Java Course 8: Methods

Before you do this section, watch the videos here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v0xcqgjkia6brmm/AABRKcrZjwhkR1j14NsMcd4za?dl=0

Older programming languages distinguish between Functions and Procedures. Very simply, a function returns a value, a procedure does not.

Java rolls both of these into one concept: Methods. A method always has a return type. If the return type is void it is what an older language would call a procedure, otherwise it’s a function.

Here is an example method:

public void spoons (String s, int i)

Access Type	Return Type	Name	Parameters
public	void	spoons	(String s, int i)

Two example Classes

public class Main {

    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
	Person p1 = new Person("Bloggs", "Joe");
	p1.setSex("M");

	Person p2 = new Person("Baker", "Jill");
	p2.setGender("F");

	p1.printPerson();
	p2.printPerson();
    }

}


public class Person {

     private String surname;
     private String forename;
     private String gender;     

    Person(String surname, String forename)
    {
	this.surname = surname;
	this.forename = forename;
    }

    public void setGender(String s)
    {
	if(!(s.equals("F")|s.equals("M")))
	{
	    System.out.println("Validation error!");
	} else
	{
	    sex = s;
	}
    }

    public void printPerson()
    {
	System.out.println(surname + " " + forename + " " + gender);
    }

}

Method Exercise: Progress Tracker

Write a class Pupil that will track pupils’ progress through a year. The class will store pupils’ grades as percentages.

1. Add private member variables String forename, surname
2. Add private member variables int target, autumn, spring, summer
3. Add a constructor method that will accept the parameters forename, surname, target
4. Test the constructor by adding the following pupils: Joe, Bloggs, 70 and Jill, Cooper, 75
5. Add accessor methods to setAutumn(), setSpring(), setSummer()
6. Add accessor methods to getAutumn(), getSpring(), getSummer()
7. Add the following grades to Joe Bloggs:  Autumn 55, Spring 65, Summer 75
8. Add the following grades to JIll Cooper:  Autumn 50, Spring 60, Summer 70
9. Add a method average() to return a double showing the average percentage a pupil has. Print out Joe and Jill’s average scores
10. Add a method progress() that will return a String saying whether the pupil is above target, on target or below target on the summer test.
11. Check this method works on Joe and Jill
12. Add a print() method that will print out the pupil’s details in a suitable format

Extension Work

• Add a validation() method to check that grades entered lie between 1 and 100
• Modify your average() method so it will return a correct average if only one or two grades have been entered so far
• Add a static int variable aBound to record the grade A boundary.
• Add the appropriate setters and getters to aBound
• Set up a Pupil [] array in your Main class to handle your pupils
• Add a save() method to your Pupil class that will write the pupil data to file