1. SOFTWARE AND PROGRAMMING 1
EACH student must have obtained access
to Birkbeck computing by – otherwise no use in the lab
Instructor: Prof. Boris Mirkin
DCSIS, room 744 MAL, tel
Course Assistant:
Lab/WebCT/Tests/Assignments: Mr Martin O’Shea
(FROM 26 January: Lectures , Labs )

2. Webpage
The course web page is currently at my open web-site, with lecture notes and other relevant materials:

3. Texts: Any, including Quentin Charatan & Aaron Kans [CK]
JAVA in Two Semesters, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2006, ISBN
David J. Barnes & Michael Kölling [BK] Objects First with Java: A Practical Introduction using BlueJ, 2nd edition, Pearson Education, 2005, ISBN
The publisher supplies a helpline in installing related software
3. I. Pohl, C. McDowell [PM]
Java by dissection, Addison-Wesley, , ISBN
4. J. Farrell [F]
Java Programming, 2-4 editions, Course Technology, Thompson, , ISBN etc.
5. Free: ON-LINE text by D. Eck (on my web site); other URLs

4. Teaching Goal: Coding in Real
FRAMEWORK:
the interpreter/compiler Java working;
classes, objects and instances;
variables and static variables;
Java data types: primitive and user-defined;
arithmetic and Boolean expressions;
for/while and if…elseif…else structures;
processing strings;
elements of input/output in Java;
methods and constructors;
arrays and their usage, including arrays of a user-defined type

5. Teaching Goal
PRACTICE:
To have developed skills in practical programming of small but real-world problems e.g. keeping transaction records,
assigning seats to customers,
managing a bus schedule, etc.

6. Control Final exam: 75% of mark Course-work: 25% of mark
2 open-book in-class tests, 9.02 & 9.03,
2 assignments for home work via WebCT, &
Composition of CW 25% mark:
T %
T %
A %
A %

7. Control: Example Let marks of a student be as follows:
A (hasn’t submitted)
The total mark will be because it rounds up the result:
50* * * * *0.08=
= = 47.65

8. Teaching Philosophy (extracts)
Huge respect for part-time students
The bulk of students to get trained
No student’s question is stupid since Software is invented
Better to have simple things learnt well rather than complex things learnt not well
Instructor’s small errors - a good teaching device for activation of the student’s brain
Learning a language in a college differs from consuming a lunch in a diner in many ways
Fast feedback on students’ issues if raised

9. OOP concepts you already know of
How a Java program works: interpret/compile
Variable
Expression
Data type
Loop
If/elseif/else structure
Class
Method
Parameter
These will be expanded to more realistic environments
You don’t always need to show all these slides in class.
These are intended as summaries. Discuss these topics
with a demo, or in a dialog, or in any way you like.

10. Two JAVA environments Will be using both:
Java Developer Kit JDK (currently, J2SE) (Conventional)
Blue J (A public project to make JAVA coding easier)
some remarks about editing
warning: word is not good!

11. Conventional JDK: Editing
A source code can be edited in any text editor: Notepad, emacs, PFE, ...
MS Word caveat: by default, Word does not save in ASCII text format
Make sure to save the code before compiling! The file name: the same as that of the class, with extension:
say, class NicTe{…} must be saved as file NicTe.java, case sensitive
some remarks about editing
warning: word is not good!

12. Command line invocation
compilation and execution of Java in JDK are done from a command line
On Microsoft systems: DOS shell
On Unix: Unix shell
Must make sure that the commands for compiler and runtime (JVM) are in the command path.
On laptop: open DOS window, show command line commands

13. Getting JDK on a system’s path
Click “Properties” on right-buttoned “My computer”
Click “Advanced”
Click “Environmental variables”
Enter new path (to the directory in which javac.exe and java.exe reside)

14. Compiling with JDK Name of the JDK compiler: javac
To invoke: javac <source name>
compiles <source name> and all classes it depends on into an executable on JVM file <source name>.class
Example: javac NicTe.java
produces file NicTe.class
do the same live: edit, then compile a class

15. Execution in JDK “java” starts the Java virtual machine: java NicTe
The named class is loaded and execution is started.
Other classes are loaded as needed.
Only possible if class has been compiled into a file, say, NicTe.class
show execution (at least an attempt). Do this first with a class that has no main.

16. JDK Problem: Execute what?
How does the system know which of the methods in a class to execute?
This error should be reported.
Explain.

17. “main” method in JDK BlueJ executes what the user says;
The JDK java system always executes a method called main, it should have a certain signature:
Signature
_______________________ public static void main(String[ ] args) { ... }
To work with JDK, such a method must be present in your program!
Now write a main method, then try again.

18. A primer program (=class)
/* HelloWorld.java
Purpose: printing a message to the screen */
class HelloWorld {
// Each program is organised as a class
        public static void main(String[] args) {
         System.out.println("Hello World!");
        }
} // end of class HelloWorld
/* Always Three Types of Elements ONLY:
-comments
-class (with modifiers)
-methods (with modifiers & parameters/arguments) */

19. BlueJ coding BlueJ programs are organised in the so-called projects
A BlueJ project is stored in a project-specific directory on disk
Some files store the source code, some store the compiled code, some store additional BlueJ related information.
use laptop
show BlueJ example package on disk, using Windows explorer

