Building Java Programs

Formatting with printf,

Fencepost Loop, while/do wile
loops, boolean zen, sentinel
loop, more Scanner method
 Formatting text with
printf
System.out.printf("format string", parameters);
• A format string can contain placeholders to insert parameters:
– %d integer
– %f real number
– %s string
• these placeholders are used instead of + concatenation

– Example:
int x = 3;
int y = -17;
System.out.printf("x is %d and y is %d!\n", x, y);
// x is 3 and y is -17!
• printf does not drop to the next line unless you write \n

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 printf width
• %Wd integer, W characters wide, right-aligned
• %-Wd integer, W characters wide, left-aligned
• %Wf real number, W characters wide, right-aligned
– ...

for (int i = 1; i <= 3; i++) {

for (int j = 1; j <= 10; j++) {
System.out.printf("%4d", (i * j));
}
System.out.println(); // to end the line
}

Output:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30
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 printf precision
• %.Df real number, rounded to D digits after
decimal
• %W.Df real number, W chars wide, D digits after
decimal
• %-W.Df real number, W wide (left-align), D after
decimal

double gpa = 3.253764;

System.out.printf("your GPA is %.1f\n", gpa);
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System.out.printf("more precisely: %8.3f\n", gpa);

Output:
your GPA is 3.3 8
more precisely: 3.254
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Building Java Programs

Fencepost Loop
 A deceptive problem...
• Write a method printNumbers that prints each number
from 1 to a given maximum, separated by commas.

For example, the call:

printNumbers(5)

should print:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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 Flawed solutions
public static void printNumbers(int max) {
for (int i = 1; i <= max; i++) {
System.out.print(i + ", ");
}
System.out.println(); // to end the line of output
}

– Output from printNumbers(5): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

public static void printNumbers(int max) {

for (int i = 1; i <= max; i++) {
System.out.print(", " + i);
}
System.out.println(); // to end the line of output
}

– Output from printNumbers(5): , 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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 Fencepost method
solution
public static void printNumbers(int max) {
System.out.print(1);
for (int i = 2; i <= max; i++) {
System.out.print(", " + i);
}
System.out.println(); // to end the line
}

• Alternate solution: Either first or last "post" can be taken out:

public static void printNumbers(int max) {
for (int i = 1; i <= max - 1; i++) {
System.out.print(i + ", ");
}
System.out.println(max); // to end the line
}
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while loops

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 Categories of loops
• definite loop: Executes a known number of times.
– The for loops we have seen are definite loops.
• Print "hello" 10 times.
• Find all the prime numbers up to an integer n.
• Print each odd number between 5 and 127.

• indefinite loop: One where the number of times its

body repeats is not known in advance.
• Prompt the user until they type a non-negative number.
• Print random numbers until a prime number is printed.
• Repeat until the user types "q" to quit.

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 The while loop
• while loop: Repeatedly executes its
body as long as a logical test is true.
while (test) {
statement(s);
}

• Example:
int num = 1; // initialization
while (num <= 200) { // test
System.out.print(num + " ");
num = num * 2; // update
}
// output: 1 2 4 8 16 32 64 128
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 Example while loop
// finds the first factor of 91, other than 1
int n = 91;
int factor = 2;
while (n % factor != 0) {
factor++;
}
System.out.println("First factor is " + factor);
// output: First factor is 7

– while is better than for because we don't know how

many times we will need to increment to find the factor.

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Sqrt (by hand first)

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Sqrt program

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 Variation of Sqrt program
public class Sum{
public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner console = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.println("Enter a positive number” +
” (negative or 0 to quit): ");
double n;
//read a number then check if it is > 0,
// if n<=0 don’t get into the loop
while ((n = console.nextDouble()) > 0){
System.out.printf("\nsqrt of %f is %f", n, sqrt(n));
}
}

//method to compute SQRT

public static double sqrt(double n){
double EPS = 1E-15; // 10^-15 to specify precisions
double t = n;

//repeat until (ti - n/ti)≈ 0 or EPS

//multiply EPS by n to reduce precision (useful for big numbers)
while (Math.abs(t – n / t) > n * EPS){
t = (t + n / t) / 2.0; //ti+1=(ti + n/ti)/2
}
return t;
}
} 15
 Sentinel values
• sentinel: A value that signals the end of user input.
– sentinel loop: Repeats until a sentinel value is seen.

• Example: Write a program that prompts the user for

numbers until the user types -1, then outputs their
sum.
– (In this case, -1 is the sentinel value.)

