Java Development on Eclipse, Part 1
Pages: 1, 2, 3

Having created the new Ch02_02Helper class, the next step is to create the class containing code that will make use of it, the Ch02_02 class. Create that new class in the project and add a stub for the main method to it. Now all you need to do in the main method is add the code to create an object of the Ch02_02Helper class and call that object's printer method:

public class Ch02_02 {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      Ch02_02Helper helper = new Ch02_02Helper( );helper.printer( );
   }

Then save all your work and run the application; Eclipse's compiler handles locating both classes in the same package for you. You should see the "No worries." message as shown in Figure 2-3. As you can see in the Package Explorer, we're using multiple classes in the same project.

Figure 2-3. Using multiple classes

And there's more you can do with multiple classes here as well. Say you want to override the printer method and change the text it displays. You can do that by deriving a new class based on the Ch02_02Helper class and overriding printer in this new class. To do this, right-click the org.eclipsebook.ch02 package inside the Ch02_02 project and select the New→ Class item, opening the New Java Class dialog you see in Figure 2-4.

Figure 2-4. Creating a derived class

Name the new class Ch02_02HelperHelper, enter the package name, and deselect the main stub checkbox. To derive this class from Ch02_02Helper, type Ch02_02Helper in the Superclass box (you can also implement interfaces by entering them into the Interfaces box), and click Finish to create the new class. Here's what you get - this new class automatically extends the Ch02_02Helper class:

public class Ch02_02HelperHelper extends Ch02_02Helper {

}

TIP: Notice the "Enclosing type" box in the New Java Class dialog. If you want to enclose one class within another, you can enter the name of the enclosing class here. Note also that if you right-click the enclosing class in the Package Explorer and select New→ Class, the enclosing class's name will appear in the Enclosing type text box when this dialog opens, although it won't be used unless you select its checkbox.

We want to override the printer method from the base class's version here, so open the new class, Ch02_02HelperHelper, and select the Source→ Override/Implement Methods menu item, opening the Override/Implement Methods dialog box you see in Figure 2-5 (if you're implementing an interface, you can also find the methods you have to implement here).

Figure 2-5. Overriding a method

This dialog shows a list of possible overrides; all you have to do is pick one. In this case, select the printer method and click OK. When you do, you'll see a stub for the new version of the printer method in the Ch02_02HelperHelper class:

public class Ch02_02HelperHelper extends Ch02_02Helper {

        /* (non-Javadoc)
         * @see org.eclipsebook.ch02.Ch02_02Helper#printer( )
         */
        public void printer( ) {// TODO Auto-generated method stubsuper.printer( );}

}

In this overriding version, use this code to display a new message, "No problems.":

public void printer( ) {
        System.out.println("No problems.");
}

And that's it - you've overridden a method in a derived class. As the final step here, change the code in the main method to use your new class:

public class Ch02_02 {

        public static void main(String[] args) {
                Ch02_02HelperHelper helper = new Ch02_02HelperHelper( );
                helper.printer( );
        }
}

When you run this example, you should see the new message, "No problems.", as in Figure 2-6.

Figure 2-6. Using our derived class

As you can see, automatic code generation can be a timesaver. In this case, you used it to override a method, but there are other options available in the Source menu:

• Source→ Comment lets you comment out a section of code. This is great for anyone who's ever had to comment out a long set of lines. All you have to do is select the lines to comment out and choose this menu item. A single-line comment, //, will appear in front of all the lines. Want to uncomment them? Just choose Source→ Uncomment.

• Source→ Generate Getter and Setter lets you generate standard Java getter and setter methods for a field in a class. For example, if the field is named temperature, the suggested getter and setter methods will be getTemperature and setTemperature.

• Source→ Generate Delegate Methods lets you create delegate methods for other methods automatically.

• Source→ Add Constructor from Superclass lets you create a constructor that will include code to call the superclass's constructor. (You can also create this constructor automatically when you create a class.)

• Source→ Surround with try/catch Block is a great one, and it will surround selected text with a try/catch block for you. This option checks for any uncaught exceptions automatically and adds code to catch them.

For example, say you've stored the message that the printer method displays in a class field named message:

public class Ch02_02HelperHelper extends Ch02_02Helper {

        /* (non-Javadoc)
         * @see org.eclipsebook.ch02.Ch02_02Helper#printer( )
         */

    String message = "No problems.";
        
        public void printer( ) {
                System.out.println(message);
        }

Instead of simply storing this data in a class field, you can use getter and setter methods to access it (these methods are of the standard form used in JavaBeans to support properties). In this case, you can create getter and setter methods for the value in message by selecting the Source→ Generate Getter and Setter menu item, which opens the Generate Getter and Setter dialog box you see in Figure 2-7. Just select the checkbox next to message and click OK.

Figure 2-7. Creating Getter and Setter methods

Eclipse will create the new getter and setter methods getMessage and setMessage; we can use getMessage when we want to display the message in the printer method this way:

public class Ch02_02HelperHelper extends Ch02_02Helper {

        /* (non-Javadoc)
         * @see org.eclipsebook.ch02.Ch02_02Helper#printer( )
         */

        String message = "No problems.";
        
        public void printer( ) {
                System.out.println(getMessage( ));
        }

        /**
         * @return
         */
        public String getMessage( ) {
                return message;
        }

        /**
         * @param string
         */
        public void setMessage(String string) {
                message = string;
        }

Another good timesaver is the Source→ Surround with try/catch Block menu item. This one checks the code you've selected for uncaught exceptions and writes a try/catch block for any that it finds - another great Eclipse feature worth the price of admission.

Creating New Packages

Besides using multiple classes in the same project, it's also easy to distribute your code over multiple packages in the same project. For example, you can break up your code into two packages, org.eclipse.ch02 and org.eclipse.ch02_2, as you can see in the Package Explorer at left in Figure 2-8. Here, we're putting the Ch02_03Helper class, which contains the printer method, into an entirely new package, org.eclipse.ch02_2.

Figure 2-8. Using multiple packages

If you want to access a class in another package, just remember to import it - in this case, that means using the fully qualified name of the class you want access to, which is org.eclipsebook.ch02_2.Ch02_03Helper. After you've imported the class, you can create objects using it, like this:

import org.eclipsebook.ch02_2.Ch02_03Helper;

/**
 * @author Steven Holzner
 *
 * To change the template for this generated type comment go to
 * Window>Preferences>Java>Code Generation>Code and Comments
 */
public class Ch02_03 {

        public static void main(String[] args){
                Ch02_03Helper helper = new Ch02_03Helper( );
                helper.printer( );
        }
}

And that's all it takes; as you can see, multiple packages in the same project are no problem at all.

What if the code you want to use is not only in a different package, it's also in another project? When you create a project, you have the option of adding other projects to the build path. For example, if you want to create a new project that works with the code in the org.eclipsebook.ch02_2 package from a new project, Ch02_03, just click the Projects tab in the second pane of the New Java Project dialog and add the Ch02_03 project to the build path, as you see in Figure 2-9.

Figure 2-9. Adding a project to the build path

Now the code in Ch02_03, including the org.eclipsebook.ch02_2 package, is accessible to your new project. You can also add other projects to the build path after a project has been created by selecting the project in the Package Explorer, right-clicking it, and selecting the Properties context menu item. In the Properties dialog that opens, select Java Build Path and click the Projects tab, giving you the same display as in Figure 2-9.

Pages: 1, 2, 3

Next Page