Chapter 3: Assignments

Question 1

Where do instance variables, local variables and objects live?

Answer 1

Heap: instance variables and objects
Stack: local variables

Question 2

What are the three integer literals?

Answer 2

Decimal literal - base10 - (0-9)
int length = 3; //3

Octal literal - base8 - (0-7)
Prefixed with a 0
int length = 03; //3
int length = 010; //8
int length = 077; // 63
int length = 0100; // 64

Hexadecimal - base16 (0-F)
Prefixed with 0x or 0X, not case sensitive
int length = 0xF; // 15
int length = 0x01; //16
int length = 0xDEADCAFE; // Valid

Question 3

How to assign the three integer literals to a long?

Answer 3

Postfix with a l or L.

long length = 1L;
long length = 0xFl;
long length = 0100L;

Question 4

What is wrong?

float f = 10.50;

Answer 4

Floating-point literals are double by default. Prefix with F or f.

Question 5

What is wrong?

double d = 2310293.231d;

Answer 5

Nothing, Floating-point literals are double by default, optionally they can be post-fixed with a d or D.

Question 6

What assignments are inccorect?

1. char d = -12;
2. char d = (char) -98;
3. char f = 70000;
4. char c = ‘"’

Answer 6

1. Char is a 16 bit unsigned integer, needs a cast because loss of percision; 2 is correct, with cast.
2. Does not fit in a 16 bit integer.

Question 7

What assignments are inccorect?

1. byte a = 3;
2. byte b = 8;
3. byte c = a + b;

Answer 7

3. expressions containing only variables that are ints or smaller are evaluated to an int. An int cannot be assigned to a byte without a cast.

Question 8

What are the return type:

1. byte a = 1; byte b = 2; a + b
2. byte a = 1; long b = 2; a + b;
3. short a = 1; byte b = 2; a + b;
4. long a = 1; float f = 2F; a + b;

Answer 8

1. int
2. long
3. int
4. float

Anything involing only smaller or int variables will result in int. (1 AND 3) Otherwise the result type will be the largest used holder (2 AND 4).

Question 9

When do you need to explicitly cast for primitives?

Answer 9

When narrowing, putting something into a smaller holder.

short a = 1;
byte b = (byte) a;
long l = a; // No cast needed, larger container.
double d = l; // No cast needed, larger container.

Question 10

What will be the result?
long l = 130L;
byte b = (byte) l;

Answer 10

130 does not fit in a byte. So the bits will be choped of from the left side. If the first bit (the sign bit) is now a 1 it will turn it into a negative number: -126.

Question 11

Name the 4 variables scopes based on the from shortest life span to the longest life span.

Answer 11

1. Block variables, as long as the code-block executes.
2. Local variables, as long as the method executes.
3. Instance variables, as long as the object lives.
4. Static variables, as long as the class is loaded in the JVM.

Question 12

What will be printed?
int[] numbers = new int[10};
System.out.println(numbers[0]);

Answer 12

0

The array element get their default value.

Question 13

What is wrong?
public class Bar {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int days;
int year;
System.out.println("The year is: " + year);
}
}

Answer 13

Local primitive is not initialized. Local variables do not get their default value if not assigned. Its fine to leave days unitialized since we do not use it.

Object also do not get a default value. So you need to explicitly set a null value if desired.
Object aObject = null;

Question 14

What will be printed?
class Bar {
   public int myIntValue = 4;
   public void doStuff(int myIntValue) {
       myIntValue++;
   }
}

Bar b = new Bar();
b.doStuff(b.myIntValue);
System.out.println(b.myIntValue);

Answer 14

The instance variable myIntValue is untouched since the method doStuff shadows the myIntValue variable reference.

Question 15

What is wrong?
String [] arrayName []; // 1
String[5] strings; // 2

Answer 15

1. Nothing, this is a valid multi-dimensional array declaration.
2. Length of array cannot be set in the declaration.

Question 16

What is wrong?
int[] testScores;
testScores = {1,2,3}

Answer 16

Testscores is already initialized to a null value. You need to use the new keyword like:
testScores = new int[] {1,2,3};

Question 17

What primiteves can a primitive array hold?

Answer 17

Any primitive that can be implicitly promoted to the decalered array type. For example: short, byte, char can all be assigned to an int array type.

Question 18

What objects can a object array hold?

Answer 18

All objects that pass de IS-A test for the array type (inheritance: extends or implements).

