CSCI 201 -- Conditional Execution and Relational Operators

This lab will test your ability to use Java's conditional statements and relational operators while you draw some flags.

The if-statement

One of the simplest form of conditional statement is the if statement. This statement directly translates into: if a test is true, then do this, else do that - decisions that you make each and every day of your life. Some examples:

The last statement above is very close to what computers do, here is that statement translated into Java:

  if ( X > 5 ) {                 // IF X is greater than 5
      System.out.println( X );   // THEN Output X
  } else {                       // ELSE
      X = X + 1;                 // Add 1 to X
  }

Notice, first comes the word if, then a test within parenthesis, then the true, or then, block of code enclosed in curley brackets, then the false, or else, block of code enclosed in curley brackets. The else portion of the statement can be omitted, in which case, nothing is done if the condition is false.

As it turns out, in those cases in which either the true or else block is a single statement long, the braces can be omitted. This allows the conditional statement shown above to be re-written as follows:

  if ( X > 5 )                   // IF X is greater than 5
      System.out.println( X );   // THEN Output X
  else                           // ELSE
      X = X + 1;                 // Add 1 to X

Unfortunately, even experienced programs can make mistakes when they avoid the curlies, so we suggest you try to use them, especially when writing your first few programs.

Programming with style

It is very important that you indent, with a consistent number of spaces, the then and else blocks of your code. Condition expressions with messy indentations are extremely difficult to comprehend and are always the sign of a poorly designed program. Turning in a programming assignment with poor indentation is certain to lower your grade.

      if ( X > 5 ) {
  System.out.println( X ); }
    else {
        X = X + 1;
   }

Stack N' Heap

Step through the following example to see a couple of conditional statements in action.

Code
int test = 15;

if (test > 30) {
System.out.println("one");
}

if (test == 15) {
System.out.println("two");
} else {
System.out.println("Not two");
}
Stack
Heap
Temporary

Relational operators

What makes conditional statements so powerful is that almost any code can go in the then or else blocks. But to use an if statement, you must know how to correctly specify a test. The test, which is always placed in parenthesis, must be an expression that evaluates to either a boolean values, that is, true or false. Relational operators are binary operators that compare two values and generate a boolean result. The following table contains the relational operators of Java.

x < y x is less than y
x <= y x is less than or equal to y
x > y x is greater than y
x >= y x is greater than or equal to y
x == y x is equal to y
x != y x is not equal to y

Logical operators

But that's not all. You can also use logical operators to create conditions. They allow you to execute blocks under more complex conditions, such as when Income is greater than 15000 and Income is less than 40000. Java pretty much sticks with the the same three operators defined by George Boole by 1854 in "An Investigation Into the Laws of Thought, on Which are founded the Mathematical Thories of Logic and Probabilities". However, Java requires these operators to be written in a most peculiar fashion.

P && Q True only when both P and Q are true
P || Q True if at least one of P and Q are true
! P True only if P is false

Because && and || have a lower level of precedence than the relational operators, you can write Java tests like "Income > 15000 && Income < 4000" without using parenthesis. Following the convention of decades of logicians, && has a higher precedence than ||.

Downloading the project framework

Download Flag.zip, a ZIP file containing a NetBeans project named Flag and unZIP this project into your csci/201 directory. Try to make your Projects panel look something like the following picture before continuing.
Initial Flag Projects Panel

Modifying the project

The framework for the project

The "look-and-feel" of this project is very similar to that of the Plot2D lab. You select a series of graphical displays within a frame. However, now flags are being displayed.

The interface for this lab is the SpecFlag interface of the edu.unca.cs.csci201.LabAids package.

package edu.unca.cs.csci201.LabAids;

import java.awt.Color ;


public interface SpecFlag {
  public int getHeight() ;
  public int getWidth()  ;
  public Color TestFunc(int x, int y) ;
}

Notice that this time you have to complete three methods. The first two return the width and height of the flag in equal-sized tiles or cells. Usually, these methods are one-liners. The real action is in TestFunc, the third method. TestFunc is passed two integers as input and returns a Java color. The two intergers are the x and y co-ordinates of a cell within the flag. The color returned by TestFunc is used to paint the cell located at those coordinates.

Scroll through the file Flag.java to the code for the class Haiti.

private static class Haiti implements SpecFlag {
  public int getHeight() { return 20 ; }
  public int getWidth()  { return 30 ; }
  public Color TestFunc(int x, int y) {
    if (y<10)
      return Color.blue ;
    else
      return Color.red ;
  }
}

The getHeight and getWidth methods specify that the flag display area is to be partitioned into a grid of 30 by 20 rectangles. This means the that TestFunc method will be called 600 times with x values ranging from 0 to 29 and with y values ranging from 0 to 19. For each of these input combinations, TestFunc returns a Java Color to be used to paint a small rectangle of the screen. Our sample TestFunc paints the top half of the display area blue and the bottom half red.

Your Assignment

You are to modify the classes checkers, Ireland, North Carolina, and USA to display some nifty flags. In order to do this, you will need to write conditional statements that use the relational and logical operators described in your textbook.

The checkers class should return the usual 8 by 8 checkerboard of alternating black and red places. You'll find it useful to use the remainder, %, operator here.

The flag of Ireland is three equal vertical strips of green, white, and orange. You can consult the on-line World Flag Database for a bit more information.

For the flag of the state of North Carolina, you do not need to show the letters, star, or banners within the field of blue. For the flag of the United States, you do not need to show the stars, but you better show the thirteen alternating red and white stripes.

Your answer should look like the following running Applet. If you need more information about Java colors, consult the Java documentation for the Color class. Good luck.

Show your lab instructor the flags along with your nicely indented code