Help with designing basic class

Question

Ok, I'm trying to learn java by implementing a Recipe program that I will eventually put up on my web page. My thought was to create a base class called recipe that would essentially be a collection of strings and such. This would then be tied to a database with getFromDatabase() methods etc... However I'm I just want to clarify a few things and make sure I'm headed in the right direction.
I figure I should create my class something like this:
public class Recipe
  public String recipeName;
  // more strings like serves source, etc...
  public int rating; // 1-5
  // Ingredient list
  // Category list
  public String directions;
  public Recipe(String recipeName)
  this.recipeName = recipeName;
}The above is pretty much what I think is right with what I have so far. For the ingredients, I created a special class called ingredient that looks like:
public class Ingredient
  public String qty;
  public String amt;
  public String desc;
  public Ingredient(String quant, String ammount, String description)
    this.qty = quant;
    this.amt = ammount;
    this.desc = description;
  public Ingredient()
    this.qty = "";
    this.amt = "";
    this.desc = "";
  public String toString()
    String tempstring = new String(this.qty + " " + this.amt + " " + this.desc);
    return tempstring;
}Then in my recipe class I have:
public List ingredients = Collections.synchronizedList(new LinkedList());and then I have two overloaded addIngredient methods to add an Ingredient object to this list.
So am I on the right track? Should I not even bother with a special class just for ingredients?
Also while I have your attention, if I were to try and get a list of recipes in the database (ie, SELECT recipename FROM recipes;) where should I put this method? Thank you for any help.
-Chris

Answer 1

You only use get() and set() methods for data you need to change, I didn't think that I had to point that out.
The guy is obviously a beginner, there is no need to saturate him with loads of information that isn't too important to him right now; however, it is good to get him used to the get and set methods for the variables that might need changing, and keeping (most of) the variables private (or protected as the case may be).
Please tell me how setting variables to private does not contribute to information hiding? @_@
Because, the last time I heard, private variables can't be accessed by other classes.
Not only that, the get() and set() methods DO hide information, mainly the inner workings of the code. Consider:
public class Foo {
  private int x;
  public int getX() {
    return x;
  public void setX(int anInt){
    x = anInt;
public class Bar {
  private Foo mFoo = new Foo();
  public int process(){
    int intialValue = myFoo.getX();
    return initialValue * 4;
}And say for whatever reason the way Foo handled the way x was stored had to change:
public class Foo {
  public String x = "0"; // x no longer an int
  public int getX() {
    return Integer.parseInt(x); // convert when needed
  public void setX(int anInt){
    x = new Integer(anInt).toString(); // convert back
public class Bar {
  private Foo mFoo = new Foo();
  public int process(){
    int intialValue = myFoo.getX(); // none the wiser
    return initialValue * 4;
}Note, because of the get and set methods, we didn't have to change Bar. I'd say this was a kind of data hiding, no?
I do know a bit about what I'm saying. I may not be an expert, but what I said was on the wholecorrect, especially considering the OP is a beginner. I never claimed what I told him was the WHOLE of tight encapsulation, but it is a part of it. He doesn't need to know more than what I told him ATM.