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Coding Cheat Sheet: Building Blocks of Java Programming

This reading provides a reference list of code that you'll encounter as you begin to learn and use Java. Understanding these concepts will help you write and debug your
first Java programs. Let's explore the following Java coding concepts:

Structuring Java Code and Comments

Exploring Data Types in Java
Introduction to Operators in Java
Using Advanced Operators in Java
Working with arrays

Keep this summary reading available as a reference as you progress through your course and refer to this reading as you begin coding with Java after this course!

Structuring Java Code and Comments

Types of comments

Description Code Example

System.out.println("Hello, World!")

A Java statement used to

print text or other data to the
standard output, typically the
console.

// This is a single-line comment.

Use two forward slashes to

precede a single line
comment in Java

int number = 10; // This variable stores the number 10

All text after the two forward

slash marks on this line is
treated as a comment

/* This is a multi-line comment It can be used to explain a block of code or provide detailed information

These comments start with

/* and end with */. They can
span multiple lines.

/* int sum = 0;
This variable will hold the sum of numbers */.

This also is a multiline

comment. Multiline
comments start with /* and
end with */. They can span
multiple lines.

The documentation /**

comments start with /* and *This method calculates the square of a number.
*@param number The number to be squared
ends with */ . These *@return The square of the input number

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Description Code Example

comments are used for */
generating documentation public int square(int number) {
return number * number;
using tools like Javadoc. }

Creating a package

Description Code Example

package com.example.myapp; // Declare a package

public class MyClass {
// Class code goes here
}

To create a package, use the package keyword at the top of your Java source file.

Folder structure for a package

Description Folder Structure Example

/src
└── com
└── example
└──>└──>
└──>└── └──>myapp
└──>└── └──>└── MyClass.java

The folder structure on your filesystem should match the package declaration. For instance, if your package is
com.example.myapp, your source file should be located in the following path example.

Class and Methods Structure

Description Code Example

package com.example.library;
public class Library
{
private List <Book> books; // Private attribute to hold books
public Library()
{
books = new ArrayList<>(); // Initialize the list in the constructor
}
public void addBook(Book book) {
In Java, a class is a blueprint for creating objects and can contain methods books.add(book); // Method to add a book to the library
(functions) that define behaviors. For instance, the second line of this code }
}
displays the public class library, with methods like calculatePrice() or
applyDiscount().

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Creating methods

Description Code Example

package com.example.library;

public class Main {

public static void main(String[] args) {

Library library = new Library(); // Create an instance of Library

// Add books to the library

library.addBook(new Book("1984", "George Orwell"));
library.addBook(new Book("To Kill a Mockingbird", "Harper Lee"));
Every Java application needs an entry point, which is typically a main method // Display all books
within a public class. In this code, the second line of code identifies the method library.displayBooks();
named Main in the public class. }
}

Organizing source files in directories

Description Directory Structure

MyProject/
└── src/ # Source code goes here
└── lib/ # External libraries/JARs
└── resources/ # Configuration files, images, and others
└── doc/ # Documentation
└── test/ # Test files

As your project grows, organizing your source files into directories can keep your
code manageable. The following example illustrates typical Java organizaton.

Using imports

Description Code Example

import java.util.List;

When you need to use classes from other packages, you

need to import them at the top of your source file. These
examples illustrate two examples of importing classes. import java.util.ArrayList; // Importing classes from Java's standard library </pre

Exploring Data Types in Java

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Primitive data types

Description Code Example

byte age = 25; // Age of a person

Use the byte data type when you need to save memory in large arrays where the memory
savings are critical, and the values are between -128 and 127.

short temperature = -5; // Temperature in degrees

Use the short small integers data type for numbers from −32,768 to 32,767.

int population = 1000000; // Population of a city

Use the int integer data type to store whole numbers larger than what byte and short can
hold. This is the most commonly used integer type.

long distanceToMoon = 384400000L; // Distance in meters

Use the long data type when you need to store very large integer values that exceed the
range of int.

float price = 19.99f; // Price of a product

Use the float when you need to store decimal numbers but do not require high precision
(for example, up to 7 decimal places).

double pi = 3.141592653589793; // Value of Pi

Use the double data type when you need to store decimal numbers and require high
precision (up to 15 decimal places).

char initial = 'A'; // Initial of a person's name

Use the char data type when you need to store a single character such as a single letter or
an initial.

