Looking to learn syntax in java before writing a program? Let’s help you out!

Sahil Miglani
3 min readJul 28, 2022

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A Java program is a collection of objects that communicate with one another via method calls in order to work together. It is necessary for a programmer to first understand the syntax in java. It can be difficult for beginners to understand the syntax at times. So, in this tutorial, we’ll go over syntax in a simple way.

Every programming language has its own set of rules for writing programs in that language. Syntax refers to these rules. Java has also defined a set of rules for defining various types of members (classes, variables, methods, and so on) in a program; these rules are referred to as syntax in java. Before writing a java program, a java programmer should be familiar with these syntaxes.

Syntax in Java

Because it is derived from C and C++, Java syntax is similar to them. So, let us delve into the depths of Java syntax!

When a Java program starts, it has a package. A package is made up of many classes, each with its own set of functions, variables, and methods. We begin by learning the Java syntax for identifiers.

1. Identifiers

Identifiers are the names given to entities such as classes, variables, and functions in order for them to be uniquely identified throughout the program.

They include the symbols underscore(_) and dollar($) (only special characters allowed in naming identifiers.)

Unicode characters include numbers and alphabets.

2. Keywords

Keywords are identifiers that have extra meaning for the compiler. These cannot be used to name variables, classes, functions, or anything else. These are formal words as syntax in java.

Among the keywords are:

  1. abstract — This keyword indicates that the class is abstract.
  2. boolean- This is a data type specifier that indicates that a variable is boolean.
  3. byte- this is a data type specifier that indicates that a variable is of the byte type.
  4. Case- a switch case keyword that specifies the program to be run if a specific case is met.
  5. catch — error handling during a throw If an exception occurs, catch encloses the actions that must be taken.
  6. break- The break keyword removes control from a loop.
  7. Void — this keyword prevents a method from returning.
  8. char- This is a data type specifier that indicates the variable is of the character type
  9. Class- This keyword, followed by a class name, specifies the creation of a new class.
  10. Extends- This indicates that the class mentioned after it is a descendant of a superclass.

3. Literals

These are the identifiers in syntax in java that have a specific value in and of themselves. Variables can be assigned to these. Literals are also known as constants.

These are of various types, such as numeric, characters, strings, and so on.

a) Numerical literals

There are four types of numerical literal:

i. Decimal (any number in base 10): 87,53

ii. Binary (any number with a base 2), for instance, 1011,110

iii. Octal Point (Any number with a base of 8), for example, 1177 iv. Hexadecimal Point (Any number with a base of 16), for example, A54C

b) Literals with a floating point

Only a decimal point can be used to specify numerical values (.). These are fractional numbers that cannot be expressed as whole integers.

As an example, 10.876

4. Java comments

When the developer needs to add documentation about a function defined within the program, he or she must use comments. This is done to improve code readability and comprehension in syntax in java. The compiler does not execute comments and simply ignores them during execution.

The comments are classified as follows:

a) Java Single Line Comments

As the name implies, these comments consist of a single line of a comment written after a code line to explain its meaning.

They are denoted by two backslashes (//) and are automatically terminated when there are no more.

b) Multi-Line Java Comments

Throughout the codebase, these comments span multiple lines. They are typically written at the start of the program to elaborate on the algorithm. Developers use these to comment out blocks of code while debugging. They are made up of a starting tag (/*) and an ending tag (*/).

Read More about How To Improve Problem Solving Skills In Java: 6 Easy Tips

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Sahil Miglani
Sahil Miglani

Written by Sahil Miglani

Co-founder at Geekster working to help students build great careers, Started my journey with Yahoo as Developer succeeding to a Product Developer with Pinterest

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