Transcript ppt
CS100A, Lecture 7, 22 Sept. 1998
Static fields and methods
.
Suppose that we would like to maintain, somehow, the number of
instances of Employee that were ever
created. The following does not work!
public class Employee {
public int noEmps= 0; //No. of Emps
//ever created
public String name;
// Constructor -- An Employee named n
public Employee(String n) {
noEmps= noEmps+1;
name= n;
}
}
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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Using the prefix qualifier static means that
there is only ONE field noEmps for the
whole class, not one for each instance of
the class:
public class Employee {
static public int noEmps= 0; //No. Empls
//ever created
public String name; //Employee’s name
// Constructor -- An Employee named n
public Employee(String n) {
noEmps= noEmps+1;
name= n;
}
// Return no. of Employees ever created
public int getNoEmps()
{return noEmps;}
}
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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static public void main (String args[ ]) {
Employee v1= new Employee();
System.out.println("No. of emps" +
v1.noEmps);
Employee v2= new Employee();
System.out.println("No. of emps" +
v2.noEmps);
}
Class Employee
----------------------------------------------------noEmps _______
Name Gries
Name Cardie
Frame for main
v1 ____
v2 ____
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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Model of Execution
A static field (or method) is called a class
variable (or method).
At runtime, a box for a class named C contains all the class variables and methods. Whenever an instance of class C is created, it is
placed in this box.
A parameter or local variable declared as
C v;
is placed in the frame for the method in which it
appears.
This model assures that the rule we gave for
finding a variable, when it is referenced, works:
look first in the frame for method being executed, then in the surrounding box, etc.
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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You can (should) use the name of the
class, instead of a class variable, to reference a static field or method
Employee v1= new Employee(“Gries”);
Employe v2= new Employee(“Cardie”);
Instead of writing
System.out.println(v1.noEmps);
write
System.out.println
(Employee.noEmps);
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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Make the static field private, so it can’t be
changed from outside the class. Have a “get”
method to read its value.
public class Employee {
static private int noEmps= 0; //No. Empls
//ever created
public String name; //Employee’s name
// Constructor -- An Employee named n
public Employee(String n) {
noEmps= noEmps+1;
name= n;
}
// Return no. of Employees ever created
public int getNoEmps()
{return noEmps;}
}
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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Method Color contains static fields (and methods)
public class Color implements
java.io.Serializable {
public final static Color red
= new Color(255, 0, 0);
public final static Color white
= new Color(255, 255, 255);
public final static Color yellow
= new Color(255, 255, 0);
public final static Color pink
= new Color(255, 175, 175);
(The three arguments are RGB (red-green-blue)
values)
public String toString() {
return getClass().getName() +
"[r=" + getRed() + ",g=" + getGreen() +
",b=" + getBlue() + "]";
}
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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A variable (or field) declared with prefix
qualifier final may be assigned only once. Do
it in the declaration.
OKAY:
final int x;
x= 5;
BETTER:
final int x= 5;
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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Methods, as well as fields, may be static
A static method may refer only to parameters, local
variables, and static fields. It may not refer to nonstatic fields of the class. In which the method appears.
// Return the number of Employees ever created
static public int getNoEmps()
{return noEmps;}
A static method may be called only using the class
name. It may not be called using a variable name.
Employee v1= new Employee(“Gries”);
WRONG:
System.out.println(v1.getNoEmps());
RIGHT:
System.out.println(Employee.getNoEmps());
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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Class Math contains ONLY static fields and methods
public final class Math {
public static final double E
= 2.7182818284590452354;
public static final double PI
= 3.14159265358979323846;
public static native double sin(double a);
public static native double cos(double a);
public static int round(float a) {
return (int)floor(a + 0.5f);
}
public static int max(int a, int b) {
return (a >= b) ? a : b;
}
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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On the PC, class Color (in file Color.java), and lots of
other methods of the “abstract window toolkit”, should
be in directory
Program Files / Metrowerks / CodeWarrior /
Java Support / Java Source / java / awt
Class Math is in file Math.java in directory
Program Files / Metrowerks / CodeWarrior /
Java Support / Java Source / java / lang
On the Mac, it will be in a similar place.
DON’T CHANGE THESE FILES. But look at them.
In Visual J++, highlight a class name and push button
F1 to obtain a specification of the class.
CS100A, Lect. 7, 22 Sept.
98. Static Fields and
Methods
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