23 min read

Lessons

3.1

Learning Objective

Evaluate Boolean expressions that use relational operators in program code

Types of Rational Operators

Operators
- Primitives
- Equal to: ==
- Not Equal to: !=
Arithmetic
- Greater than: >
- Less than: >
- Greater than or equal to: >=
- Less than or equal to: <=

All operators give a true or False value

Operators SHOULD NOT be used on String . String comparisons should be done using .equal or .compareTo

This is because
- In Java, strings should not be compared using the == operator because it checks for ____ equality, not ____ equality.
- When you use == with objects (including strings), it checks if the references to the objects are the same. In other words, it checks if they point to the same ____ in the memory.
- String literals in Java are stored in a special memory area called the “String Pool”. When you create a string literal, Java checks if a string with the same content already exists in the pool. If it does, it returns a reference to that existing string; if not, it creates a new string.

Comparing Numbers

Select two numbers and check their relation:

First Number: Relation: Second Number:

public class Test {
    public static void main(){
        String a = "Hello";
        String b = new String("Hello");

        System.out.println( a == b);
    }
}
Test.main()

false

3.2 3.3 and 3.4

Learning Objective

Represent branching logical processes by using conditional statements

We all know how if and else statements work

Syntax

Interactive Flip Cards

if-else Syntax

        if (condition) {
            // Code to execute if the condition is true
        } else {
            // Code to execute if the condition is false
        }

else-if Syntax

        if (condition1) {
            // Code to be executed if condition1 is true
        } else if (condition2) {
            // Code to be executed if condition2 is true
        } else if (condition3) {
            // Code to be executed if condition3 is true
        } else {
            // Code to be executed if none of the conditions are true
        }

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3.5

Learning Objectives:

Understand nested if-else statements and their role in representing branching logical processes.
Evaluate compound boolean expressions using logical operators like && and ||.
Introduce short-circuited evaluation in compound boolean expressions.

Nested if-else statements

Nested if-else statements allow for ____ levels of decision-making within a program.

public class Nested {
    public static void main() {
        int x = 5;
        int y = -10;

        if (x > 0) {
            if (y > 0) {
                System.out.println("Both x and y are positive.");
            } else {
                System.out.println("x is positive, but y is not.");
            }
        } else {
            System.out.println("x is not positive.");
        }
            }
}
Nested.main()

x is positive, but y is not.

Compound Boolean Expressions:

Compound boolean expressions involve using ____ operators like && (and) and || (or) to combine multiple conditions.

public class Compound {
    public static void main(){
        int age = 25;
        boolean isStudent = true;

        if (age >= 18 && isStudent) {
            System.out.println("You are an adult student.");
        } else if (age >= 18 || isStudent) {
            System.out.println("You are either an adult or a student.");
        } else {
            System.out.println("You are neither an adult nor a student.");
        }
            }
}
Compound.main()

You are an adult student.

Short-Circuited Evaluation:

Short-circuited evaluation is an ____ technique where the second condition in a compound expression is only evaluated if the first condition is true (for &&) or false (for ||).

public class Short {
    public static void main() {
        boolean condition1 = true;
        boolean condition2 = false;

        if (condition1 || condition2) {
            System.out.println("This will be printed.");
        }
    }
}

Short.main()

This will be printed.

Coding Practice

Calculate the final grade based on the following criteria:

If the student didn’t complete homework, the grade is automatically “F.”
If the student completed homework and the average of midterm and final exam scores is >= 70, the grade is “Pass.”
Otherwise, the grade is “Fail.”

import java.util.Scanner;

public class GradeCalculator {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);

        System.out.print(" Enter your midterm score (0-100): \n");
        int midtermScore = scanner.nextInt();
        System.out.print(midtermScore);

        System.out.print("\n Enter your final exam score (0-100): \n");
        int finalExamScore = scanner.nextInt();
        System.out.print(finalExamScore);

        System.out.print("\n Did you complete the homework (yes/no): \n");
        String homeworkComplete = scanner.next().toLowerCase();
        System.out.print(homeworkComplete);

        // write code here

    
        if (averageScore >= 70) {
            System.out.println("Your final grade is: Pass");
        } else {
            System.out.println("Your final grade is: Fail");
        }
    } else {
        System.out.println("Your final grade is: F");
    }

        System.out.println("\n Your final grade is: " + grade);

        scanner.close();
    }

GradeCalculator.main(null)

|       } else {

illegal start of type

|           System.out.println("\n Your final grade is: " + grade);

<identifier> expected

|           System.out.println("\n Your final grade is: " + grade);

illegal start of type

|           scanner.close();

<identifier> expected

3.6

Learning Objective

Compare and contrast equivalent Boolean expressions

De Morgan’s Law

Augustus De Morgan was a 19th century mathematician whose laws or rules about ____ logic allow us to simplify expressions when they are negated Given two Boolean variables a and b:

De Morgan's Law provides a set of rules for negating complex boolean expressions.

