculateGPA() that manipulate these data fields.

These are just a few examples of the many types of classes that can be defined in Java. Classes are a fundamental part of object-oriented programming, and they allow developers to create modular, reusable code that can be easily extended and modified.

2.      What are the components of a class in Java ?

In Java, a class consists of several components, including:

  1. Class name: Every class has a name, which is used to refer to it in code. The class name should start with a capital letter and follow the conventions for naming identifiers in Java.
  2. Data fields: Data fields, also known as instance variables, are used to store data within an object of a class. Each object of a class has its own set of data fields. Data fields can be of any data type, including primitive data types (such as int and Boolean) and object reference types.
  3. Constructors: Constructors are used to create objects of a class. A constructor is a special method that has the same name as the class and is called when a new object is created.
  4. Methods: Methods are used to define the behaviour of a class. Methods can be used to manipulate the data fields of an object, perform calculations, and perform other operations. A method can have a return type, which specifies the type of value that the method returns.
  5. Access modifiers: Access modifiers are used to control the visibility of a class, its data fields, and its methods. Java provides several access modifiers, including public, private, protected, and default (also known as package-private).
  6. Inner classes: Inner classes are classes that are defined inside another class. Inner classes can be used to group related classes together, or to encapsulate classes that are only used within a single class. These are the main components of a class in Java. By combining these components in different ways, developers can create classes that represent a wide range of real-world objects and systems.

 3.      What is an Object ?

In Java, an object is an instance of a class. When a class is defined, it serves as a blueprint or template for creating objects. An object represents a specific instance of a class and has its own set of data fields and methods. For example, suppose we have a class called "Person" with data fields for name, age, and gender, and methods for setting and getting these data fields. We can create multiple objects of the "Person" class, each with its own unique data field values. For instance, we can create a "Person" object for John with name "John", age 30 and gender male, and another "Person" object for Jane with name "Jane", age 25 and gender female. Creating an object in Java involves two steps: declaration and instantiation. In the declaration step, we declare the object variable, specifying its type as the class name. In the instantiation step, we use the "new" keyword to create a new object of the class.For example, the following code declares and instantiates a "Person" object:

Person john; // Declare a Person object variable.

john = new Person(); // Instantiate a new Person object and assign it to the variable

 Once the object is created, we can use its methods to manipulate its data fields. For example, we can use the setName() method to set the name of the "Person" object to "John", like this:

john.setName("John");

In summary, an object in Java is an instance of a class that has its own set of data fields and methods, and is created through declaration and instantiation. Objects are the basic building blocks of object-oriented programming, and they allow developers to create modular, reusable code.

4.      What is a method in Java ?

In Java, a method is a block of code that performs a specific task. A method is defined within a class and can be called by other parts of the program to execute its code. A method consists of several components, including:

Method signature: The method signature is the name of the method, followed by its parameter list (if any). The parameter list specifies the type and name of each parameter that the method accepts.

Return type: The return type specifies the type of value that the method returns. If the method does not return a value, its return type is void.

Access modifier: The access modifier specifies the visibility of the method. Java provides several access modifiers, including public, private, protected, and default (also known as package-private).

Method body: The method body contains the code that is executed when the method is called. The method body can contain any valid Java code, including statements, loops, conditionals, and other method calls.

For example, consider the following method that calculates the sum of two integers:

public int add(int a, int b) {

    int sum = a + b;

    return sum;

}

In this method, the method signature is "add(int a, int b)", the return type is int, and the access modifier is public. The method body calculates the sum of the two integers and returns the result. To call this method from another part of the program, we can use the following code:

In this method, the method signature is "add(int a, int b)", the return type is int, and the access modifier is public. The method body calculates the sum of the two integers and returns the result.       To call this method from another part of the program, we can use the following code:

int result = add(3, 4); // Call the add() method with arguments 3 and 4

System.out.println(result); // Print the result, which should be 7 

In summary, a method in Java is a block of code that performs a specific task and is defined within a class. A method can accept parameters, return a value, and have an access modifier to control its visibility. Methods are a fundamental part of object-oriented programming, and they allow developers to create modular, reusable code. 

1.      What is a variable and explain different types of variables ?

In Java, a variable is a named memory location that stores a value of a specific data type. A variable can hold a value of a primitive data type, such as int or double, or a reference to an object of a class.

A variable has a name, which is used to refer to it in code, and a data type, which specifies the type of value that it can hold. There are three types of variables:

1.       Local variables

2.       Instance variables (also called member variables)

3.       Static variables (also called class variables)

Here's a brief explanation of each type of variable, along with an example:

1.       Local variables: A local variable is a variable that is declared inside a method or a block of code and is only accessible within that block of code. Local variables must be declared and initialized before they can be used.

Here's an example:

public void printMessage() {

    String message = "Hello, World!"; // declaring and initializing a local variable

    System.out.println(message);

}

In this example, the "message" variable is a local variable declared inside the "printMessage()" method. It is initialized to the value "Hello, World!", and then printed to the console.

2.       Instance variables: An instance variable is a variable that is declared inside a class, but outside of any method or block of code. Instance variables are associated with a specific instance of the class and can be accessed and modified by any method of that instance

Here's an example:

public class Person {

    String name; // declaring an instance variable

    int age; // declaring another instance variable

}

 

public void printPersonInfo() {

    Person john = new Person();

    john.name = "John";

    john.age = 30;

    System.out.println("Name: " + john.name + ", Age: " + john.age);

}

In this example, the "name" and "age" variables are instance variables of the "Person" class. They are not initialized with any values, but can be accessed and modified by any method of the "Person" class. In the "printPersonInfo()" method, we create a new instance of the "Person" class, set its "name" and "age" variables, and then print out the person's name and age.

