Java Term of the Week: Expression Statement

Some expressions can be used as statements by simply adding a semicolon. They are known as expression statements. When these statements are executed the value of the expression is evaluated.

The expressions that can be made into statements:

• use the increment (++) and decrement (--) unary operators.
• assign values to variables.
• call object methods.
• create objects.

For example, the following are expression statements:

//assigning a value
number = 42;

//using the increment operator
number++;

//using the decrement operator
--number;

//calling a method
System.out.println("Is " + number + " the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything?");

//creating an object
Universe realityOne = new Universe(42);