https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=217.246.73.150 2026-07-09T17:46:31Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1188:_Bonding&diff=30624 2013-03-20T19:41:11Z

<p>217.246.73.150: Randall doesn't differentiate small/caps, therefore using Java guidelines.</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1188<br /> | date = March 20, 2013<br /> | title = Bonding<br /> | image = bonding.png<br /> | titletext = I'm trying to build character, but Eclipse is really confusing.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> This is a {{w|source code}} written in the {{w|Java (programming language)|Java programming language}}, which models a parent and a child playing a {{w|Catch (game)|game of catch}}, in which the parent throws a ball to their child, who catches it and throws it back, which repeats. (The comic title “Bonding” refers to the {{w|Paternal bond|building of relationship}} between the parent and the child.) But the computer program representation of this game is funny, using a play on the keywords &lt;code&gt;throw&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;catch&lt;/code&gt; (and &lt;code&gt;Throwable&lt;/code&gt;), which, in Java, do not correspond to throwing and catching a ball, but to a so-called {{w|exception handling}}, a method of signaling error conditions and responding to them.<br /> <br /> The program, as written, will {{w|Recursion (computer science)|recursively}} call the &lt;code&gt;Aim&lt;/code&gt; method alternately on the parent and the child indefinitely, until the program crashes with a {{w|stack overflow}}.<br /> <br /> Also, the terms “parent” and “child” are usually interpreted more abstractly in programming, as a generic terms used in hierarchical {{w|Data structure|data structures}}.<br /> <br /> The title text refers to [http://www.eclipse.org/ Eclipse], which is a tool commonly used to develop software in Java. (And “building” might be a play on the term of “{{w|Software build|building}}” a program.)<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> class Ball extends Throwable {}<br /> class P{<br /> P target;<br /> P(P target) {<br /> this.target = target;<br /> }<br /> void aim (Ball ball) {<br /> try {<br /> throw ball;<br /> }<br /> catch (Ball b) {<br /> target.aim(b);<br /> }<br /> }<br /> public static void main(String[] args) {<br /> P parent = new P(null);<br /> P child = new P(parent);<br /> parent.target = child;<br /> parent.aim(new Ball());<br /> }<br /> }<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> [[Category:Programming]]</div>

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