2.1 Variables and Expressions
In this section, we explain how simple variables and arithmetic expressions are used in Java programs. Some of the terms used here were introduced in Chapter 1. We will, however, review them again.
Variables
Variables in a program are used to store data such as numbers and letters. They can be thought of as containers of a sort. The number, letter, or other data item in a variable is called its value. This value can be changed, so that at one time the variable contains, say, 6, and at another time, after the program has run for a while, the variable contains a different value, such as 4.
For example, the program in Listing 2.1 uses the variables
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