4. Interactions

Abstract

The Interactions feature in jGRASP allows the user to enter Java statements and expressions and then execute/evaluate them immediately. This feature is not meant to be a replacement for the traditional edit-compile-run cycle, but rather a convenient way to experiment with Java statements and expressions. The Interactions feature is relevant for beginning as well as advanced users who are programming in Java. The feature was introduced briefly in Getting Started and Getting Started with Objects. In this tutorial, we provide a more complete description with detailed examples. If you are not familiar with the basic features of jGRASP (e.g., compiling, running, and debugging), you are encouraged to read Getting Started. Objectives – When you have completed this tutorial, you should be able to use Interactions with the Object Workbench, Debugger, and Viewers in jGRASP. You should be able to declare primitive variables, assign values, and use them in expressions. You should be able declare reference variables, create instances of objects, invoke methods on the objects, and use the reference variables in expressions. You should be able use interactions containing variables from the workbench and debugger. You should be able to copy interactions and paste them to a CSD window as source code. The details of these objectives are captured in the hyperlinked topics listed below.