Lecture 3 Variables 2024

ISS112
Introduction to programming
Lecture 3: Variables
Outline
LJECTIVES
• By the end of this lecture you must be able to:
– Know variables
– Give a variable an appropriate name
– Identify an appropriate data type for a value
– Variable declaration
– Assign it a value of the same type
– Draw Memory Model diagrams (primitives)
– Print value of a variable to the screen
– Programming Tips
2
Variables
A location in the computer’s memory where a

value can be stored for use later in a program
• Variables are commonly known as identifiers
• Must be declared with a symbolic name (label) and a type
before they can be used.
• A variable’s name enables the program to access the value
of the variable in memory.
• The name can be any valid identifier.
• A variable’s data type specifies what kind of information is
stored at that location in memory
• Once declared, it can be assigned a value
• value must have the same data type as the variable.
3
Variable Data Types
Data type:
A set of values together with a set of operations
• Example
• set of numbers + , × , - , ÷, etc
• Categories of data types
• Primitive data type
• Reference data type
Primitive Data type:
A data type built into the language.
Also called fundamental data type.
Does not require any special operations to be used.
4
int Data Type
a) int Data Type
• Used to store integers
Data Type Values Storage (in bytes)
byte -28 to 27 1
short -215 to 215-1 2
int -231 to 231 -1 4
long -263 to 263-1 8
Examples
2, 20, -200, 12345, 123456789234
NOTE: No fractions 5
Floating-point Data Type
b) Floating-point Data Type
• Used to store floating-point values, also known as
real numbers
Data Type Value Storage
(in Bytes)
float -3.4E + 38 to 3.4E + 38 4
double -1.7E + 308 to 1.7E + 308 8
We will use double in our programs to represent real numbers

Examples
10.3, -0.03, 6.0
6
NOTE: Only decimal notation is allowed
char Data Type
c) char Data Type

• Used to store single characters
• We enclose each character within single
quotation marks
Data Type Value Storage (in Bytes)
char 0 to 216-1 2
Examples
’?’, ’8’, ’(’, ’X’, ’\\’, ’\n’, etc 7
boolean Data Type
d) boolean Data Type

• Used to store the two logical values:
true and false
• Used in the manipulation of logical
(Boolean) expression:
– Those that evaluate to either true or false
Data Type Value Storage (in Bytes)

boolean true or false 1 bit
8
Declaring Variables
• Syntax:
Datatype variable1, variable2 ,… ;
• Examples:
• int noOfStudents, pageNumber;
• double grossPay;
• boolean found;
• char symbol;
• Note:
• Can have one per line
• Or several per line (even more than 2)
• MUST be of the same data type 9
Declaring Variables – Memory model
noOfStudents Identifier/ label
101010 1000010
address
◼ From previous slide: (assuming variables have

values)
pageNumber 21 Value
Identifier grossPay 2435.89
found true
symbol ’%’
◼ We do not manipulate addresses directly. 10
Naming Identifiers
• Must be unique in the program

• Must start with a letter, an underscore (’_’) or $
• Can only contain letters (a - z and A – Z),
numbers(0,1, ... ,9), an underscore (’_’) and $
• Cannot be a Java keyword (reserved word)
• Refer to Java for Everyone (pg 455) for these!
• Familiarize yourself with most of them
• Java is case sensitive:
• counter is NOT the same as Counter
11
Naming Identifiers Convention
This is for good programming practice

• Variable names should start with a lowercase
letter
• E.g. number
• Each new "word“ in a variable name should begin
with an uppercase letter
• E.g. numberOfStudents, cansPerPack, totalVolume
• Variables must have meaningful names
• There are exceptions of course!
• Should be reasonably long enough
(See JFE pg 35, section 2.1.3) 12
Naming Identifiers Convention
Examples
• Good variable names
• input, myVar, numOfStudents, counter
• Illegal names —causes a syntax error

