Iteration
According to CollegeBoard, Iteration is a way to simplify code that would otherwise be repeated many times in succession. Using loops, we can finally implement complex algorithms and solutions to common problems that we weren’t able to before.
Iteration is repeating sequences to simplify code of advanced algorithms
Iteration accounts for 17.5%-22.5% of the APCSA AP Exam
4.1: WHILE LOOPS
Learning Objective: Represent Iterative Processes using a while loop
Question: What is a loop and what are some real life examples of this (Setting a Song to repeat on your music player)
You know the i variable that you use for while/for loops? It actually has a name, loop control variable
int i = 0; // initialize loop control variable
while (i < 10) // checks the loop control variable
{
System.out.println("Doing some code");
i++; // update the loop control variable
}
// Popcorn Hack: Simplify the code segment below
int i = 0;
System.out.println(i);
i++;
System.out.println(i);
i++;
System.out.println(i);
i++;
System.out.println(i);
i++;
System.out.println(i);
i++;
/* Hint:
// while (condition) {
}
for (condition) {
}
*/
int i = 0;
while (i < 5) { System.out.println(i);
i++;
}
Infinite loop
An infinite loop is when a while loop always evaluates to true. avoid this when you can because it’s probably not good for your computer. if this happens by accident, I recommend copying all code in the block and deleting the block. After you delete the code block, close and reopen the tab that the code block was in.
What’s wrong with this code block?
while (true)
{
System.out.print("CONTROL ");
}
// DO NOT RUN THE CODE
Do While loop
What will this code block output?
// Quite shrimple
int i = 0;
do
{
System.out.print("Quite shrimple. ");
i++;
}
while (i < -5);
In a do while loop, it will run the “do” once before it reaches the “while”, and at that point it will start to act like a while loop.
For loop
this is the standard structure of a for loop
for (initialization; Boolean expression; update)
{
System.out.println("Doing some code");
}
Initialization will run at the start of the loop, boolean expression will get checked with every loop, and update runs after every loop.
How many times will this code print “Doing some code?”
for (int num = 1; num <= 5; num++)
{
System.out.println("Doing some code");
}
Doing some code
Doing some code
Doing some code
Doing some code
Doing some code
In this code, it creates the variable num at the start of the loop, it checks if num is less than or equal to 5 after each loop, and it adds 1 to num after each loop.
Enhanced for loop
this is essentially a javascript for loop, as it will iterate through a list and run code in the loop to each variable inside the list
int[] list = {1, 4, 6, 2};
for (int j : list)
{
System.out.print(j);
System.out.print(" ");
}
1 4 6 2
Break and Continue
In java there are breaks, but there are also continues.
Break
Breaks, as you likely already know, end a loop. They tend to be used with an if statement
How many times will this code print “Big guy?”
int i = 0;
while (i < 10)
{
System.out.println("Big guy");
i++;
if (i == 5) {
break;
}
}
Continue
Continue will skip code for an iteration, but will still keep the loop running
int i = 0;
while (i < 10)
{
if (i == 5) {
i++; // don't forget this, it creates an error similar to an infinite loop
System.out.println("");
continue;
}
System.out.println(i);
i++;
}
4.3: Developing Algorithms Using Strings
Learning Objective: For algorithms in the context of a particular specification that involves String objects:
Methods in Java that help to MANIPULATE STRINGS
- String.substring - Retrieves a particular portion of a String
- String.equals - Comparees the content of two strings
- String.length - Returns the length of a String
public class Compare {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String string1 = "Coding is cool!";
String string2 = "Coding is coding!";
int minLength = Math.min(string1.length(), string2.length());
for (int i = 0; i < minLength; i++) {
String subString1 = string1.substring(0, i + 1);
String subString2 = string2.substring(0, i + 1);
if (subString1.equals(subString2)) {
System.out.println("Common Prefix: " + subString2);
}
}
}
}
Compare.main(null)
Common Prefix: C
Common Prefix: Co
Common Prefix: Cod
Common Prefix: Codi
Common Prefix: Codin
Common Prefix: Coding
Common Prefix: Coding
Common Prefix: Coding i
Common Prefix: Coding is
Common Prefix: Coding is
Common Prefix: Coding is c
Common Prefix: Coding is co
Question about the above cell
Where are the 3 methods in the above Java Cell (shouldn’t be that hard) and how do they contribute to the program’s functionality?
public static void main(String[] args) {
String word = "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious";
int count = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < word.length(); i++) {
char letter = word.charAt(i);
if (letter == 'a' || letter == 'e' || letter == 'i' || letter == 'o' || letter == 'u') {
count++;
}
}
System.out.println("The Number of vowels in \"" + word + "\" is " + count);
}
main(null)
The Number of vowels in "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" is 16
Questions for the above cell
- How does it use word.length to find out how many values there are?
