Java Arrays, Objects, Methods

CS 161 - Java

Assignment for next time

Reading

Chapter 6 - Inheritance - through the section "Constructors in Derived Classes" that ends on page 301 (you may skip the remainder of Chapter 6)
Chapter 9 - Streams and File I/O - Up to but not including the Programming Example that starts at the bottom of page 495.

Homework

Goal:

Write a second Java class and use the two classes written so far, this week's uses last's.

Purpose:

Learn about instances of classes and storing them in an array. on them.
To start building solutions from smaller pieces: Java classes; to get those pieces to interact.

For this assignment you will write a Java class named Boss. This class will make use of the Employee class created last week. If you have not completed that assignment yet, you may use the minimal version on the next page to do this week's assignment.

Your Boss class should have the following instance variables:
- a bossName
- an array named employees in which to store Employee objects
- an int field named count to store the number of Employees who the Boss has.
Write methods with the following signatures
- a main method to start things off with the signature:
```
public static void main (String [] args)
```
  see below for what main should do.
- a public constructor for the class that will insure that Boss objects always have a name field with the signature.
```
public Boss( String name )
```
  This constructor should also instantiate an array to store Employee objects (at least 60) and initialize the count of employee's to 0. It should not initialize the array contents; just create the array.
- a method to add an Employee object to the array of Employees with the signature
```
public void hire( Employee emp )
```
  This method should increase the count of Employees associated with the Boss as each Employee is added.
- a method that will cause the Boss to hire a group of people. This method should have the signature
```
public void staffUp()
```
  This method should create a number of Employee objects (at least 5) and then use the hire method to add them to the boss. You may use any names and id values you choose. One way to initialize a group of names to use would be to get them from an array that is initialized like:
```
String [] names = {"John", "Paul", "George", "Ringo", "Fred" };
```
  You may use these names or any of your choosing and any technigue of your choosing to give each Employee a different name as an input parameter for your Employee constructor. Use any id values you choose.
- a method to print out the Boss name followed by the names of the Employees who are managed by a Boss in an order different than they were added. This method should have the signature
```
public void list()
```
- The main method for this class should:
  1. create a single instance of the Boss class,
  2. call the staffUp method on the Boss object
  3. call the list method on the Boss object

Do only what is asked above. Do not add any extra code to prompt for input or otherwise add capabilities not asked for. Be sure to create methods with the signatures requested. Output similar to the following is all the Boss class needs to produce:

Boss Bruce:
Fred
Ringo
George
Paul
John

Hint: To start, create the outline of your class definition by defining empty methods with the signatures listed above. Compile it to be sure the outline is in the right form. Then go back and start filling in the details of each method. Compile often so you can correct errors easily.

jwd