Example:

Using && operators:

Using || operator:

!(x > 0) → (x <= 0)
Distributing a “not” with a boolean expression “flips” the relational operator to the opposite relational operator
- !(x < 0) → (x >= 0)
- !(x >= 0) → (x < 0)
- !(x == 0) → (x != 0)
- ! (x != 0) → ( x == 0)

A bit more complex:

Proving the law using tables

public class Example {
    public static void main(){
        boolean x = true;
        boolean y = false;

        // Original expression
        boolean originalExp = !(x && y);

        // Applying De Morgan's Law
        boolean equivalentExp = !x || !y;

        // Checking if the results are equivalent
        System.out.println("Are the expressions equivalent? " + (originalExp == equivalentExp));

    }
}
Example.main()

Are the expressions equivalent? true

public class Example2 {
    public static void main(){
        boolean p = true;
        boolean q = true;

        // Original expression
        boolean originalExp2 = !(p || q);

        // Applying De Morgan's Law
        boolean equivalentExp2 = !p && !q;

        // Checking if the results are equivalent
        System.out.println("Are the expressions equivalent? " + (originalExp2 == equivalentExp2));
    }
}

Example2.main()

Are the expressions equivalent? true

public class Example3 {
    public static void main(){
        boolean a = true;
        boolean b = false;
        boolean c = true;

        // Original expression
        boolean originalExp3 = !(a && b) || (c || !b);

        // Applying De Morgan's Law
        boolean equivalentExp3 = (!a || !b) || (c || b);

        // Checking if the results are equivalent
        System.out.println("Are the expressions equivalent? " + (originalExp3 == equivalentExp3));

    }
}

Example3.main()

Are the expressions equivalent? true

De Morgan’s Law Practice

Negate the following expressions:

1. !(A || B) NOT A and NOT B

2. !(A || B && C) NOT A AND NOT B OR NOT C

3. !(A && (B || C)) !A &&

3.7

Learning Objective

Compare object reference using boolean expressions in program code

An if statement using == to compare myHouse and momsHouse will be true but false for myHouse and annasHouse because the objects are not the same even though they have same parameters. This means that == will only return true if it is the same object, not a reference or copy of that object.

String a = "Hello";
String b = "Hello";
String c = a;
String d = new String("Hello");

System.out.println(a == c);
System.out.println(d == b);
System.out.println(a == b);
System.out.println(a == d);

true
false


true
false

When you want to compare objects you can use the .equal() method, it will return true if the objects have the same attributes even if they aren’t identical.

String a = "Hello";
String b = "Hello";
String c = a;
String d = new String("Hello");

System.out.println(a.equals(c));
System.out.println(d.equals(b));
System.out.println(a.equals(b));
System.out.println(a.equals(d));

true
true
true
true

Hacks

Complete popcorn hacks - 0.1 points
Coding hacks - 0.8 points
- Complexity: 0.4 points
- Functionality: 0.4 points

Coding Practice

Create a program that validates a user’s password based on the following criteria:

The password must be at least 8 characters long.
The password must contain at least one uppercase letter.
The password must contain at least one lowercase letter.
The password must contain at least one digit (0-9).
The password must contain at least one special character (!, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *).

Write a Java program that prompts the user to enter a password and then checks if it meets the above criteria. If the password meets all the criteria, print “Password is valid.” If not, print a message indicating which criteria the password fails to meet.

CompSci Blogs

Unit 3 Lesson

Description

Lessons

3.1

Learning Objective

Comparing Numbers

3.2 3.3 and 3.4

Learning Objective

Syntax

if-else Syntax

else-if Syntax

3.5

Learning Objectives:

Nested if-else statements

Compound Boolean Expressions:

Short-Circuited Evaluation:

Coding Practice

3.6

Learning Objective

More:

A bit more complex:

Proving the law using tables

De Morgan’s Law Practice

3.7

Learning Objective

Hacks

Coding Practice