4.

Creating Class and Object

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Classes

A Java class member may have:

- instance variables to define data fields/attributes
and
- instance 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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 UML Class Diagram for Employee
Class name
Employee
- empnum: int Attributes / instance variables that
- empname: String define the object’s state; can hold
numbers, characters, strings, other
+ setEmpNum(int): void objects
+ getEmpNum(): int
+ setEmpName(String): void
+ getEmpName(): String Actions that an object of this
class can take (behaviors)

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The Employee Class Shell

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Data Fields
 Variables declared within class
 But outside of any method
 Called instance variables (local)
 When not static (global)
 Each class will have own copy of each
non-static data field
 private access for fields
 No other classes can access field’s values
 Only methods of same class allowed to use
private variables
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 You name it!
Data Fields (cont’d)
private [static] [final] datatype name;
Usually
private primitive: int, double,
etc., or an object:
May be present: String, Image, Foot
means the field is
shared by all May be present:
objects in the class means the field
is a constant

private int empnum;

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Creating Instance Methods in a Class

 Classes contain methods

 Non-static method
 Instance methods
 “Belong” to objects
 Typically declare non-static instance
variables
 static class variables
 Are not instance variables

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Method Definitions
 Method header form:
modifier returnType methodName ([parameterList])
 Example:
public double getPrice()
public void setPrice(double aPrice)
 Method names usually sound like verbs.
 The name of a method that returns the value of a
field often starts with get:
getWidth, getX
 The name of a method that sets the value of a
field often starts with set:
setLocation, setText
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Understanding Data Hiding
 Data hiding using encapsulation
 Data fields usually private

 Client application accesses them only through

public interfaces
 Set method
 Controls data values used to set variable
 Get method
 Controls how value retrieved

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Accessor and Mutator Methods
 The methods that retrieve the data of
fields are called accessors.
 The methods that modify the data of
fields are called mutators.

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 Accessors and Mutators
 For the rectangle example, the accessors and
mutators are:
 getLength: Returns the value of the length field.
public double getLength() { }
 getWidth : Returns the value of the width field.
public double getWidth() { }
 setLength : Sets the value of the length field.
public void setLength(double len) { }
 setWidth : Sets the value of the width field.
public void setLength(double w) { }

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 Class Definition
public class Employee {
private int empnum;
private String empname;
Employee
public void setEmpNum(int num) {
- empnum: int empnum = num;
- empname: String }
+ setEmpNum(int): void public int getEmpNum() {
+ getEmpNum(): int return empnum;
+ setEmpName(String): void }
+ getEmpName(): String
public void setEmpName(Strig name) {
UML class diagram empname = name;
}

public String getEmpName() {

return empname;
}
} 12
Declaring Objects or Create an Instance

 Declaring class does not create any

actual objects – only the template
 Create instance of class
 Supply type and identifier
 Allocate computer memory for object

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Declaring Object Reference Variable
and Create Object
 To refer an object, assign the object to a
reference variable.
 To declare a reference variable, use the syntax:
ClassName objectRefVar;
 To create object:
objectRefVar = new ClassName();
Example:
Employee emp1;
emp1 = new Employee();

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Declaring/Creating Objects
in a Single Step

ClassName objectRefVar = new ClassName();

Assign object reference Create an object

Example:
Employee emp1 = new Employee();

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Accessing Objects
 After object instantiated, methods accessed using:
Object’s identifier
 Dot

 Data/Method call

 Referencing the object’s data:

objectRefVar.data
 Example:
emp1.empnum
 Invoking the object’s method:
objectRefVar.methodName(arguments)
 Example:
emp1.getEmpNum()
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Constructors

 Special kind of methods for creating objects of the

class.
 A class may be declared without constructors.
 If a programmer does not define any constructors,
Java will automatically provides one default no-args
constructor, which allocates memory and sets fields
to the default values
 Name of constructor always same as name of class.
 Default constructors do not have a return type (not
even void) and they do not return a value.
 Example: public Employee() { }
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 Class Definition with default constructor
public class Employee {
private int empnum;
private String empname;
Employee public Employee() {
- empnum: int System.out.println (“Start Employee”);
}
- empname: String
+ Employee() public void setEmpNum(int num) {
+ setEmpNum(int): void empnum = num;
+ getEmpNum(): int }
public int getEmpNum() {
+ setEmpName(String): void
return empnum;
+ getEmpName(): String
}
public void setEmpName(String name) {
empname = name;
UML class diagram
}
public String getEmpName() {
return empname;
} 18
}
Constructors

 Constructors may take parameters.

 If
a constructor has one parameter, we
may call it as one-argument constructor.
 If a class has more than one
constructor, they must have different
numbers and/or types of parameters.
 This is called constructor overloading

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Creating Object == invoking Constructors

 Constructors are invoked using the new

operator when an object is created.
Constructors play the role of initializing
objects.
 Format:
new ClassName();
Example:
new Employee();
new Employee(123, “Ahmad”);

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Constructors (cont’d)
public class Fraction public Fraction (int n, int d)
{ {
private int num, denom; num = n;
denom = d;
public Fraction ( ) reduce ();
{ }
num = 0;
denom = 1; “No-args” public Fraction (Fraction other)
} constructor {
num = other.num;
public Fraction (int n) denom = other.denom;
{ }
num = n; ... Copy
denom = 1;
} Continued  }
constructor
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 Constructors (cont’d)

 A nasty bug:
public class MyWindow
extends JFrame
{
...
// Constructor: Compiles fine, but
public void MyWindow ( ) the compiler thinks
{ this is a method and
...
}
uses MyWindow’s
... default no-args
constructor instead.

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 Constructors (cont’d)

 Constructors of a class can call each other using

the keyword this — a good way to avoid
duplicating code:
public class Fraction ...
{ public Fraction (int p, int q)
... {
num = p;
public Fraction (int n) denom = q;
{ reduce ();
this (n, 1); }
} ...
...

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Organizing Classes
 Place data fields in logical order
 At beginning of class
 Fields listed vertically
 May place data fields and methods in any
order within a class
 Common to list all data fields first
 Can see names and data types before reading
methods that use data fields

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 Employee.java

import ... import statements

public class Employee Class header

{ Attributes / variables that define the

 Fields object’s state; can hold numbers,
characters, strings, other objects

Procedures for constructing

 Constructors
a new object of this class
and initializing its fields

 Methods Actions that an object

of this class can take
} (behaviors) 25
public class Circle {
private double radius, area;
final PI = 3.14159; File Name?
Save as “______.java”
Circle (double r) {
radius = r;
}
public double findArea() {
area= radius*radius*PI;
return area;
}
}

public class TestCircle {

public static void main(String[] args) {
Circle circle1 = new Circle(2.3);
System.out.println("The area of the circle of radius "+ circle1.radius + " is " +
circle1.findArea());
}
}

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