Class Constructors

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Initializing objects
 Currently it takes 3 lines to create a
Point and initialize it:
Point p = new Point();
p.x = 3;
p.y = 8; // tedious

 We'd rather pass the fields' initial

values as parameters:
Point p = new Point(3, 8); // better!
 We are able to this with most types of
objects in Java.
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Constructors
 constructor: Initializes the state of new
objects.
public type(parameters) {
statements;
}
 runs when the client uses the new keyword
 does not specify a return type;
it implicitly returns the new object being created

 If a class has no constructor, Java gives it a default

constructor with no parameters that sets all fields to
0.
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Constructor example

class Circle{
double r;
}

Circle c2 = new Circle(); // OK, default

constructor

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Constructor example
class Circle{
double r;
public Circle (double rd) {
r = rd;
}
}
Class CircleTest
{
public static void main(String[] args){
Circle c = new Circle(2.0); //OK
}
}

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Constructor example
class Circle{
double r;
public Circle()
{ r =10;}
public Circle (double rd) {
r = rd; //same name!
}
}
Class CircleTest{
public static void main(String[] args){
Circle c1 = new Circle(2.0); //OK
Circle c2 = new Circle(); //OK

}
Multiple
} constructor 6

now!!
Overloading Methods and
Constructors

 Two or more methods in a class may

have the same name as long as their
parameter lists are different.

 When this occurs, it is called method

overloading. This also applies to
constructors.

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Constructor Overloading

 Method overloading is important because

sometimes you need several different ways to
perform the same operation.

 In most situations, you will want to generate

objects of a class from different sets of initial
defining data.

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Constructor Overloading

package TimoSoft;

public class MyClass

{
int x;
MyClass()
{

x=0;
}
MyClass(int i)
{
x=i;
}

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Constructor Overloading

MyClass(double d)
{

x=(int)d;
}
void getXvalue()
{
System.out.println("The value of the instance variable is"
+ x + ".");
}
}

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Constructor Overloading

package TimoSoft;

public class MyClassTest

{

public static void main(String[] args)

{
MyClass first=new MyClass();
MyClass second=new MyClass(52);
MyClass third=new MyClass(13.6);
MyClass fourth = new MyClass(15.5);
first.getXvalue();
second.getXvalue();
third.getXvalue();
}
}
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Note: Default and No-Argument
Constructors
 Every class must have at least one
constructor
 If no constructors are declared, the
compiler will create a default constructor
 Takes no arguments and initializes instance
variables to their initial values specified in
their declaration or to their default values
 Default values are zero for primitive numeric
types, false for boolean values and null for
references

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Common constructor bugs
1. Re-declaring fields as local variables ("shadowing"):
public Point(int initialX, int initialY) {
int x = initialX;
int y = initialY;
}
 This declares local variables with the same name as the
fields, rather than storing values into the fields. The fields
remain 0.

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Common constructor bugs
.2. Accidentally giving the constructor a return type:
public void Point(int initialX, int initialY) {
x = initialX;
y = initialY;
}
 This is actually not a constructor, but a method named
Point

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Common constructor bugs
3. Missing Assignment to data:
public Point(int initialX, int initialY) {
initialX = x;
initialY = y;
}
 This declares local variables with the same name as the
fields, rather than storing values into the fields. The fields
remain 0.

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END
Create Time class with four overloaded
constructors.

Create three objects in the runner using

any three of the constrcutors

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