Algorithms and Java basics:

pseudocode, variables, assignment,

and interactive programs
CSC 1051 – Algorithms and Data Structures I
Dr. Mary-Angela Papalaskari
Department of Computing Sciences
Villanova University

Course website:
www.csc.villanova.edu/~map/1051/
Some slides in this presentation are adapted from the slides accompanying:
•  Java Software Solutions by Lewis & Loftus
•  Introduction to Programming in Java: An Interdisciplinary Approach by Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

 Algorithms in
everyday life

Source: http://xkcd.com/627/

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Algorithms

An algorithm is a specific set of instructions for

carrying out a procedure or solving a problem, usually
with the requirement that the procedure terminate at
some point. Specific algorithms sometimes also go by
the name method, procedure, or technique. The word
"algorithm" is a distortion of al-Khwārizmī [named
after Muhammad ibn al-Khwārizmī], a Persian
mathematician who wrote an influential treatise about
algebraic methods.
Sources: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Algorithm.html and Wikipedia (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu%E1%B8%A5ammad_ibn_M%C5%ABs%C4%81_al-Khw%C4%81rizm%C4%AB )

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Algorithm Example:
Input-Compute-Output pattern
GPA problem: Write a program that computes and outputs
the GPA, given the credits and quality points earned.

Variables: qp, credits, gpa

Pseudocode: describe steps in
simple, unambiguous language

Algorithm:

1. qp = input from user

2. credits = input from user
3. gpa = qp / credits
4. Print gpa
CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
 //****************************************************
// GPA.java Author: Joyce/Papalaskari
// Demonstrates the use of Scanner.

Java Program è
******************************************************
import java.util.Scanner;

public class GPA

{
public static void main (String[] args)

Algorithm //-------------------------------------------------
// Inputs quality points and credits and calculate
//-------------------------------------------------
{
è

double qp, credits, gpa;

Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
Variables: qp, credits, gpa
// input qp
System.out.print ("Enter Quality Points > ");
Algorithm: qp = scan.nextInt();

// input credits
1. qp = input from user System.out.print ("Enter Credits > ");
2. credits = input from user credits = scan.nextInt();

3. gpa = qp / credits // calculate GPA

4. Print gpa gpa = qp / credits;

// print GPA
System.out.println ("\n\tGPA: " + gpa);
}
}
CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
Next: A closer look at variables & input in Java
Interactive Programs – Input/Output
•  Programs can use data obtained during runtime, eg:
int age;

String name;

Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);

output method
System.out.print(“Enter your name”);
name = scan.nextLine();
input method
System.out.print(“Enter your age”);
age = scan.nextInt();
);

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Interactive Programs – Input/Output
•  In Java, you first need to create a Scanner object
int age;

String name;
Scanner object

Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);

System.out.print(“Enter your name”);

name = scan.nextLine();
input method (for String)
System.out.print(“Enter your age”);
age = scan.nextInt();
input method (for int)

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Interactive Programs – Input/Output
•  The Scanner class is part of the java.util class
library, and must be imported into a program in
order to be used
•  The import statement goes at beginning of your
program (above class definition)

import java.util.Scanner;

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Interactive Programs – Input/Output
Summary:
1.  import the Scanner class, i.e., add this before the class
definition of your program:
import java.util.Scanner;

2.  In your main method, before doing any input, declare and
initialize the Scanner object
Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
3.  Input away!
System.out.print(“Enter your name”);
name = scan.nextLine();

System.out.print(“Enter your age”);

age = scan.nextInt();StringCSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
 Interactive Programs – Input/Output
import java.util.Scanner; Example

public class TellMeAboutYou

{
public static void main(String[] args) Enter your name: Fiona
{ Enter your age: 17
int age; Pleased to meet you, Fiona!
String name; Your age in dog years is 178.5

Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);

System.out.print("Enter your name");

name = scan.nextLine();

System.out.print("Enter your age");

age = scan.nextInt();

System.out.println("Pleased to meet you, " + name + "!");

System.out.println("Your age in dog years: " + age*10.5);
} Inspired by: http://www.onlineconversion.com/dogyears.htm
} name = scan.nextLine(); CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
Scanner methods
•  nextInt() à input an int
•  nextDouble() à input a double
•  nextLine() à input a String (until end of line)
•  next() à input a String token (one word or
other delimited “chunk” of text)
•  White space (space, tab, new line) are used to
separate input tokens

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Variables & Assignment OVERVIEW
• Variable. A name that refers to a value of declared type.
• Literal. Programming language representation of a value.
• Assignment statement. Associates a value with a variable.

type variable
int age; declaration statement
literal
age = 18; assignment statement
double x = 3.2, y = -0.80;
combined declaration and assignment statement
final int INCHES_PER_FOOT = 12;
constant declaration (always initializes value)
String name = scan.nextLine();
input from user
CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
Variable Declaration

•  A variable is a name for a location of data in memory

•  A variable must be declared by specifying the variable's

name and the type of information that it will hold

data type variable name

int age;

double x, y;

String name;

