Building Java Programs, 3rd edition

Lab: if/else

Except where otherwise noted, the contents of this document are Copyright 2013 Stuart Reges and Marty Stepp.

lab document created by Marty Stepp, Stuart Reges and Whitaker Brand

Lab goals

Goals for this problem set:

• use if/else statements to select between multiple code actions
• factor out common redundant code between if/else statements
• Where you see this icon, you can click it to check the problem in Practice-It!

if/else Statements

An if/else statement lets your program choose between 2 or more options.

if (test) {
    statement(s);
} else {
    statement(s);
}

Example:

if (gpa >= 2.0) {
    System.out.println("Welcome to Mars University!");
} else {
    System.out.println("Please apply again soon.");
}

Exercise : if/else mystery

Consider the following Java code. Fill in the boxes with the output produced by each of the method calls.

public static void mystery(int n) {
    System.out.print(n + " ");
    if (n > 10) {
        n = n / 2;
    } else {
        n = n + 7;
    }
    if (n * 2 < 25) {
        n = n + 10;
    }
    System.out.println(n);
}

40 20

8 15

0 17

12 16

20 20

Exercise : numUnique

Write a method named numUnique that accepts three integers as parameters and that returns the number of unique integers among the three. For example, the call numUnique(18, 3, 4) should return 3 because the parameters have 3 different values. By contrast, the call numUnique(6, 7, 6) would return 2 because there are only 2 unique numbers among the three parameters: 6 and 7.

Compare your solution to your neighbors'. Did you all solve it the same way?

• (Try solving this problem in Practice-It by clicking the icon above.)

Exercise : quadrant

Write a method quadrant that accepts a pair of real numbers x and y and returns the quadrant for that point:

For example, quadrant(-2.3, 14.2) returns 2. If the point falls directly on either axis, return 0.

• (Try solving this problem in Practice-It by clicking the icon above.)

if/else factoring

• It's easy to introduce redundancy in the branches of an if/else. For example:

  if (x < 30) {
      a = 2;
      x++;
      System.out.println("CSE 142 TAs are awesome! " + x);
  } else {
      a = 2;
      System.out.println("CSE 142 TAs are awesome! " + x);
  }
  

• The code can be factored out to become: (notice that the else went away!)

  a = 2;
  if (x < 30) {
      x++;
  }
  System.out.println("CSE 142 TAs are awesome! " + x);
  

Exercise : if/else Factoring

• Download the following program FactorExample.java to your machine and open it with jGrasp.
• The program's method is redundant. Factor the method, restructuring the code to eliminate unnecessary statements while retaining the same behavior.
• Insert some test calls of the method in main and run it to make sure it works properly.

Exercise : Syntax errors

• The following Java program has 7 errors. Can you find all of them?

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

  public class IfOops { public static void main(String[] args) { int a = 7, b = 42; minimum(a, b); if {smaller = a} { System.out.println("a is the smallest!"); } } public static void minimum(int a, int b) { // returns which int is smaller if (a < b) { int smaller = a; } else (a => b) { int smaller = b; } return int smaller; } }

• Copy and paste the code into jGrasp and see if you can fix the errors.

Exercise - answer

1. line 5: if statement should use () parentheses, not {} brackets
2. line 5: = should be ==
3. line 5: smaller is out of scope here
4. line 10: void should be int
5. line 13: => should be >= (or better yet, no if test is needed)
6. line 16: should not write variable's type of int when returning it
7. line 16: int smaller is out of scope here (declare outside if or return directly)

Exercise - Corrected version

• public class IfOops {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
          int a = 7, b = 42;
          int smaller = minimum(a, b);
          if (smaller == a) {
              System.out.println("a is the smallest!");
          }
      }
  
      public static void int minimum(int a, int b) {  // returns which int is smaller
          int smaller;
          if (a < b) {
              int smaller = a;
          } else if (a >= b) {
              int smaller = b;
          }
          return int smaller;
      }
  }
  

Exercise : AgeCheck

• Copy/paste and save the following program in jGRASP, then see the instructions on the next slide.

  public class AgeCheck {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
          int myAge = 19;   // I am 19; let me see if I can drive
          message(myAge);
      }
  
      // Displays message about driving to user based on given age
      public static void message(int age) {
          if (myAge >= 16) {
              System.out.println("I'm old enough to drive!");
          }
          if (myAge <= 16) {
              System.out.println("Not old enough yet... :*(");
          }
      }
  }
  

Exercise - things to fix

• The program has a few syntax errors. Fix them until it compiles.
• The code has a logic problem. (For some value(s), it prints the wrong answer.) Find any such problems and fix them. (You may need to run the program a few times and try different values to see which ones fail.)
• The program uses if and else in a clumsy way. Improve the style of the code.

Exercise - answer

• The following is a corrected version of the program:

  public class AgeCheck {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
          int myAge = 19;   // I am 19; let me see if I can drive
          message(myAge);
      }
  
      // Displays a message about driving to user based on given age
      public static void message(int age) {
          if (age >= 16) {
              System.out.println("I'm old enough to drive!");
          } else {
              System.out.println("Not old enough yet... :*(");
          }
      }
  }
  

Exercise : AgeCheck2

• Now replace your previous AgeCheck program's message method with:

      // Possibly prints some message(s) to the user based on the given age
      public static void message(int age) {
          if (age >= 21) {
              System.out.println("I can legally purchase alcohol!");
          } else if (age >= 17) {
              System.out.println("I can purchase a ticket to an R-rated movie.");
          } else if (age >= 16) {
              System.out.println("I can get my driver's license!");
          }
      }
  

• For some age(s), the message(s) printed are not accurate. (In some cases, it should print no messages; in some cases, one message; and in others, many messages.) Improve the usage of ifs and elses in this method to behave properly.

Exercise : seeMovie

You're thinking about going with your friends to a movie. Write a Java method seeMovie that accepts two parameters: the cost of a ticket in dollars, and the rating number of stars the movie received out of 5. The method should print how interested you are (very, sort-of, or not). Use the following criteria:

• You like bargains. Any movie that costs less than $5.00 is one that you want to see very much.
• You dislike expensive movies. You are not interested in seeing any movie that costs $12.00 or more, unless it got 5 stars (and even then, you are only sort-of interested).
• You like quality. You are very interested in seeing 5-star movies that cost under $12.00.
• You are sort-of interested in seeing movies costing between $5.00 - $11.99 that also got between 2-4 stars inclusive.
• You are not interested in seeing any other movies not described previously.