• char, ?course, 2course, course code
• Breaking Good Naming Convention

• Input, mYVar, numofstudents, X, myDog$
13
Assignment Statement
Assignment Statement: A statement used to give/assign

a value to a variable after it has been declared.
• ‘=‘ is the assignment operator
• Syntax: theVariable = expression;
• (Meaning store value of expression in theVariable)
• The value of expression MUST have the same

type as the variable. Beware!
• Examples
numOfStudents = 100;
testMark = testMark + 5; 14
Another example
(See JFE pg 34, Table 1 for more examples)

15
Initialising & Displaying Variables
a) Initializing Variables
Memory diagram
2 possible ways
• Declare the variable first:
quit ‘Q’
char quit;
and then assign value:
quit =’Q’;
• Declare and initialize in one step:
char quit =’Q’;
b) Displaying value of a variable
• Syntax:
System.out.printf(“%...”, varName);
• This will send the contents of variable varName to the
screen ( using specified format)
• See JFE pgs 50 & 51 for formats to apply 16
Examples Memory diagram

int noOfStudents; noOfStudents 132
char letterGrade; letterGrade ‘B’
boolean found = true;
found true
double salary = 4676.97;
salary 4676.97
noOfStudents = 132;
letterGrade = ’B’ ;
System.out.printf( “%d\n“ ,noOfStudents);
System.out.printf( “%10s\n“ ,letterGrade);
System.out.printf( “%s\n“ , found);
System.out.printf( “%5.3f\n” , salary); 17
More Examples Memory diagram
counter1 23 13
int counter1 = 23; counter2
23
int counter2 = counter1;
System.out.printf( “%d”, counter1);

System.out.printf(“%5d\n”, counter2);
counter1 = 13;
System.out.printf(“%d\n”, counter1);
System.out.printf(“%d\n”, counter2); 18
Programming Tips
a) Use of Javadoc comments:

• Every class should begin with a block comment
detailing (Header comment using Javadoc style
comment)
• Class name, lab session no., description, author’s
name & ID and version #
• E.g.
/**
* Class name: TopCat.java
* Lab Session: R7_295
* Description: A Java application to display a cool cat
saying hello.
* @author M. Mudongo
* @version 1.0
*/ 19
Programming Tips
b) Indentation:
• Indent code within a block, this include aligning the
opening and closing braces.
• Example of indented code
public class HelloPrinter
{
public static void main (String[] args)
{
System.out.println("Hello world!");
}
}
NOTE: These two make the program more readable and
understandable. These count towards grading! 20
Exercises
a) Pick legal Java variable names from the following:
- goto, Mum, 1stmum, mymum, _mum, new, $mum, my
mum, strictfp, private_protected, no, try$this, two, illegal, 1,
finally.
b) Identify a more suitable data type for each of the following
- Your monthly allowance, your first name’s initial and your
friend’s age
c) Identify illegal assignment statements & justify why.
int j = true; one = 7; 6 = k; boolean stop = yes;
boolean flag = False; int age = 5.5;
21
Summary
- Variables
- Variable declaration
- Assignment statement
- Memory Model diagrams (primitives)
- Printing variables
- Programming Tips
• Reading for next lecture —JFE, Chapter 2 (operators,

arithmetic (integer & double), precedence,
expressions, mixed expressions, type conversion)
22
Computing Skills 23

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ISS112

A location in the computer’s memory where a

We will use double in our programs to represent real numbers

c) char Data Type

d) boolean Data Type

Data Type Value Storage (in Bytes)

◼ From previous slide: (assuming variables have

• Must be unique in the program

This is for good programming practice

• Illegal names —causes a syntax error

• Breaking Good Naming Convention

Assignment Statement: A statement used to give/assign

• The value of expression MUST have the same

(See JFE pg 34, Table 1 for more examples)

Examples Memory diagram

More Examples Memory diagram

System.out.printf( “%d”, counter1);

a) Use of Javadoc comments:

• Reading for next lecture —JFE, Chapter 2 (operators,

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