Java JShell tutorial

JShell is helpful for exploratory programming for calculations, error checking, building gui on the fly.

1. Start

PS F:\> jshell
|  Welcome to JShell -- Version 11.0.14
|  For an introduction type: /help intro

jshell> /help intro

2. variable assignment

jshell> int x = 8
x ==> 8

3. expression evaluation

jshell> x + x
$2 ==> 16

jshell> y = 2* x
|  Error:
|  cannot find symbol
|    symbol:   variable y
|  y = 2* x
|  ^

jshell> float y = 2 * x
y ==> 16.0

jshell> x = 2 * y
|  Error:
|  incompatible types: possible lossy conversion from float to int
|  x = 2 * y
|      ^---^

jshell> System.out.println("Hello");
Hello

4. Definitions

jshell> String twice(String s) {
   ...>   return s + s;
   ...> }
|  created method twice(String)

jshell> twice("Ocean")
$6 ==> "OceanOcean"

jshell> String twice(String s) {
   ...>   return "Twice: " + s;
   ...> }
|  modified method twice(String)

jshell> twice("Forest");
$8 ==> "Twice: Forest"

and a more involved example

jshell> double volume(double radius) {
   ...>   return 4.0 / 3.0 * PI * cube(radius);
   ...> }
|  created method volume(double), however, it cannot be invoked until variable PI, and method cube(double) are declared

jshell> double PI = 3.14145926535
PI ==> 3.14145926535

jshell> volume(2)
|  attempted to call method volume(double) which cannot be invoked until method cube(double) is declared

jshell> double cube(double x) {return x * x * x; }
|  created method cube(double)

jshell> volume(2)
$17 ==> 33.5088988304

jshell> BigDecimal PI = new BigDecimal("3.141592653589793238462643383")
PI ==> 3.141592653589793238462643383

jshell> volume(2)
|  attempted to call method volume(double) which cannot be invoked until this error is corrected:
|      bad operand types for binary operator '*'
|        first type:  double
|        second type: java.math.BigDecimal
|        return 4.0 / 3.0 * PI * cube(radius);
|               ^------------^

5. Reassignment

jshell> String x
x ==> null

jshell> int x = 10
x ==> 10

jshell> String x
x ==> null

jshell> x
x ==> null

6. Error checking

Find out the exceptions specific to an operation to be handled.

jshell> int divide(int x, int y) {
   ...>   return x / y;
   ...> }
|  created method divide(int,int)

jshell> divide(5,0)
|  Exception java.lang.ArithmeticException: / by zero
|        at divide (#20:2)
|        at (#21:1)

jshell> System.identityHashCode(PI)
$23 ==> 1987083830

7. Build GUI

Build a simple visible frame 300x200

jshell> JFrame frame = new JFrame("Demo")
frame ==> javax.swing.JFrame[frame0,0,0,0x0,invalid,hidden, ... tPaneCheckingEnabled=true]

jshell> frame.setSize(300, 200)

jshell> frame.setVisible(true)

jshell> Graphics graphic = frame.getGraphics()
graphic ==> sun.java2d.SunGraphics2D[font=java.awt.Font[famil ... java.awt.SystemColor[i=9]]

8. Program data

List all the variables

jshell> /vars
|    int $2 = 16
|    float y = 16.0
|    String $6 = "OceanOcean"
|    String $8 = "Twice: Forest"
|    String x = null
|    double $15 = 0.0
|    double $17 = 33.5088988304
|    BigDecimal PI = 3.141592653589793238462643383
|    int $23 = 1987083830
|    JFrame frame = javax.swing.JFrame[frame0,0,0,300x200,hidden,layout=java.awt.BorderLayout,title=Demo,resizable,normal,defaultCloseOperation=HIDE_ON_CLOSE,rootPane=javax.swing.JRootPane[,8,31,284x161,layout=javax.swing.JRootPane$RootLayout,alignmentX=0.0,alignmentY=0.0,border=,flags=16777673,maximumSize=,minimumSize=,preferredSize=],rootPaneCheckingEnabled=true]
|    Graphics graphic = sun.java2d.SunGraphics2D[font=java.awt.Font[family=Dialog,name=Dialog,style=plain,size=12],color=java.awt.SystemColor[i=9]]

List all the methods in the current JShell session.

jshell> /methods
|    String twice(String)
|    double volume(double)
|       which cannot be invoked until this error is corrected:
|          bad operand types for binary operator '*'
|            first type:  double
|            second type: java.math.BigDecimal
|            return 4.0 / 3.0 * PI * cube(radius);
|                   ^------------^
|    double cube(double)
|    int divide(int,int)

9. Load libraries

Loading libraries with --class-path option.

PS F:\> jshell --class-path 'F:/Repo/sds/systemds/target'
|  Welcome to JShell -- Version 11.0.14
|  For an introduction type: /help intro


jshell> import org.apache.sysds.*;