Power program

This is a Power program. This program is able to calculate the result of a value raised by its power. You will learn the followings from the program:
-taking data from args parameter of the main( String[] args) method,
-alternatively, reading data input from keyboard by using nextDouble() method of the Scanner class, and 
-writing a recursive method to calculate the result of a value raised by its power.

Power source code:

1 import java.util.Scanner;

2 public class Power

            {

3          public static void main(String[] args)

            {

                        //initialize local variables

                        double val=0.0;

                        double power=0.0;

                        Scanner sc=new Scanner(System.in); //create Scanner object sc

                try{  

                       

                        if(args.length<=1) //reading data by using Scanner class

                                    {

                                                System.out.print("Enter a value:");

                                                val=sc.nextDouble();

                                                System.out.print("Enter its power:");

                                                power=sc.nextDouble();

                                                System.out.format("%.3f raised by %.3f is %.3f",val,power,calPower

(val,power));

                                    }

                        else //reading data from args

                                    {

                                                val=Double.parseDouble(args[0]);

                                                power=Double.parseDouble(args[1]);

                                                System.out.format("%.3f raised by %.3f is %.3f",val,power,calPower

(val,power));

                                    }

                 }catch(Exception ei){System.out.println("Error in calcuation!");}

                         

            }

4          public static double calPower(double value,double power){

                        if(power>=0){ //positive power

                                    if(power==0) return 1;

                                    else return (value*calPower(value,power-1));

                        }

                        else{ //negative power

                                    if(power==-1) return(1/value);

                                    else return((1/value)*calPower(value,power+1));

                        }

            }

           

}

Program Output:

Code Explanation:

1 Introduce the Scanner class to the program so that its nextDouble method can be used to receive values input from keyboard.

2 The Power is the main class of Power program.

3 The main method of the program is where the program begins. The main method has array parameter args which stores a collection of values supplied by the user. In the Power program, there are two values: value and its power that the program requires. To check whether the two values were input, the length property of the parameter args is used (args.length<=1). If the result returned by the length property is less than or equals to 1, it means that either the value or its power was not input (from the command line). Thus, alternatively, we use the nextDouble method  of the Scanner class to allow the user to enter the two values. Then the calculation can be made by invoking the calPower method.

4 The calPower(value, power) method implements a recursive concept to calculate a value raised by its power. For the positive power, the base case result of this recursive method is 1 (power=0) and its general case result is value*calPower(value,power-1). For the negative power, the base case result of this recursive method is 1/value  (power=-1) and its general case result is 1/value*calPower(value,power+1). 

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