a question about "this" keyword

[jon ninpoja]

hi guys,

wrote a simple bridge length program that only lets you create a bridge no less than 20m up to 150m using
accessors and mutators...

here is the code:

package com.fds.hfjexercises;
//a bridge has to be between 20 and 150 meters max
public class GettersAndSetters {
    private int bridgeLength;

    public void setBridgeLength (int bridgeLength) {
        this.bridgeLength = bridgeLength;
        if (bridgeLength > 19 && bridgeLength < 151) {
            System.out.println("Bridge width in range...");
        } else {
            System.out.println("Those dimensions are restricted...");
        }
    }

    public int getBridgeWidth() {
        return bridgeLength;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        GettersAndSetters myBridge = new GettersAndSetters();
        myBridge.setBridgeLength(55);
        System.out.println(myBridge.bridgeLength);
    }
}

i removed "this" from:
this.bridgeLength = bridgeLength;

now it always gives me 0 as the value...im sure its pretty simple (and i prob should know this by now)
what value is the .this giving the variable

from what i read...this will use the instance variable instead of the local one right?
but i thought nothing was assigned to the local variable,its just declared...is that why it gets 0

think im confused:
local variables are assigned null,0 if no assignment right? is it instance variables that wont give a default value?

thanks

[Junilu Lacar]

jon ninpoja wrote:
think im confused:
local variables are assigned null,0 if no assignment right? is it instance variables that wont give a default value?

You are confused; that's backwards.  Instance variables are assigned default values according to their type. Local variables do not get assigned default values and must be explicitly initialized.

[Junilu Lacar]

The reason you get 0 is because that's the default value that the bridgeLength field will be assigned.  If you remove the "this." on the left side of the assignment statement on line 7, then you will effectively be assigning the value of the parameter to itself. This does not affect the bridgeLength field so your getBridgeLength() method returns 0.

Your setBridgeLength() also assigns whatever value you pass to it, regardless of whether or not it is a restricted value.

Also, your if statement allows 19 and 151. This contradicts your requirement that a bridge should be no less than 20m and up to 150m.

[Sergiu Dobozi]

Junilu Lacar wrote:The reason you get 0 is because that's the default value that the bridgeLength field will be assigned.  If you remove the "this." on the left side of the assignment statement on line 7, then you will effectively be assigning the value of the parameter to itself. This does not affect the bridgeLength field so your getBridgeLength() method returns 0.

Your setBridgeLength() also assigns whatever value you pass to it, regardless of whether or not it is a restricted value.

Also, your if statement allows 19 and 151. This contradicts your requirement that a bridge should be no less than 20m and up to 150m.

Did he manage to edit his code? Because I see it's working fine.

[jon ninpoja]

"Instance variables are assigned default values according to their type. Local variables do not get assigned default values and must be explicitly initialized."
ok so you could go int x; in a method (local variable)
but you couldnt go System.out.print(x); this will error...but an instance variable you could...0 would be printed...right?

"The reason you get 0 is because that's the default value that the bridgeLength field will be assigned.  If you remove the "this." on the left side of the assignment statement on line 7, then you will effectively be assigning the value of the parameter to itself. This does not affect the bridgeLength field so your getBridgeLength() method returns 0." -- thanks,cleared that up...

Also, your if statement allows 19 and 151. This contradicts your requirement that a bridge should be no less than 20m and up to 150m. -- yes was just testing the code before i put it up here...i understand this

thanks all!!!

[Knute Snortum]

jon ninpoja wrote:
"Instance variables are assigned default values according to their type. Local variables do not get assigned default values and must be explicitly initialized."
ok so you could go int x; in a method (local variable)
but you couldnt go System.out.print(x); this will error...but an instance variable you could...0 would be printed...right?

Right.

[Anton Golovin]

jon ninpoja wrote:hi guys,

wrote a simple bridge length program that only lets you create a bridge no less than 20m up to 150m using
accessors and mutators...

here is the code:

package com.fds.hfjexercises;
//a bridge has to be between 20 and 150 meters max
public class GettersAndSetters {
    private int bridgeLength;

    public void setBridgeLength (int bridgeLength) {
        this.bridgeLength = bridgeLength;
        if (bridgeLength > 19 && bridgeLength < 151) {
            System.out.println("Bridge width in range...");
        } else {
            System.out.println("Those dimensions are restricted...");
        }
    }

    public int getBridgeWidth() {
        return bridgeLength;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        GettersAndSetters myBridge = new GettersAndSetters();
        myBridge.setBridgeLength(55);
        System.out.println(myBridge.bridgeLength);
    }
}

i removed "this" from:
this.bridgeLength = bridgeLength;

now it always gives me 0 as the value...im sure its pretty simple (and i prob should know this by now)
what value is the .this giving the variable

from what i read...this will use the instance variable instead of the local one right?
but i thought nothing was assigned to the local variable,its just declared...is that why it gets 0

think im confused:
local variables are assigned null,0 if no assignment right? is it instance variables that wont give a default value?

thanks

Hi, Jon,

When you don't use

this

in this particular instance, the variable you're using then is the same as the variable of the parameter you're passing in, and it exists only for the duration of the method run, hence you never set the instance variable in your class, which is initialized by default to 0 and is never altered by you later one.

With best regards,

Anton.

[Paul Clements]

Lol, this is a classic mistake. Easy to do and easy to avoid in future.

You have to be VERY careful when giving a method param the same name as the instance variable it is going to set. If you leave 'this.' out you will be updating the parameter variable, not the instance variable i.e. updating a var scoped to the setter method.Personally I would avoid calling a method param the same name as the instance variable to be updated. Just means one less possible source of error.

[Campbell Ritchie]

A lot of people think the exposure of a well‑thought‑out variable name in a constructor or setXXX method outweighs the awkwardness of remembering to write this.xxx

[Dave Tolls]

Yes.
On the assumption the internal variable has a sensible name then, in attempting to avoid using the sensible name as a parameter name, you end up with either an abbreviation or some bolted on prefix, neither of which are as good as the sensible name you already have.