3.       Static variables: A static variable is a variable that is declared with the "static" keyword inside a class, but outside of any method or block of code. Static variables are associated with the class itself, rather than with any instance of the class.

Here's an example:

public class MathUtils {

    public static final double PI = 3.14159; // declaring a static variable

}

 

public void printPi() {

    System.out.println("The value of pi is: " + MathUtils.PI);

}

 In this example, the "PI" variable is a static variable of the "MathUtils" class. It is initialized to the value 3.14159 and can be accessed by any method of the class using the class name and the dot operator (i.e., "MathUtils.PI"). In the "printPi()" method, we simply print out the value of the "PI" variable to the console.  In summary, the three types of variables in Java are local variables, instance variables, and static variables. Local variables are declared inside a method or block of code, instance variables are declared inside a class but outside of any method or block of code, and static variables are declared with the "static" keyword inside a class but outside of any method or block of code.


Class, Method, Object and Variables-Examples

1.What is a class in Java, Share your understanding with 2 examples?
2. What is an object in Java, Share your understanding with 2 examples?
3. What is a method in Java, Share your understanding with 2 examples?

In Java, a class is a blueprint or a template for creating objects that encapsulate data and behaviour. It defines the structure and behaviour of objects that belong to that class. Here are two examples:

Example 1: Creating a class for a Person

                                      public class Person {

   // data members

   private String name;

   private int age;

   // constructor

                                                    public Person(String name, int age) {

      this.name = name;

      this.age = age;

   }

   // methods

                                                       public String getName() {

      return name;

   }

                                                       public int getAge() {

      return age;

   }

                                                        public void setAge(int age) {

      this.age = age;

   }

}

In this example, we define a class called Person that has two data members (name and age), a constructor, and three methods (getName, getAge, and setAge). We can create instances of this class to represent different people, each with their own name and age. Here's an example of creating and using a Person object:

Person john = new Person("John Doe", 25);

System.out.println(john.getName() + " is " + john.getAge() + " years old.");

john.setAge(26);

System.out.println(john.getName() + " is now " + john.getAge() + " years old.");

Output:

John Doe is 25 years old.

John Doe is now 26 years old.

Example 2: Creating a class for a Circle

public class Circle {

   // data members

   private double radius;

  

   // constructor

                              public Circle(double radius) {

      this.radius = radius;

   }

   // methods

   public double getRadius() {

      return radius;

   }

  

                              public void setRadius(double radius) {

      this.radius = radius;

   }

  

                               public double getArea() {

      return Math.PI * radius * radius;

   }

                                public double getCircumference() {

      return 2 * Math.PI * radius;

   }

}

In this example, we define a class called Circle that has one data member (radius), a constructor, and four methods (getRadius, setRadius, getArea, and getCircumference). We can create instances of this class to represent different circles, each with its own radius. Here's an example of creating and using a Circle object:

Circle c = new Circle(3);

System.out.println("Radius: " + c.getRadius());

System.out.println("Area: " + c.getArea());

System.out.println("Circumference: " + c.getCircumference());

c.setRadius(4);

System.out.println("Radius: " + c.getRadius());

System.out.println("Area: " + c.getArea());

System.out.println("Circumference: " + c.getCircumference());

 

Output:

Radius: 3.0

Area: 28.274333882308138

Circumference: 18.84955592153876

Radius: 4.0

Area: 50.26548245743669

Circumference: 25.132741228718345

4.How do you declare and assign a variable in Java in a single line and in two different lines?

In Java, you can declare and assign a variable in a single line or in two different lines. Here's how you can do it:

Declaring and Assigning a Variable in a Single Line:

To declare and assign a variable in a single line, you can use the following syntax:

data_type variable_name = value;

For example, to declare and assign an integer variable x with the value 5, you can use the following code:

int x = 5;

Declaring and Assigning a Variable in Two Different Lines:

To declare and assign a variable in two different lines, you can use the following syntax:

data_type variable_name;     // declaration

variable_name = value;       // assignment

For example, to declare an integer variable y and then assign it the value 10, you can use the following code:

int y;          // declaration

y = 10;         // assignment

Both methods achieve the same result, and which one you choose to use depends on your coding style and personal preference.

What is the difference between a class and an object in Java?

In Java, a class is a blueprint or a template for creating objects, whereas an object is an instance of a class. Here are some key differences between a class and an object in Java:

  1. Definition: A class is a code template or a blueprint that defines the structure, behavior, and properties of objects. An object, on the other hand, is an instance of a class that has its own unique state and behavior.
  2. Usage: A class is used to create objects of that class, whereas an object is used to perform operations and access data within that object.
  3. Properties: A class has data members, methods, constructors, and other properties that define its behavior and structure. An object, on the other hand, has its own unique state, which is defined by the values of its data members.
  4. Memory allocation: A class is a logical entity that exists in the memory only once, whereas objects are physical entities that are created in the memory every time a new instance of the class is created.
  5. Accessibility: A class can be accessed from any part of the code, whereas an object can only be accessed within the scope where it was created.

Here's an example to illustrate the difference between a class and an object:

public class Car {

   // data members

   private String make;

   private String model;

   private int year;

      

   // methods

   public String getMake() {

      return make;

   }

  

   public String getModel() {

      return model;

   }

  

   public int getYear() {

      return year;

   }

}

 

// Creating an object of the Car class

Car myCar = new Car("Toyota", "Camry", 2020);

 

In this example, we define a class called Car that has data members for the make, model, and year of a car, a constructor, and methods to get the values of the data members. We then create an object myCar of the Car class by calling the constructor with the arguments "Toyota", "Camry", and 2020. The myCar object has its own unique state, which is defined by the values of its data members.

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