Print any text without using semicolon in the program

Here is the question.

Print any text without using semicolon in your program.

In C/C++, it is wasy to answer, you will say:

int main(){
    if (printf("Printed the text without using semicolon")){}
}

But in Java, you cannot do directly like that because System.out.println() returns nothing and the println()'s return type is void.

So, how will you do it in Java?
We can do the same in Java using Reflection classes(java.lang.reflect)

class semicolon{
 public static void main(String args[]){
     try{
         if (System.out.getClass().getDeclaredMethod("println", Class.forName("java.lang.String")).invoke(System.out, "This text is printed by a program without a semicolon") == null){}
     }catch(Exception e){
     }
 }
}

Just try it out yourselves.

String and its Intern method

How does the JVM create objects when you create a String literal?
How does the JVM create objects when you create a String object using new operator?
How does the JVM create objects when you create a String object and call its intern method?

To answer the first question, whenever you create a String literal, the JVM internally checks whether there is any object already existing with the same value satisfying the equals() method of the string. If any such object already exists, then the reference to that existing object is returned. Also do note that, any change to this returned reference's value will not affect the string because String is immutable. So, a new string object will be created and the new value will be assigned to the newly created object and will be returned to the reference while the retrieved string will not be changed.
If you create 100 String literals with the value "Hello", all the references to those 100 literals will be the same. You can cross check this using the == operator.

Coming to the second question, whenever you create an object using the new keyword, the JVM will not check for any existence of any object instead it will create a new String object and return its reference. Even though there is a string existing with the same value, the JVM will return a new string because of the presence of the new keyword. Consider you create a string literal,

String str = "hello";

and a string object using new keyword

 String str1 = new String("hello");

The two strings' value may be equal but both the references will be pointing to two different objects. You can cross check this using the == operator. If you create another string literal now with the value "hello", then the reference of the first variable, str will be returned to the new literal.

The third question will reveal one of the optimization mechanisms used by the JVM. Consider you create a String object using the new keyword.

String str = new String("Hello");

If you call the intern method of this String object,

str = str.intern();

the JVM will check whether the String pool maintained by the JVM contains any String objects with the same value as the str object with the equals method returning true. If the JVM finds such an object, then the JVM will return a reference to that object present in the String pool. If no object equal to the current object is present in the String pool, then the JVM adds this string into the String pool and returns its reference to the calling object. The JVM adds the object to the String pool so that the next time when any string object calls the intern method, space optimization can be done if both of these strings are equal in value. You can check the working of intern method using the equals and == operators.

Swing vs AWT or Lightweight vs Heavyweight Components

When developing a Java program it is important to select the appropriate Java Graphical User Interface (GUI) components. There are two basic sets of components that you will most likely build your Java programs with. These two groups of components are called the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT) and Swing. Both of these groups of components are part of the Java Foundation Classes (JFC).

An Overview of the AWT

AWT stands for Abstract Window ToolKit. The Abstract Window Toolkit supports GUI Java programming. It is a portable GUI library for stand-alone applications and/or applets. The Abstract Window Toolkit provides the connection between your application and the native GUI. The AWT provides a high level of abstraction for your Java program since it hides you from the underlying details of the GUI your program will be running on.

AWT features include:

• A rich set of user interface components.
• A robust event-handling model.
• Graphics and imaging tools, including shape, color, and font classes.
• Layout managers, for flexible window layouts that don't depend on a particular window size or screen resolution.
• Data transfer classes, for cut-and-paste through the native platform clipboard.

The AWT components depend on native code counterparts (called peers) to handle their functionality. Thus, these components are often called "heavyweight" components.

An Overview of Swing

Swing implements a set of GUI components that build on AWT technology and provide a pluggable look and feel. Swing is implemented entirely in the Java programming language, and is based on the JDK 1.1 Lightweight UI Framework.

Swing features include:

• All the features of AWT.
• 100% Pure Java certified versions of the existing AWT component set (Button, Scrollbar, Label, etc.).
• A rich set of higher-level components (such as tree view, list box, and tabbed panes).
• Pure Java design, no reliance on peers.
• Pluggable Look and Feel.

Swing components do not depend on peers to handle their functionality. Thus, these components are often called "lightweight" components.

AWT vs. Swing

There are, of course, both pros and cons to using either set of components from the JFC in your Java applications. Here is a summary:

---

AWT:
Pros

• Speed: use of native peers speeds component performance.
• Applet Portability: most Web browsers support AWT classes so AWT applets can run without the Java plugin.
• Look and Feel: AWT components more closely reflect the look and feel of the OS they run on.

Cons

• Portability: use of native peers creates platform specific limitations. Some components may not function at all on some platforms.
• Third Party Development: the majority of component makers, including Borland and Sun, base new component development on Swing components. There is a much smaller set of AWT components available, thus placing the burden on the programmer to create his or her own AWT-based components.
• Features: AWT components do not support features like icons and tool-tips.

---

Swing:
Pros

• Portability: Pure Java design provides for fewer platform specific limitations.
• Behavior: Pure Java design allows for a greater range of behavior for Swing components since they are not limited by the native peers that AWT uses.
• Features: Swing supports a wider range of features like icons and pop-up tool-tips for components.
• Vendor Support: Swing development is more active. Sun puts much more energy into making Swing robust.
• Look and Feel: The pluggable look and feel lets you design a single set of GUI components that can automatically have the look and feel of any OS platform (Microsoft Windows, Solaris, Macintosh, etc.). It also makes it easier to make global changes to your Java programs that provide greater accessibility (like picking a hi-contrast color scheme or changing all the fonts in all dialogs, etc.).

Cons

• Applet Portability: Most Web browsers do not include the Swing classes, so the Java plugin must be used.
• Performance: Swing components are generally slower and buggier than AWT, due to both the fact that they are pure Java and to video issues on various platforms. Since Swing components handle their own painting (rather than using native API's like DirectX on Windows) you may run into graphical glitches.
• Look and Feel: Even when Swing components are set to use the look and feel of the OS they are run on, they may not look like their native counterparts.

---

In general, AWT components are appropriate for simple applet development or development that targets a specific platform (i.e. the Java program will run on only one platform).

For most any other Java GUI development you will want to use Swing components. Also note that the Borland value-added components included with JBuilder, like dbSwing and JBCL, are based on Swing components so if you wish to use these components you will want to base your development on Swing.

Tip: Whether you choose to use Swing or AWT for your Java program development, you should avoid mixing the two. There are many painting problems that can occur when you mix heavyweight AWT components with lightweight Swing.

Variable Number of Arguments

Did you know that java too supports variable number of arguments?

Here's an example.

Try it.

class test{
public static void main(String args[]){
System.out.println("The sum is " + calculateSum(1,2,3));
}

private static int calculateSum(int... values){
int sum = 0;
for (int counter = 0; counter < values.length; counter ++){
sum = sum + values[counter];
}
return sum;
}
}


It works with both primitive data types and objects.