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Create boolean variables to use as the condition when introducing if statement to highlight for students that the condition is any expression that evaluates to true or false.
- Instead of using common conditional phrases, like
x < 4, use descriptive variables that make what is being evaluated clear, like isXLessThan4.
- This shift makes the execution that will happen when the code runs clear to the student reading/writing the program.
- Below is example code that replaces the common conditional phrase with the more descriptive boolean variable.
- Original Example:
if (x < 4) { … }
- Changed Example:
boolean isXLessThan4 = x < 4;
if (isXLessThan4){ … }
- Next, show students a compound condition. Demonstrate how these conditions are still evaluating to true or false.
- Run through examples like the one below with multiple values for x to help students walk through evaluating compound conditionals.
- Compound Conditional Example:
Random randGen = new Random() // Use Random to create a random number generator
int x = randGen.nextInt(100); // get a random number between 0 and 100
// odd number divisible by 3, or in the 70s
if ((x % 2 == 1 && x % 3 == 0) or (x // 7 == 10)) {
System.out.println("We found an appropriate number!");
}