Java Language Basics Article

for loops

The final control structure we’ll be seeing in this article is actually just a more advanced version of a while loop, called a for loop. The relatively complex syntax tends to scare away beginners; additionally, the fact that any for loop can also be written as a while loop makes it especially tempting to simply not use this particular control structure. Nevertheless, the for loop provides a nice shortcut for the most common application of while loops, so in my opinion it’s worthwhile learning. Here’s what the syntax looks like:

for (initialize; condition; update) {       

  // loop body       

}

In the above, initialize is a statement that is executed once, just before the condition is checked for the first time. It is usually used to set up a counter variable for the loop. condition is simply the condition that determines when to stop executing the loop (it works exactly the same as the condition in a while loop). Finally, update is a statement that will be executed after the loop body and before the condition is re-checked. It is commonly used to update the counter variable. Figure 2 illustrates how a for loop works.

To demonstrate a for loop in practice, I’ve adapted the Countdown program above to use a for loop instead of a while loop:

1  /**       

2   * Countdown.java       

3   * A simple Java program that counts down from 10.       

4   */       

5         

6  class Countdown {       

7    public static void main(String[] args) {       

8      System.out.println("Countdown to liftoff...");       

9       

10     for (int count=10; count>0; count=count-1) {       

11       System.out.println(count + "!");       

12     }       

13       

14     System.out.println("Liftoff! We have liftoff!");       

15   }       

16 }

The actual code used by this program is not so different from the original version with the while loop! The creation and initialization of the count variable has become the ‘initialize’ statement in the for loop, while the command from the loop body that subtracts 1 from the value of the count variable has become the ‘update’ statement. The condition and the remaining line of the loop body remain unchanged. What a for loop lets you do is combine all of the commands having to do with the initialization, checking, and updating of the counter variable (count, in this case) into a single line, making the code in general easier to read.

Even though any for loop could be expanded out into a while loop with the appropriate statements before the loop and at the end of the loop body, it is common practice (and generally tidier) to express any loop that uses a counter variable as a for loop.

Summary and Further Reading

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this article; it’s a shame most of it had to be so dry!

We looked at how variables let you store data for use in calculations, how that data can come in the form of a handful of data types, what operators are available for putting pieces of data together and getting a result, and what control structures let you make programs that do something other than go in a straight line. Unfortunately, these are by far the least exciting aspects of any programming language; so if I’ve bored you, I apologise.

The good news is that I’ve now covered most of the mundane details of the Java language, and you should now be ready to make the leap into the world of object-oriented programming! It’s no coincidence, then, that the next article in this series will cover the concepts of object oriented programming and how they apply in Java. And I’ll finally answer the Big Question: how can you compare two Strings together to see if they match? Don’t tell me you’re not dying to know!

If you’re keen to get a head start, the book “Beginning Java Objects” from WROX Press is an excellent read that will have you weaving webs of Java classes like a pro. Look for a review around the same time as the next instalment in this series!