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Some types of data in Java

type set of values literal values operations

'A'
char characters '@'
compare
sequences of "Hello World"
String concatenate
characters ”jackie123"

17 add, subtract,
int integers 12345 multiply, divide
floating-point 3.1415 add, subtract,
double numbers 6.022e23 multiply, divide
true
boolean truth values false
and, or, not

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Assignment Statement
•  Changes the value of a variable

•  The assignment operator is the = sign

total = 55 - discount;

•  The expression on the right is evaluated and the

result is stored in the variable on the left

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Combined declaration and assignment

A variable can be given an initial value in the declaration

int age = 18;


double x = 3.2, y = -0.80;

String name = scan.nextLine();


CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Combined declaration and assignment

A variable can be given an initial value in the declaration

- a new value can be assigned later:
int age = 18;

double x = 3.2, y = -0.80;

String name = scan.nextLine();

age = 19;
x = x + 0.5;
name = scan.nextLine();

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Combined declaration and assignment –
Note: CANNOT declare twice
A variable can be given an initial value in the declaration
- a new value can be assigned later:
int age = 18;

double x = 3.2, y = -0.80;

String name = scan.nextLine();

int age = 19;

Error: declaring variable age again

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Example

Computing the total number of seconds

int hours = 1;


int minutes = 25;
int seconds = 31;

int totalMinutes = (hours * 60) + minutes;

int totalSeconds = (totalMinutes * 60) + seconds;

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Example

Computing the total number of seconds

Another alternative:
int hours = 1;

int minutes = 25;
int seconds = 31;

int totalSeconds =
(hours * 3600) + (minutes * 60) + seconds;

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Arithmetic Operators

Addition +
Subtraction -
Multiplication *
Division /
Remainder %

•  If either or both operands used by an arithmetic

operator are floating point (e.g., type double), then
the result is a floating point

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Division and Remainder
•  If both operands are integers (e.g., type int), the
division result is an integer (the fractional part is
discarded):
% gives the remainder of the division:

14 / 3 14 % 3

143 / 60 143 % 60

20 / 16 20 % 16

8 / 12 8 % 12

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Example

Extracting hours, minutes seconds from total number of

seconds

int totalSeconds = 7222;

int hours = totalSeconds/3600;

int remainingSeconds = totalSeconds%3600;
int minutes = remainingSeconds/60;
int seconds = remainingSeconds%60;

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

 Operator Precedence
example: result = total + count / max – offset;

What is the order of evaluation of sub-expressions?

1.  Multiplication, division, remainder
2.  addition, subtraction, string concatenation
•  Operators with the same precedence: left àright
•  Use parentheses to override default order

more examples:

a + b + c + d + e a / (b + c) - d % e

a – b / c + d * e a / (b * (c + (d - e)))
CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
 Tracing the values of variables after each statement.

age
int age = 18;
 18
x
double x;
?

String name = "Sherlock"; name


 “Sherlock”
age = 19;
19

x = 0.5;
0.5

x = x + 0.2; 0.7

name = name + "Holmes"; “SherlockHolmes”

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

 Trace: A table of variable values after each statement.

age x name
________________________________________
int age = 18;
 18

double x; 18 undefined

String name = "Sherlock"; 18 undefined "Sherlock"



age = 19; 19 undefined "Sherlock"

x = 0.5; 19 0.5 "Sherlock"

x = x + 2; 19  0.7 "Sherlock"

name = name + "Holmes"; 19 0.7 "SherlockHolmes"

Final values:
CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
Trace: TRY THIS:

int a, b;



a = 3;

b = 4;

a = b;

double pi = 3.14;

Final values:

a b pi
CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
Trace: TRY THIS:
int a, b;



a = 3;

b = 4;

int c = a;

a = b;

b = 5;

b = c;

Final values:

a b c
CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
Assignment operator

•  Assignment ( = ) copies the value of the right side into

the memory location associated with the left side
•  It does not set up an ongoing equivalence

int davesAge = 21;

int suesAge = davesAge;

davesAge = 22;

System.out.println (davesAge); // prints 22

System.out.println (suesAge); // prints 21

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

Increment and Decrement

•  The increment operator (++) adds one to its operand

•  The decrement operator (--) subtracts one from its
operand
•  The statement
count++;
is functionally equivalent to
count = count + 1;

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University

CONSTANTS: like variables, but value
cannot change – declare using final
modifier:

final int INCHES_PER_FOOT = 12;



final double LBS_PER_KG = 2.2;

Convention: Use UPPER_CASE identifiers

CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University
Variables & Assignment SUMMARY
• Variable. A name that refers to a value of declared type.
• Literal. Programming language representation of a value.
• Assignment statement. Associates a value with a variable.

type variable
int age; declaration statement
literal
age = 18; assignment statement
double x = 3.2, y = -0.80;
combined declaration and assignment statement
final int INCHES_PER_FOOT = 12;
constant declaration (always initializes value)
String name = scan.nextLine();
input from user
CSC 1051 M.A. Papalaskari, Villanova University