This week we start our explorations into data structures and
algorithms through CPT 307: Data Structures & Algorithms. This course makes
use of the Java programming language, and our first task was to install Java
and an integrated development environment (IDE) of our choice. I followed the
course guidance and downloaded NetBeans
to use as my IDE. However, first I downloaded and installed the latest Java SE Development
Kit. Installation was a breeze after deciding on which installation
pack to download (I chose the MSI installer package). After installing, we were
tasked with creating a simple “Hello World” program based on the tutorial
provided. The tutorial was written based on an earlier version of NetBeans,
and this video
helped to fill in the gaps and successfully run my first program in Java:
Java is often referred to as an object-oriented programming
(OOP) language. OOP is implemented through an organization of objects.
To understand what that means, you should first understand what a class
is. Nakov in Fundamentals
of Computer Programming described classes as being descriptions or models
of real entities, which possess characteristics and display behaviors. An
object would be an instance of such a class. One of the great benefits of
objects in programming is that they can be used to represent complex ideas in a
simple way – that is we can use an object without necessarily understanding all
its inner workings. This is one of the four key concepts of OOP and is known as
abstraction. Abstraction makes programming easier and more flexible.
Inheritance is another essential property of OOP. It
allows classes to maintain properties as they are passed down through a
hierarchy. If a parent class possesses a certain property, then its child class
inherits that property without the need to obtain it independently. A class can
pass down traits to a superclass which can further pass down traits to
subclasses as described in Oracle’s Java
Tutorials.
Encapsulation is another main concept of OOP and
refers to how variables of a class are hidden from other classes. Encapsulation
can be achieved in Java by declaring variables as private. This allows control over
what variables in a class can be read or written by other classes.
Polymorphism is a final major concept of OOP that we
will discuss. Java T point
describes polymorphism by defining the Greek words it comes from: poly (many)
and morphs (forms). In programming this translates to potential to perform a
single action in more than one way. In Java, polymorphism can be implemented at
either compile time or runtime and is achieved by method overloading or method
overriding. Method overloading can happen when a class has multiple methods with
the same name but different parameters. Method overriding works with inheritance
and can happen when a child class has the same method as its parent class.
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