- What Boolean Operator used to help the functionality of the code
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String word = "Scooby Doo";
String sub = "Doo";
boolean found = false;
for (int i = 0; i <= word.length() - sub.length(); i++) {
String portion = word.substring(i, i + sub.length());
if (portion.equals(sub)) {
found = true;
}
}
if (found) {
System.out.println("We found the Smaller String!");
} else {
System.out.println("We did not find the Smaller String! \t Ruh Roh!");
}
}
}
Main.main(null)
We found the Smaller String!
String concatenation
String concatenation is when you want to combine strings. It will append the second string to the first string to the right end of the first string
public static void main(String[] args) {
String original = "String";
String reversed = "";
for (int i = 0; i < original.length(); i++)
{
String single = original.substring(i,i+1);
reversed = single + reversed;
}
System.out.println("Original String: " + original);
System.out.println("Reversed String: " + reversed);
}
main(null)
Original String: String
Reversed String: gnirtS
4.4: Nested Iteration
Learning Objective: Represent nested iteration processes
Essential Knowledge:
- Nested iteration is when an iteration statement appears inside the body of another iteration statement
- The inner loop must complete all of its iterations before the outer loop can continue.
Before uncommenting the code, guess what the output will look like:
(write your guess here)
public class NestedLoops{
public static void main(String[] args){
// for (int outer = 1; outer < 5; outer++){
// for (int inner = 1; inner < 3; inner++){
// System.out.print(inner + " ");
// }
// System.out.println();
// }
}
}
NestedLoops.main(null)
What will the output of the code above be if we switch the loop headers (the stuff inside of the for loop)?
(Write your guess here)
After making a prediction actually switch the loop headers for yourself. What do you notice about the output compared to the output before the change?
4.5: Informal Code Analysis
Essential Knowledge:
- A statement exectution count indicates the number of times a statement is executed by the program
for (int outer = 0; outer < 3; outer++){
for (int inner = 0; inner < 4; inner++){
// statement #1
}
}
In the code above, how many times will the inner loop execute when outer = 0? __
In the code above, how many times will the inner loop execute when outer = 1? __
In the code above, how many times will the inner loop execute when outer = 2? __
In the code above, how many times will the inner loop execute in total? __
for (int outer = 5; outer > 0; outer--){
for (int inner = 0; inner < outer; inner++){
// statement #1
}
}
In the code above, how many times will the inner loop execute when outer = 5? __
In the code above, how many times will the inner loop execute when outer = 4? __
In the code above, how many times will the inner loop execute when outer = 3? __
In the code above, how many times will the inner loop execute in total? __
int k = 0;
while (k < 5){
int x = (int)(Math.random()*6) + 1;
while (x != 6){
//statement #1
x = (int)(Math.random()*6) + 1;
}
k++;
}
In the code above, how many times will the statement #1 execute? __
for (int k = 0; k < 135; k++){
if (k % 5 == 0){
System.out.println(k); // Statement #1
}
}
In the code above, how many times will the statement #1 execute? __
HACKS
These hacks will be due on Monday (October 16th) before class
Hacks
- Finish the popcorn hacks (0.2)
- Complete the Ceaser Cipher Code (0.4)
- Rewrite the for loop (0.3)
Ceaser Ciper Hacks
Try to write a cipher program that shifts each letter in a message 3 letters forward. Use any of the methods you learned today. Use it to decode the 3 messages we’ve given you!
public class CaesarCipher {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String[] letters = {"a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f", "g", "h", "i", "j", "k", "l", "m", "n", "o", "p", "q", "r", "s", "t", "u", "v", "w", "x", "y", "z"};
String message1 = "Kfzb gly!";
String message2 = "zlab zlab zlab";
String message3 = "";
}
}
for (int k = 0; k < 40; k++){
if (k % 4 == 0){
System.out.println(k);
}
}
Rewrite the code above 3 times
- Your code should be more efficient based execution count
- Your code should use 3 different types of loops that you learned above (Hint: You may need to use a list)