Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Improve knowledge about Java - Serialization

Java provides a mechanism, called object serialization where an object can be represented as a sequence of bytes that includes the object's data as well as information about the object's type and the types of data stored in the object.
After a serialized object has been written into a file, it can be read from the file and deserialized that is, the type information and bytes that represent the object and its data can be used to recreate the object in memory.
Most impressive is that the entire process is JVM independent, meaning an object can be serialized on one platform and deserialized on an entirely different platform.
Classes ObjectInputStream and ObjectOutputStream are high-level streams that contain the methods for serializing and deserializing an object.
The ObjectOutputStream class contains many write methods for writing various data types, but one method in particular stands out:
public final void writeObject(Object x) throws IOException
The above method serializes an Object and sends it to the output stream. Similarly, the ObjectInputStream class contains the following method for deserializing an object:
public final Object readObject() throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException
This method retrieves the next Object out of the stream and deserializes it. The return value is Object, so you will need to cast it to its appropriate data type.
To demonstrate how serialization works in Java, I am going to use the Employee class that we discussed early on in the book. Suppose that we have the following Employee class, which implements the Serializable interface:
public class Employee implements java.io.Serializable
{
   public String name;
   public String address;
   public transient int SSN;
   public int number;
   
   public void mailCheck()
   {
      System.out.println("Mailing a check to " + name + " " + address);
   }
}
Notice that for a class to be serialized successfully, two conditions must be met:
  • The class must implement the java.io.Serializable interface.
  • All of the fields in the class must be serializable. If a field is not serializable, it must be marked transient.
If you are curious to know if a Java Standard Class is serializable or not, check the documentation for the class. The test is simple: If the class implements java.io.Serializable, then it is serializable; otherwise, it's not.

Serializing an Object:

The ObjectOutputStream class is used to serialize an Object. The following SerializeDemo program instantiates an Employee object and serializes it to a file.
When the program is done executing, a file named employee.ser is created. The program does not generate any output, but study the code and try to determine what the program is doing.
Note: When serializing an object to a file, the standard convention in Java is to give the file a.ser extension.
import java.io.*;

public class SerializeDemo
{
   public static void main(String [] args)
   {
      Employee e = new Employee();
      e.name = "Reyan Ali";
      e.address = "Phokka Kuan, Ambehta Peer";
      e.SSN = 11122333;
      e.number = 101;
      
      try
      {
         FileOutputStream fileOut =
         new FileOutputStream("/tmp/employee.ser");
         ObjectOutputStream out = new ObjectOutputStream(fileOut);
         out.writeObject(e);
         out.close();
         fileOut.close();
         System.out.printf("Serialized data is saved in /tmp/employee.ser");
      }catch(IOException i)
      {
          i.printStackTrace();
      }
   }
}

Deserializing an Object:

The following DeserializeDemo program deserializes the Employee object created in the SerializeDemo program. Study the program and try to determine its output:
import java.io.*;
public class DeserializeDemo
{
   public static void main(String [] args)
   {
      Employee e = null;
      try
      {
         FileInputStream fileIn = new FileInputStream("/tmp/employee.ser");
         ObjectInputStream in = new ObjectInputStream(fileIn);
         e = (Employee) in.readObject();
         in.close();
         fileIn.close();
      }catch(IOException i)
      {
         i.printStackTrace();
         return;
      }catch(ClassNotFoundException c)
      {
         System.out.println("Employee class not found");
         c.printStackTrace();
         return;
      }
      System.out.println("Deserialized Employee...");
      System.out.println("Name: " + e.name);
      System.out.println("Address: " + e.address);
      System.out.println("SSN: " + e.SSN);
      System.out.println("Number: " + e.number);
    }
}
This would produce the following result:
Deserialized Employee...
Name: Reyan Ali
Address:Phokka Kuan, Ambehta Peer
SSN: 0
Number:101
Here are following important points to be noted:
  • The try/catch block tries to catch a ClassNotFoundException, which is declared by the readObject() method. For a JVM to be able to deserialize an object, it must be able to find the bytecode for the class. If the JVM can't find a class during the deserialization of an object, it throws a ClassNotFoundException.
  • Notice that the return value of readObject() is cast to an Employee reference.
  • The value of the SSN field was 11122333 when the object was serialized, but because the field is transient, this value was not sent to the output stream. The SSN field of the deserialized Employee object is 0.