20. The BlueJ directory structure
c:\bluej\calculator\
project: calculator
bluej.pkg
bluej.pkh
Calculator.java
Calculator.class
Calculator.ctxt
UserInterface.java
UserInterface.class
UserInterface.ctxt
CalcEngine.java
CalcEngine.class
CalcEngine.ctxt
Calculator
UserInterface
look at package in BlueJ
then look at directory
compare files in directory to classes in package
CalcEngine

21. The BlueJ file structure
bluej.pkg - the package file. Contains information about classes in the package. One per package.
bluej.pkh - backup of the package file.
*.java - standard Java source file (text). One per class.
*.class - standard Java code file. One per class
*.ctxt - BlueJ context file. Contains extra information for a class. One per class.
explain purpose of each file type (leave .class and .java for next slide)

22. Software is free Available on BBK’s network
Java JDK (which allows you to compile and execute your program)
BlueJ (Preferred editor)
Installing BlueJ (for home use)
First download the Java JDK from
Then download BlueJ from
Run “bluejsetup-202.exe” and follow the given instructions

23. Objects and classes Classes: program templates Objects === instances
represent all objects of a kind (example: “student”)
Objects === instances
A template copy to represent a specific element of the class (“an individual student”)
Instances are created with the so-called constructors, explicitly in JDK or somewhat easier in BlueJ

24. Variables, methods and parameters
classes contain data stored in the so-called variables and operations which can be invoked (they are called methods in Java)
methods may have inputs (they are called parameters in Java) to get additional data needed to have them executed

25. Remarks Many instances can be created from a single class
An object has attributes/variables: values stored in fields (memory locations).
The class defines what fields any its object has (a template), but each object may store its own set of values (the state of the object)
A variable is initialised with assigning it a value, an object – with a constructor

26. More on Method
Method in Java is a named set of instructions that transforms some input into an output. This is, actually, a machine implementation of the concept of algorithm which itself is a computational analogue to the mathematical concept of function.
Static method: is shared by all instances.

27. Example of a method (1) Square function y = x2 x y 1 1 2 4 5 25 11 121
1                1
2                4
5               25
11            121
The table can be used for invoking a specific value, like, 72 = 49 or = 100.

28. Example of a method (2)
 A Java method to calculate the square function: 
public int sq(int x){
return xx;}
To make it work, variables are needed:
int sevs=sq(7); //puts 49 into sevs
int tens=sq(10);// puts 100 into tens

29. Structure of a method modifiers return-type name ( parameter-list ) {
Output’s type
Inputs
modifiers return-type name ( parameter-list ) {
statements;
return variable/expression;  
//if return type is not void }
Modifiers:
static -       method/variable that belongs to class as whole and is shared by all instances
public -    method/variable that is accessible from anywhere
private -    method/variable that is accessible from only within the class

30. HelloWorld with a method
// Hello-world program to demonstrate BlueJ
class Hello{
// Method that does the work of printing
public void go()
{ System.out.println("Hello, world"); }
// main method for working outside BlueJ
public static void main(String[] args)
{ Hello hi = new Hello(); //instance
hi.go(); //method in instance hi

31. HelloWorld : WHY Why dots in ? System.out.println("Hello, world");
hi.go(); ?
To take method from a specific class instance
To take a class from a set of classes: Java is organised as a hierarchically structured set of classes in individual files

32. Assigning values
Values are stored into fields (and other variables) via assignment statements:
variable = expression;
price = ticketCost;
The value on the right is assigned to a variable on the left.
A variable stores a single value, so any previous value is lost.

33. Variable It provides for multiple uses of the same program
A variable is a name for a location in memory that can hold data.
Variables are declared and/or initialised A variable declaration includes the following:
A data type that identifies the type of data that is stored in the variable
An identifier that is the variable’s name
An optional assigned initial value

34. In memory:
int p;
p = 4; p 4

36. Scope of a variable:
       The range of statements that can access the variable.
It stretches from the declaration point to the end of the block containing the declaration
Q: WHAT is BLOCK ? (part within curly braces{…} )
Q: WHAT is DECLARATION? (type name ; 3-part command)

37. HelloWorld N times BlueJ
public class HelloN {
int number; \\ variable declared
public void go()
{ System.out.println("Hello, world"); }
public HelloN(int howmany)
{number=howmany; } \\constr to initialise object
public void prrt() \\printing number times
{ for(int i=1;i<=number;i++) \\loop
go();
System.out.println("ok"); } }

38. Loop for
for(int var=1;var<=st;var++){do operation depending on var}
Two types of parentheses: () and {}
The expression in () consists of three different items: initialising a variable, variable update, and stop-condition
Given a value of var, {} is executed, after which var is updated, then stop-condition checked and, if yes, {} is executed again; if no, the program proceeds further on

39. No { } in for-loop in HelloN
Why?
Let us add { }: where?
Is there any difference
between before and after “ok”?

40. Arithmetic Expressions
 2 * 6 / – 2 * 3 = – 6 = 2
2 * 6.0 / (4 + 5) – 2 * 3 = 12.0/9 – 6 = – 4.67 (note: reals, not integers)
2 * 6 / 4 + (5 – 2) * 3 = 12
Java uses a natural precedence structure of arithmetic operations. If you are not sure, use parentheses!!!

41. Basic class structure The outer wrapper of TicketMachine
public class TicketMachine {
Inner part of the class omitted. }
public class ClassName {
Variables
Constructors
Methods }
The contents of a
class

42. Concepts considered: overview
Compiler & interpreter
JDK/JDS and BlueJ environments
Method
Variable; declaration and intialisation
Primitive variable types
Class type
Arithmetic operators and expressions
Class and instance
HelloWorld class in three versions