ICS4U1 Course Contents — Links to Lessons

Unit 1: Consolidating Java (from grade 11)

Arrays
2D_Arrays pdf (or ppt)
Data Types
Casting
Wrapper classes & conversions
Used to converting between numbers, characters and strings.
Used to make primitive data types into objects (double to Double)
More on char <--> int conversions
Strings - main information about strings
String & Builder Methods - list of methods, differences between String and StringBuilder
String Algorithms - some useful algorithms to use with Strings

Unit 2: Errors, File I/O

Errors (exceptions) are handled using try-catch. Most of the examples relate to input/output since most I/O operations throw exceptions and require an understanding of try-catch. Thus these two topics are tightly integrated. The minor topics of constants and enums are not connected to errors or file I/O in any way.

Errors and exceptions
Try-Catch
Create your own exception:
UnluckyNumbers.java
BadLuckException.java
Java IO

Common Errors to avoid

Java 4 Dummies: Streams
O'Reilly File IO

Constants
Enums ** you will need to understand objects before this

Unit 3: Objects

Methods Intro to Methods (Leepoint)
return values, overriding
Reference: Classes and Objects ← these notes are confusing.
There are also a lot of good powerpoints about this online.
Example: movies-- also ArrayLists
Modifiers
ArrayLists

ALSO NEED SUBCLASSES

Binary and Hexadecimal notes

test/set/clear ← still need to do
Sample Program

Unit 4: Graphics

1. Intro to Graphics in Java. AWT vs SWING vs JavaFX
2. How to make a graphics program

Graphics1.java

Graphics2.java

adding JComponents (JButtons, JLabels ...)
making an array of JButtons
subclassing JButtons to customize them all easily
*** add in notes and examples for this
For Raymond: Flowing Colour Labels
3. MigLayout two examples (zip file)
Adding an image to a JButton.
Using no LayoutManager

Events

4. Event Listeners: handling events in Swing: Action Listeners
Sample programs (similar to the main action listener note above):
- ActionEventExample1.java
- ActionEventExample2.java
- ActionEventExample3.java - anonymous inner class
- KeyEvent example
Summary of Swing/AWT Events - a good reference (just needs a bit more fixing up)

Drawing Graphics

5. Subclassing JPanel so that you can draw on it.
(also how to save your drawing to a PNG file)
Graphics2D: antialiasing and stroke width
6. Timers

See "Rotating an object" for an example of a timer

Example of animation WITHOUT timer: GraphicsMain.java and Shape.java

7. All about resizing JFrames and JPanels
- making JFrame full screen
- setting an exact JPanel size
- resizable graphics (TicTacToe)
- example of how to force resizing to always make a square window.
8. Images
This is a brief summary of the main topics. There are more details in each link
- a) Intro, Types of image objects
- b) Loading, Saving, Displaying Images
- c) Reading Images from Resource Folder This has a complete program you can run
- d) Animating SpritesThis has a complete program you can run
- e) PaintingDelay.java: Drawing to a BufferedImage and then displaying that.
  This is probably the best way for anything that is complicated. It is also the best way to avoid flicker and delayed graphics updates. (Please run the program in the link to see what I'm talking about).
  Also see Spiral.java code for another example of this.
9. Other
- a) Accurate motion in graphics
- b) Rotating an object
- c) Fixing problems with super.paintComponent() : only clearing the background once

ColourRainbow.java is here. It's handy if you want rainbow colours.

Videos about graphics

Go to the Salamander2 youtube channel

The videos discuss how to make ball objects instead of just a bunch of variables, how to make things collide and bounce, how to make arrays and arraylists of balls, how to add and delete balls.