Monday, August 31, 2015

Improve knowledge about Java - Generics

It would be nice if we could write a single sort method that could sort the elements in an Integer array, a String array or an array of any type that supports ordering.
Java Generic methods and generic classes enable programmers to specify, with a single method declaration, a set of related methods or, with a single class declaration, a set of related types, respectively.
Generics also provide compile-time type safety that allows programmers to catch invalid types at compile time.
Using Java Generic concept, we might write a generic method for sorting an array of objects, then invoke the generic method with Integer arrays, Double arrays, String arrays and so on, to sort the array elements.

Generic Methods:

You can write a single generic method declaration that can be called with arguments of different types. Based on the types of the arguments passed to the generic method, the compiler handles each method call appropriately. Following are the rules to define Generic Methods:
  • All generic method declarations have a type parameter section delimited by angle brackets (< and >) that precedes the method's return type ( < E > in the next example).
  • Each type parameter section contains one or more type parameters separated by commas. A type parameter, also known as a type variable, is an identifier that specifies a generic type name.
  • The type parameters can be used to declare the return type and act as placeholders for the types of the arguments passed to the generic method, which are known as actual type arguments.
  • A generic method's body is declared like that of any other method. Note that type parameters can represent only reference types, not primitive types (like int, double and char).

Example:

Following example illustrates how we can print array of different type using a single Generic method:
public class GenericMethodTest
{
   // generic method printArray                         
   public static < E > void printArray( E[] inputArray )
   {
      // Display array elements              
         for ( E element : inputArray ){        
            System.out.printf( "%s ", element );
         }
         System.out.println();
    }

    public static void main( String args[] )
    {
        // Create arrays of Integer, Double and Character
        Integer[] intArray = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };
        Double[] doubleArray = { 1.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.4 };
        Character[] charArray = { 'H', 'E', 'L', 'L', 'O' };

        System.out.println( "Array integerArray contains:" );
        printArray( intArray  ); // pass an Integer array

        System.out.println( "\nArray doubleArray contains:" );
        printArray( doubleArray ); // pass a Double array

        System.out.println( "\nArray characterArray contains:" );
        printArray( charArray ); // pass a Character array
    } 
}
This would produce the following result:
Array integerArray contains:
1 2 3 4 5 6

Array doubleArray contains:
1.1 2.2 3.3 4.4 

Array characterArray contains:
H E L L O

Bounded Type Parameters:

There may be times when you'll want to restrict the kinds of types that are allowed to be passed to a type parameter. For example, a method that operates on numbers might only want to accept instances of Number or its subclasses. This is what bounded type parameters are for.
To declare a bounded type parameter, list the type parameter's name, followed by the extends keyword, followed by its upper bound.

Example:

Following example illustrates how extends is used in a general sense to mean either "extends" (as in classes) or "implements" (as in interfaces). This example is Generic method to return the largest of three Comparable objects:
public class MaximumTest
{
   // determines the largest of three Comparable objects
   public static <T extends Comparable<T>> T maximum(T x, T y, T z)
   {                      
      T max = x; // assume x is initially the largest       
      if ( y.compareTo( max ) > 0 ){
         max = y; // y is the largest so far
      }
      if ( z.compareTo( max ) > 0 ){
         max = z; // z is the largest now                 
      }
      return max; // returns the largest object   
   }
   public static void main( String args[] )
   {
      System.out.printf( "Max of %d, %d and %d is %d\n\n", 
                   3, 4, 5, maximum( 3, 4, 5 ) );

      System.out.printf( "Maxm of %.1f,%.1f and %.1f is %.1f\n\n",
                   6.6, 8.8, 7.7, maximum( 6.6, 8.8, 7.7 ) );

      System.out.printf( "Max of %s, %s and %s is %s\n","pear",
         "apple", "orange", maximum( "pear", "apple", "orange" ) );
   }
}
This would produce the following result:
aximum of 3, 4 and 5 is 5

aximum of 6.6, 8.8 and 7.7 is 8.8

aximum of pear, apple and orange is pear

Generic Classes:

A generic class declaration looks like a non-generic class declaration, except that the class name is followed by a type parameter section.
As with generic methods, the type parameter section of a generic class can have one or more type parameters separated by commas. These classes are known as parameterized classes or parameterized types because they accept one or more parameters.

Example:

Following example illustrates how we can define a generic class:
public class Box<T> {

  private T t;

  public void add(T t) {
    this.t = t;
  }

  public T get() {
    return t;
  }

  public static void main(String[] args) {
     Box<Integer> integerBox = new Box<Integer>();
     Box<String> stringBox = new Box<String>();
    
     integerBox.add(new Integer(10));
     stringBox.add(new String("Hello World"));

     System.out.printf("Integer Value :%d\n\n", integerBox.get());
     System.out.printf("String Value :%s\n", stringBox.get());
  }
}
This would produce the following result:
Integer Value :10
String Value :Hello World

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Seperate files and scan files for view search documents in DMS project








Improve knowledge about Java - Data Structures

The data structures provided by the Java utility package are very powerful and perform a wide range of functions. These data structures consist of the following interface and classes:
  • Enumeration
  • BitSet
  • Vector
  • Stack
  • Dictionary
  • Hashtable
  • Properties
All these classes are now legacy and Java-2 has introduced a new framework called Collections Framework, which is discussed in next tutorial:

The Enumeration:

The Enumeration interface isn't itself a data structure, but it is very important within the context of other data structures. The Enumeration interface defines a means to retrieve successive elements from a data structure.
For example, Enumeration defines a method called nextElement that is used to get the next element in a data structure that contains multiple elements.
To have more detail about this interface, check The Enumeration.

The BitSet

The BitSet class implements a group of bits or flags that can be set and cleared individually.
This class is very useful in cases where you need to keep up with a set of Boolean values; you just assign a bit to each value and set or clear it as appropriate.
To have more detail about this class, check The BitSet.

The Vector

The Vector class is similar to a traditional Java array, except that it can grow as necessary to accommodate new elements.
Like an array, elements of a Vector object can be accessed via an index into the vector.
The nice thing about using the Vector class is that you don't have to worry about setting it to a specific size upon creation; it shrinks and grows automatically when necessary.
To have more detail about this class, check The Vector.

The Stack

The Stack class implements a last-in-first-out (LIFO) stack of elements.
You can think of a stack literally as a vertical stack of objects; when you add a new element, it gets stacked on top of the others.
When you pull an element off the stack, it comes off the top. In other words, the last element you added to the stack is the first one to come back off.
To have more detail about this class, check The Stack.

The Dictionary

The Dictionary class is an abstract class that defines a data structure for mapping keys to values.
This is useful in cases where you want to be able to access data via a particular key rather than an integer index.
Since the Dictionary class is abstract, it provides only the framework for a key-mapped data structure rather than a specific implementation.
To have more detail about this class, check The Dictionary.

The Hashtable

The Hashtable class provides a means of organizing data based on some user-defined key structure.
For example, in an address list hash table you could store and sort data based on a key such as ZIP code rather than on a person's name.
The specific meaning of keys in regard to hash tables is totally dependent on the usage of the hash table and the data it contains.
To have more detail about this class, check The Hashtable.

The Properties

Properties is a subclass of Hashtable. It is used to maintain lists of values in which the key is a String and the value is also a String.
The Properties class is used by many other Java classes. For example, it is the type of object returned by System.getProperties( ) when obtaining environmental values.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Improve knowledge about Java - Interfaces

An interface is a collection of abstract methods. A class implements an interface, thereby inheriting the abstract methods of the interface.
An interface is not a class. Writing an interface is similar to writing a class, but they are two different concepts. A class describes the attributes and behaviors of an object. An interface contains behaviors that a class implements.
Unless the class that implements the interface is abstract, all the methods of the interface need to be defined in the class.
An interface is similar to a class in the following ways:
  • An interface can contain any number of methods.
  • An interface is written in a file with a .java extension, with the name of the interface matching the name of the file.
  • The bytecode of an interface appears in a .class file.
  • Interfaces appear in packages, and their corresponding bytecode file must be in a directory structure that matches the package name.
However, an interface is different from a class in several ways, including:
  • You cannot instantiate an interface.
  • An interface does not contain any constructors.
  • All of the methods in an interface are abstract.
  • An interface cannot contain instance fields. The only fields that can appear in an interface must be declared both static and final.
  • An interface is not extended by a class; it is implemented by a class.
  • An interface can extend multiple interfaces.

Declaring Interfaces:

The interface keyword is used to declare an interface. Here is a simple example to declare an interface:

Example:

Let us look at an example that depicts encapsulation:
/* File name : NameOfInterface.java */
import java.lang.*;
//Any number of import statements

public interface NameOfInterface
{
   //Any number of final, static fields
   //Any number of abstract method declarations\
}
Interfaces have the following properties:
  • An interface is implicitly abstract. You do not need to use the abstract keyword when declaring an interface.
  • Each method in an interface is also implicitly abstract, so the abstract keyword is not needed.
  • Methods in an interface are implicitly public.

Example:

/* File name : Animal.java */
interface Animal {

   public void eat();
   public void travel();
}

Implementing Interfaces:

When a class implements an interface, you can think of the class as signing a contract, agreeing to perform the specific behaviors of the interface. If a class does not perform all the behaviors of the interface, the class must declare itself as abstract.
A class uses the implements keyword to implement an interface. The implements keyword appears in the class declaration following the extends portion of the declaration.
/* File name : MammalInt.java */
public class MammalInt implements Animal{

   public void eat(){
      System.out.println("Mammal eats");
   }

   public void travel(){
      System.out.println("Mammal travels");
   } 

   public int noOfLegs(){
      return 0;
   }

   public static void main(String args[]){
      MammalInt m = new MammalInt();
      m.eat();
      m.travel();
   }
} 
This would produce the following result:
Mammal eats
Mammal travels
When overriding methods defined in interfaces there are several rules to be followed:
  • Checked exceptions should not be declared on implementation methods other than the ones declared by the interface method or subclasses of those declared by the interface method.
  • The signature of the interface method and the same return type or subtype should be maintained when overriding the methods.
  • An implementation class itself can be abstract and if so interface methods need not be implemented.
When implementation interfaces there are several rules:
  • A class can implement more than one interface at a time.
  • A class can extend only one class, but implement many interfaces.
  • An interface can extend another interface, similarly to the way that a class can extend another class.

Extending Interfaces:

An interface can extend another interface, similarly to the way that a class can extend another class. The extends keyword is used to extend an interface, and the child interface inherits the methods of the parent interface.
The following Sports interface is extended by Hockey and Football interfaces.
//Filename: Sports.java
public interface Sports
{
   public void setHomeTeam(String name);
   public void setVisitingTeam(String name);
}

//Filename: Football.java
public interface Football extends Sports
{
   public void homeTeamScored(int points);
   public void visitingTeamScored(int points);
   public void endOfQuarter(int quarter);
}

//Filename: Hockey.java
public interface Hockey extends Sports
{
   public void homeGoalScored();
   public void visitingGoalScored();
   public void endOfPeriod(int period);
   public void overtimePeriod(int ot);
}
The Hockey interface has four methods, but it inherits two from Sports; thus, a class that implements Hockey needs to implement all six methods. Similarly, a class that implements Football needs to define the three methods from Football and the two methods from Sports.

Extending Multiple Interfaces:

A Java class can only extend one parent class. Multiple inheritance is not allowed. Interfaces are not classes, however, and an interface can extend more than one parent interface.
The extends keyword is used once, and the parent interfaces are declared in a comma-separated list.
For example, if the Hockey interface extended both Sports and Event, it would be declared as:
public interface Hockey extends Sports, Event

Tagging Interfaces:

The most common use of extending interfaces occurs when the parent interface does not contain any methods. For example, the MouseListener interface in the java.awt.event package extended java.util.EventListener, which is defined as:
package java.util;
public interface EventListener
{}
An interface with no methods in it is referred to as a tagging interface. There are two basic design purposes of tagging interfaces:
Creates a common parent: As with the EventListener interface, which is extended by dozens of other interfaces in the Java API, you can use a tagging interface to create a common parent among a group of interfaces. For example, when an interface extends EventListener, the JVM knows that this particular interface is going to be used in an event delegation scenario.
Adds a data type to a class: This situation is where the term tagging comes from. A class that implements a tagging interface does not need to define any methods (since the interface does not have any), but the class becomes an interface type through polymorphism.