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Description Code Example

boolean isLoggedIn = true; // User login status

Use boolean when you need to represent a true/false value. Boolean is often used for
conditions and decisions.

Reference data types

Description Code Example

String greeting = "Hello, World!";

A string data type is a sequence of characters. The string data type is very
useful for handling text in your programs.

int[] scores = {85, 90, 78, 92};

An array is a collection of multiple values stored under a single variable name.

All the values in an array must be of the same type. Arrays are great for storing
lists of items, like student scores or names. The following code defines an integer
array type of scores that include 85, 90, 78, and 92.

class Car {
String color;
int year;
void displayInfo() {
System.out.println("Color: " + color + ", Year: " + year);
}
}

The reference data type class is like a blueprint for creating objects. You can see
the class identified in the first line of code.

public class Main {

public static void main(String[] args) {
Car myCar = new Car();
myCar.color = "Red";
myCar.year = 2026;
myCar.displayInfo(); // Output: Color: Red, Year: 2026
}
}
Objects are classes that contain both data and functions. In this code Car myCar =
new Car(); is the object.

When you create an interface, you only declare the methods without providing // The interface class
their actual code. All methods in an interface are empty by default. Here's an interface MyInterfaceClass {
void methodExampleOne();
example of an interface called MyInterfaceClass with three methods. void methodExampleTwo();
void methodExampleThree();
}

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Description Code Example

enum DaysOfWeek {
MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY;
}

An enum is a special data type that defines a list of named values. An enum is
useful for representing fixed sets of options, such as days of the week or colors.

Introduction to Operators in Java

Arithemtic operators
The following operators perform basic mathematical functions.
In these code examples int a = 10; and int b = 5;

Description Example

System.out.println("Addition: " + (a + b)); // 15

The plus symbol + performs addition operations.

System.out.println("Subtraction: " + (a - b)); // 5

The minus symbol - performs subtraction operations.

System.out.println("Multiplication: " + (a * b)); // 50

The asterisk symbol * performs multiplication operations.

System.out.println("Division: " + (a / b)); // 2

The division symbol / performs division operations.

The percentage symbol % performs modulus (percentage) operations. ystem.out.println("Modulus: " + (a % b)); // 0

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Description Example

Relational operators
You use relational operators to compare two values. These operators return a boolean result (true or false).

In the following examples int a = 10; and int b = 5;.

Description Example

System.out.println("Is a equal to b? " + (a == b)); // false

The double equal symbols == check for equality.

System.out.println("Is a not equal to b? " + (a != b)); // true

The exclamation point and equal symbol together != check for a

not equal result.

System.out.println("Is a greater than b? " + (a > b)); // true 0

The greater than symbol > checks for the greater than result.

System.out.println("Is a less than b? " + (a < b)); // false

The less than symbol < checks if the result for a less than state.

System.out.println("Is a greater than or equal to b? " + (a >= b)); // true

The greater than equal symbols >= compares the values to check
for a greater than or equal to result.

The less than equal symbols <= compares the values to check for System.out.println("Is a less than or equal to b? " + (a <= b)); // false
a less than or equal to result.

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Description Example

Logical operators
You can use logical operators to combine boolean expressions. The following code examples use boolean x = true; and boolean y = false;.

Description Example

if (a > b && b < c) { ... }

The double ampersands && combines two boolean expressions (both must be true).

if (a > b || b < c) { ... }

The double vertical bar symbols || used with boolean values always evaluates both expressions, even if the first one is
true.

if (!(a > b)) { ... }

The single exclamation point symbol ! operator in Java is the logical NOT operator. This operator is used to negate a
boolean expression, meaning it reverses the truth value.

