Variables

A variable loads and stores a value for evaluation during operations.

Declare a variable before use with the format of type followed by identifier. Declare an array type variable using an opening [ token and a closing ] token for each dimension directly after the identifier. Specify a comma-separated list of identifiers following the type to declare multiple variables in a single statement. Use an assignment operator combined with a declaration to immediately assign a value to a variable. A variable not immediately assigned a value will have a default value assigned implicitly based on the type.

Errors

• If a variable is used prior to or without declaration.

Grammar

declaration : type ID assignment? (',' ID assignment?)*;
type: ID ('.' ID)* ('[' ']')*;
assignment: '=' expression;

Examples

• Different variations of variable declaration.

  int x;           1
  List y;          2
  int x, y = 5, z; 3
  def d;           4
  int i = 10;      5
  float[] f;       6
  Map[][] m;       7
  

  1. declare int x; store default null to x
  2. declare List y; store default null to y
  3. declare int x; store default int 0 to x; declare int y; store int 5 to y; declare int z; store default int 0 to z;
  4. declare def d; store default null to d
  5. declare int i; store int 10 to i
  6. declare float[] f; store default null to f
  7. declare Map[][] m; store default null to m

Use the assignment operator '=' to store a value in a variable for use in subsequent operations. Any operation that produces a value can be assigned to any variable as long as the types are the same or the resultant type can be implicitly cast to the variable type.

Errors

• If the type of value is unable to match the type of variable.

Grammar

assignment: ID '=' expression

Examples

• Variable assignment with an integer literal.

  int i;  1
  i = 10; 2
  

  1. declare int i; store default int 0 to i
  2. store int 10 to i

• Declaration combined with immediate assignment.

  int i = 10;     1
  double j = 2.0; 2
  

  1. declare int i; store int 10 to i
  2. declare double j; store double 2.0 to j

• Assignment of one variable to another using primitive type values.

  int i = 10; 1
  int j = i;  2
  

  1. declare int i; store int 10 to i
  2. declare int j; load from i → int 10; store int 10 to j

• Assignment with reference types using the new instance operator.

  ArrayList l = new ArrayList(); 1
  Map m = new HashMap();         2
  

  1. declare ArrayList l; allocate ArrayList instance → ArrayList reference; store ArrayList reference to l
  2. declare Map m; allocate HashMap instance → HashMap reference; implicit cast HashMap reference to Map reference → Map reference; store Map reference to m

• Assignment of one variable to another using reference type values.

  List l = new ArrayList(); 1
  List k = l;               2
  List m;                   3
  m = k;                    4
  

  1. declare List l; allocate ArrayList instance → ArrayList reference; implicit cast ArrayList reference to List reference → List reference; store List reference to l
  2. declare List k; load from l → List reference; store List reference to k; (note l and k refer to the same instance known as a shallow-copy)
  3. declare List m; store default null to m
  4. load from k → List reference; store List reference to m; (note l, k, and m refer to the same instance)

• Assignment with array type variables using the new array operator.

  int[] ia1;                   1
  ia1 = new int[2];            2
  ia1[0] = 1;                  3
  int[] ib1 = ia1;             4
  int[][] ic2 = new int[2][5]; 5
  ic2[1][3] = 2;               6
  ic2[0] = ia1;                7
  

  1. declare int[] ia1; store default null to ia1
  2. allocate 1-d int array instance with length [2] → 1-d int array reference; store 1-d int array reference to ia1
  3. load from ia1 → 1-d int array reference; store int 1 to index [0] of 1-d int array reference
  4. declare int[] ib1; load from ia1 → 1-d int array reference; store 1-d int array reference to ib1; (note ia1 and ib1 refer to the same instance known as a shallow copy)
  5. declare int[][] ic2; allocate 2-d int array instance with length [2, 5] → 2-d int array reference; store 2-d int array reference to ic2
  6. load from ic2 → 2-d int array reference; store int 2 to index [1, 3] of 2-d int array reference
  7. load from ia1 → 1-d int array reference; load from ic2 → 2-d int array reference; store 1-d int array reference to index [0] of 2-d int array reference; (note ia1, ib1, and index [0] of ia2 refer to the same instance)