Question 19

What assignments will fail:
int[] a;
char[] c = new char[3];
a = c; // 1
Cars[] cars;
Lexus[] lexuss = new Lexus[3];
Dog[] dogs = new Dog[3];
cars = dogs; // 2
cars = lexuss; //3
int[][] chart = new int[5][];
a = chart; // 4

Answer 19

1, 2, 4

1. Primitive arrays can only be assigned to the same type array reference.
2. Object arrays can only be assignedn to the same type or a super type.
3. You cannot assign an array with a different diemsnion.

Question 20

What will be printend and in what order?
public class Blocks extends SuperBlocks{
    static { System.out.println("Static Blocks"); }
    { System.out.println("Blocks1"); }
    { System.out.println("Blocks2"); }
    Blocks() { System.out.println("Construct Blocks"); }
    public static void main(String[] args) { new Blocks(); }
}

class SuperBlocks {
    static { System.out.println("Static SuperBlocks"); }
    { System.out.println("SuperBlocks1"); }
    SuperBlocks() { System.out.println("Construct SuperBlocks"); }
}

Answer 20

Static SuperBlocks
Static Blocks
SuperBlocks1
Construct SuperBlocks
Blocks1
Blocks2
Construct Blocks

1. Super class static blocks
2. Class static blocks
3. Super class code blocks
4. Constructor Super class
5. Class code blocks.
6. Constructor class.

Question 21

What constructors does a Wrapper class have (Integer, Character etc.)

Answer 21

The primitve type or a String representation.

Except for Character which only has a constructor for the primitive and float wich can also take a double,

Question 22

What is the result of the following:
Integer i = new Integer("GeenInteger"); // 1
Boolean b = new Boolean("GeenBoolean"); // 2

Answer 22

// 1 Throws NumberFormatException
// 2 Anything that does not equals to true will result in a false boolean.

Question 23

What do the parseXxx() methods and valueOf() methods do?

Answer 23

Wrapper.parseXxx(): parse a String to a primitive. Optionaly take a radix argument, to define the base.
valueOf(): parse a String to a wrapper object.
Optionaly take a radix argument, to define the base.

Long.parseLong(“101010”, 2); // Results in 42.

Question 24

What is the xxxValue method?

Answer 24

A method on the wrapper objects for converting the objects to a primitve value.,

Question 25

What is boxing and unboxing?

Answer 25

Boxing: auto wrapping a primitive in a wrapper object. 
Integer y = new Integer(10); y++;
Unboxing: auto unwrapping a wrapper object to a primitive.
Integer y = 10;

Question 26

How many objects are created?
Integer x = 22;
x++;

Answer 26

2. Wrapper object are immutable, so a new object is created when incremented.

Question 27

What is the result?
public class Wrappers {
    static Integer x;
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Wrappers wrappers = new Wrappers();
        wrappers.doStuff(x);
    }

private void doStuff(int x) {
    System.out.println("Value is " + x);
} }

Answer 27

NullPointerException. x cannot be unboxed to a primitve because the value is null.

Question 28

Overloaded methods: what happens if a exact match isn’t found for the arguments provided?

Answer 28

The JVM chooses the method with the smallest argument that is wider than the given parameters.

byte b = 2;
void doStuff(int x) {}
.doStuff(b);

Question 29

What is the order to determince which overloaded method to execute?

Answer 29

1. Widening
2. Boxing
3. Var-args

Question 30

What is wrong?
public class FooBar {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        new FooBar().test(new Integer(5));
    }

    void test(Long x) {}
}

Answer 30

Widening does not work with wrapper classes.

Question 31

What is widening?

Answer 31

Putting a primitive or object in to a larger holder.

int x = 1;
void doStuff(long l) {}
doStuff(x);

Dog d = new Dog();
void doStuff(Animal a);
doStuff(d);

Question 32

What are the rules for overloading regarding widening, boxing and var-args?

Answer 32

1. Primitives use the smallest method argument possible
2. Boxing and var-args can only be use individually
3. You cannot widen wrapper types
4. You cannot widen and then box (an int can’t become a Long).
5. You can box and then widen (an int can become an Object, via Integer).
6. You can combine var-args with either widening or boxing.

Question 33

Using == wrappers created throug boxing is tricky, why?

Answer 33

Those with small values (lower than 127) will equal to true if compared using ==. Larger values don’t.