Using Advanced Operators in Java

Assignment operators
You can use assignment operators to assign values to a variable.

Description Example

a = 10

The single equal symbol = assigns the right operand to left

a += 5

The plus sign and equal symbols combined += adds and assigns values to variables

The minus sign and equal symbols combined -= subtracts values to variables a -= 2

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Description Example

a *= 3

The asterisk sign and equal symbols combined *= multipies and assigns values to variables

a /= 2

The forward slash sign and equal symbols combined /= divides and assigns values to variables

a %= 4

The percentage and equal symbols combined %= take the modulus (percentage) and assigns values to the variables

Unary operators
A unary operation is a mathematical or programming operation that uses only one operand or input. Developers use unary operations to manipulate data and perform
calculations. You would use the following assignment operators to assign values to variables.

Description Example

int positive = +a;

Use the plus symbol to indicate a positive value.

int a = 10;
System.out.println("Unary plus: " + (+a)); // 10

Ternary operators
Ternary operators are a shorthand form of the conditional statement. They can use three operands.

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Description Example

int a = 10;
int b = 20;
int max = (a > b) ? a : b; // If a is greater than b, assign a; otherwise assign b
System.out.println("Maximum value is: " + max); // 20

Ternary operators uses the Syntax: condition ? expression1

: expression2;. In the following code, int max = (a > b)
? a : b;

Working with Arrays

Declaring an array

Description Example

int[] numbers;

To declare an array in Java, you use the following syntax: dataType[] arrayName;. The following doce displays the data type of int and
creates an array named numbers.

Initializing an array
After you declare an array, you need to initialize the array to allocate memory for it.

Description Example

numbers = new int[5];

int[] numbers = new int[5];

These code samples display three methods used to create an array of 5 integers. You can initialize an array using the new
keyword. You can also declare and initialize an array in a single line. Alternatively, you can create an array and directly
assign values using curly braces.

int[] numbers = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};

Accessing an array
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You can access individual elements in an array by specifying the index inside square brackets.

Description Example

System.out.println(numbers[0]);System.out.println(numbers[0]); // Outputs: 1

Remember that indices start at zero. Here are two examples:

System.out.println(numbers[4]); // Outputs: 5

Modifying array elements

Description Example

numbers[2] = 10; // Changing the third element to 10

Modify the array element value by accessing it within its index.

System.out.println(numbers[2]);>System.out.println(numbers[2]); // Outputs: 10

Verify the array length

Description Example

System.out.println("The length of the array is: " + numbers.length);

Verify the array length by using the length property

Using a for loop to iterate through an array

Description Example

You can use a for loop for to iterarate through and array. Here's an example that prints all elements in the for (int i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++) {
numbers array. The for loop includes this code for (int i = 0 in the following code snippet. System.out.println(numbers[i]);
}

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Description Example

Using a for each loop to iterate through an array

Description Example

for (int number : numbers) {

System.out.println(number);
}

You can also use the enhanced for loop, known as the "for-each" loop. The enhanced for each loop code include this
portion, for (int of the following code snippet.

Declare and intialize a multidimensional array

Java supports multi-dimensional arrays, which are essentially arrays of arrays. The most common type is the two-dimensional array.

Description Example

int[][] matrix = {
{1,{1, 2, 3},
{4, 5, 6},
{7, 8, 9}
};

Here's how to declare and initialize a 2D array. You will declare the integer data type and create the
matrix array.

System.out.println(matrix[0][1]); // Outputs: 2

You can access elements in a two-dimensional array by specifying both indices, which are shown in
this code inside of the square brackets.

Iterating Through a 2D Array

Description Example

for (int i = 0; i < matrix.length; i++) {

for (int j = 0; j < matrix[i].length; j++) {
System.out.print(matrix[i][j]>System.out.print(matrix[i][j] + " ");
}
System.out.println(); // Move to the next line after each row

You can use nested loops to iterate through all elements of a 2D

array

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Author(s)
Ramanujam Srinivasan
Lavanya Thiruvali Sunderarajan

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