CS1110       Lab 03. Writing and testing classes; static methods      Spring 2011

Name _______________________________       NetId ____________________________      

This lab gives you practice with writing a class, using a JUnit tester, and working with static methods.

Task 1. Download. Download file ThreeDimPoint.java from here:

http://www.cs.cornell.edu/courses/cs1110/2010fa/handouts/labs/lab03program/ThreeDimPoint.java.

Save it in a new directory. When you are done with this lab, you may want to save this file —email it to yourself or put it on a USB storage key.

1. In DrJava, select menu File item New JUnit Test Case.... This will create a second file; call it DimTester.java. Save it to the same directory that your ThreeDimPoint.java file is in.
2. Change the name of method testX in class DimTester to testConstructor, and change the javadoc comments appropriately.
3. In the body of method testConstructor, write Java statements that:

(a) Create an instance of ThreeDimPoint and save its name in a variable. Note that the constructor call in the new expression requires three integer arguments —the x, y, and z coordinates of the point.

(b) Insert tests to verify that the constructor sets the fields properly. Refer to this partial example of testing a constructor (http://www.cs.cornell.edu/courses/cs1110/2010fa/handouts/labs/lab03junit-constructorTest.pdf) for help (the first page is a sample class; the second page shows a partial test method for that class's constructor). Remember, inherited procedure assertEquals(expected, computed) stops all testing and outputs an error message if expected does not equal computed.

4. Compile the two classes, by clicking your mouse on button Compile.
5. Click button Test.
6. If an error message results, study the message and the constructor and the relevant getter function to determine what is wrong and fix the ThreeDimPoint class definition.

Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 until no error message results.

Congratulations! You have used a JUnit tester to debug your first program.

Task 4. Test function hasAZero. This function should return true if at least one of the x-, y-, and z- coordinates is 0. If none of them are zero, it returns false. That's what the specification says. Do not make any changes to the function before testing it. In class DimTester, make up another test function, testHasAZero, that will test function hasAZero. A possible test case is any set of values (x, y, z). Think about it: how many test cases do you need in order to be sure that the method is correct? Perhaps 6 or 7 or 8? Below, write down a list of test cases that you think will suffice to provide some assurance that the function is correct:

In test procedure testHasAZero, implement all the test cases that you think you need. The test procedure may have to create more than one instance of ThreeDimPoint in order to implement all your test cases.

Now compile the test program (click button Compile) and run it (click button Test). If you get error messages, look at the program and fix errors. Continue testing and debugging in this fashion until running the test program does not produce an error.

Task 5. Trying to make a method static. The length of the line from point (0, 0, 0) to point (x, y, z) is the square root of x*x + y*y + z*z. In Java, function call Math.sqrt(n) finds the square root of n, as you can see from method length in class ThreeDimPoint. Method length computes the length of the line from the origin given by the instance in which it appears. Try it out using these statements in the Interactions pane:

ThreeDimPoint d;
d= new ThreeDimPoint(3, 4, 5);
d.length()                                         // Write the answer here:

Now do the same thing using this single statement.

(new ThreeDimPoint(3,4,5)).length()       // Write the answer here:

The second way, just above, contains a new-expression that is NOT assigned to a variable. This is legal. There is nothing wrong with it. The new folder (object) is created and stored in file-drawer ThreeDimPoint, and the name of the folder is the result of the new-expression; then, function length() of that folder is called.

Now, make the function static by placing the word static right after public and compile. What happens? Write here the error message that is printed:

What is the problem? Explain in your own words what the problem is:

Then remove the word static and compile again.

Task 6. Making a method static. Now consider function length1. It has the heading

public double length1(ThreeDimPoint c)

so when one calls it, one has to give it an argument that is the name of a ThreeDimPoint folder. We'll show you this in a minute.

Make this method static, by placing keyword static after public, and compile. It works! Can you explain why?

Yes, the method does not refer directly to any fields of the object in which the method occurs, so it does not have to be in each folder of the class, so it can be static. There is ONE copy of it, and the copy is in file-drawer ThreeDimPoint.

Now do these lines in the Interactions pane, one at a time. The first creates a ThreeDimPoint folder and stores its name in variable f. The second gets its length by calling function length in object f. The third gets its length by calling static function ThreeDimPoint.length1.

ThreeDimPoint f= new ThreeDimPoint(3,4,5);
f.length()
ThreeDimPoint.length1(f)

This illustrates how one can use a static method. If a method does not refer to any fields, place it in the file-drawer by making it static. If you still have questions about this, ASK THE TA OR CONSULTANT!

Task 7. Class Math. Class Math has lots of static functions that are mathematical in nature. Class Math, which is always available without using an import statement, is used mainly as a file-drawer for static functions and variables. It has no fields that you can change. It has no instance methods. Everything in it is static. Below are some functions and what they mean; later, we will tell you where to find their descriptions.

Fill in the following table by placing the calls in the Interactions pane and seeing what value DrJava gives: