Java Variables – Examples

Real-Life Examples

Often in our examples, we simplify variable names to match their data type (myInt or myNum for int types, myChar for char types, and so on). This is done to avoid confusion.

However, for a practical example of using variables, we have created a program that stores different data about a college student:

Example

// Student data
String studentName = "John Doe";
int studentID = 15;
int studentAge = 23;
float studentFee = 75.25f;
char studentGrade = 'B';

// Print variables
System.out.println("Student name: " + studentName);
System.out.println("Student id: " + studentID);
System.out.println("Student age: " + studentAge);
System.out.println("Student fee: " + studentFee);
System.out.println("Student grade: " + studentGrade);

 

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Java Identifiers

Identifiers

All Java variables must be identified with unique names.

These unique names are called identifiers.

Identifiers can be short names (like x and y) or more descriptive names (age, sum, totalVolume).

Note: It is recommended to use descriptive names in order to create understandable and maintainable code:

Example

// Good
int minutesPerHour = 60;

// OK, but not so easy to understand what m actually is
int m = 60;

 

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Java Declare Multiple Variables

Declare Many Variables

To declare more than one variable of the same type, you can use a comma-separated list:

Example

Instead of writing:

int x = 5;
int y = 6;
int z = 50;
System.out.println(x + y + z);

You can simply write:

int x = 5, y = 6, z = 50;
System.out.println(x + y + z);

 

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Java Print Variables

Display Variables

The println() method is often used to display variables.

To combine both text and a variable, use the + character:

Example

String name = "John";
System.out.println("Hello " + name);

 

You can also use the + character to add a variable to another variable: Continue reading Java Print Variables

Java Variables

Java Variables

Variables are containers for storing data values.

In Java, there are different types of variables, for example:

  • String – stores text, such as “Hello”. String values are surrounded by double quotes
  • int – stores integers (whole numbers), without decimals, such as 123 or -123
  • float – stores floating point numbers, with decimals, such as 19.99 or -19.99
  • char – stores single characters, such as ‘a’ or ‘B’. Char values are surrounded by single quotes
  • boolean – stores values with two states: true or false

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Java Comments

Java Comments

Comments can be used to explain Java code, and to make it more readable. It can also be used to prevent execution when testing alternative code.


Single-line Comments

Single-line comments start with two forward slashes (//).

Any text between // and the end of the line is ignored by Java (will not be executed). Continue reading Java Comments

Java Output Numbers

Print Numbers

You can also use the println() method to print numbers.

However, unlike text, we don’t put numbers inside double quotes:

Example

System.out.println(3);
System.out.println(358);
System.out.println(50000);

 

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Java Output / Print

Print Text

You learned from the previous chapter that you can use the println() method to output values or print text in Java:

Example

System.out.println("Hello World!");

 

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Java Syntax

Java Syntax

In the previous chapter, we created a Java file called Main.java, and we used the following code to print “Hello World” to the screen:

Main.java

public class Main {

public static void main(String[] args) {

System.out.println("Hello World");

}

}

 

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Java Getting Started

Java Install

Some PCs might have Java already installed.

To check if you have Java installed on a Windows PC, search in the start bar for Java or type the following in Command Prompt (cmd.exe):

C:\Users\Your Name>java -version

If Java is installed, you will see something like this (depending on version):

java version "22.0.0" 2024-08-21 LTS
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment 22.9 (build 22.0.0+13-LTS)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM 22.9 (build 22.0.0+13-LTS, mixed mode)

If you do not have Java installed on your computer, you can download it for free at oracle.com. Continue reading Java Getting Started