Enter a number (0 to quit): 10

Enter a number (0 to quit): 20
Enter a number (0 to quit): 30
Enter a number (-1 to quit): -1
The sum is 60

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 sentinel code solution
Scanner console = new Scanner(System.in);
int sum = 0;

// pull one prompt/read ("post") out of the loop

System.out.print("Enter a number (-1 to quit): ");
int number = console.nextInt();

while (number != -1) {

sum = sum + number; // moved to top of loop
System.out.print("Enter a number (-1 to quit): ");
number = console.nextInt();
}

System.out.println("The total is " + sum);

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 "Forever" loop with break
• break statement: Immediately exits a loop.
– Can be used to write a loop whose test is in the middle.
– Such loops are often called "forever" loops because their
header's boolean test is often changed to a trivial true.

• "forever" loop, general syntax:

while (true) {
<statement(s)> ;

if (<condition>) {
break;
}
<statement(s)> ;
} 18
 The do/while loop
• do/while loop: Performs its test at the end of each
repetition.
– Guarantees that the loop's {} body will run at least once.

do {
statement(s);
} while (test);

// Example: prompt until correct password is typed

String phrase;
do {
System.out.print("Type your password: ");
phrase = console.next();
} while (!phrase.equals("abracadabra")); 19
 do/while question
• Rolls two dice until a sum of 7 is reached
2 + 4 = 6
3 + 5 = 8
5 + 6 = 11
1 + 1 = 2
4 + 3 = 7
You won after 5 tries!

• Is do/while a good fit for our past Sentinel program?

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 do/while answer
// Rolls two dice until a sum of 7 is reached.
public class Dice {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int tries = 0;
int sum;

do {
int roll1 = getRandom(6) ; // one roll
int roll2 = getRandom(6) ;
sum = roll1 + roll2;
System.out.println(roll1 + " + " + roll2 + " = " + sum);
tries++;
} while (sum != 7);

System.out.println("You won after " + tries + " tries!");

}

// returns random integer between 1 and n.

public static int getRandom(int n) {
return 1 + (int) (Math.random() * n);
}
} 21
Type boolean
 Returning boolean
public static boolean isPrime(int n) {
int factors = 0;
for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
if (n % i == 0) {
factors++;
}
}
if (factors == 2) {
return true; return factors == 2;
} else {
return false;
}
}

• Calls to methods returning boolean can be used as tests:

if (isPrime(57)) {
...
}
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 Remark 1
• Students new to boolean often test if a result is true:
if (isPrime(57) == true) { // bad
...
}

• But this is unnecessary and redundant. Preferred:

if (isPrime(57)) { // good
...
}

• A similar pattern can be used for a false test:

if (isPrime(57) == false) { // bad
if (!isPrime(57)) { // good
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 Remark 2
• Replace
public static boolean name(parameters) {
if (test) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}

• with
public static boolean name(parameters) {
return test;
}

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 Improved isPrime method
• The following version utilizes Boolean Zen:
public static boolean isPrime(int n) {
int factors = 0;
for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
if (n % i == 0) {
factors++;
}
}
return factors == 2; // if n has 2 factors, true
}

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Efficient isPrime method
/**
*
* @param n
* @return true if n is prime, false otherwise.
*/
public static boolean isPrime(int n) {
if(n <= 1)
return false;

int maxPossibleFactor = 1 + (int) Math.sqrt(n);

for(int i = 2; i <= maxPossibleFactor; i++)

if(n%i == 0) return false;

return true;
}

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 De Morgan's Law
• De Morgan's Law: Rules used to negate boolean
tests.
– Useful when you want the opposite of an existing test.
Original Negated Alternativ
Expression Expression e
a && b !a || !b !(a && b)
a || b !a && !b !(a || b)

– Example:
Original Code Negated Code
if (x == 7 && y > 3) { if (x != 7 || y <= 3) {
... ...
} }

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 Scanner
Testing for Valid Input
• Scanner methods to see what the next token will be:
Method Description
hasNext() returns true if there are any more tokens
of input to read.
hasNextInt() returns true if there is a next token
and it can be read as an int
hasNextDouble() returns true if there is a next token
and it can be read as a double

• These methods do not consume input;

they just give information about the next token.
– Useful to see what input is coming, and to avoid crashes.
• <Ctrl-d> is OS X/LINUX/UNIX EOF
• <Ctrl-z> is Windows analog. 29
Averaging a stream of
intergers

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 Averaging a stream of
intergers
public class Sum{
public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner console = new Scanner(System.in);
int sum =0;
System.out.println("Enter a number (-1 TO QUIT)= ");
int number = readInt(console);
while (number != -1){
sum += number;
System.out.println("Enter a number (-1 TO QUIT)= ");
number = readInt(console);
}
System.out.printf("\nThe sum od numbers is = %d", sum);
}
//method will block until it reads an integer
public static int readInt(Scanner input){
while (!input.hasNextInt()){
input.next(); //read and throw away non integers
}
return input.nextInt();
}

}
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