| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| boolean | A primitive data type that holds one of two values: true or false. |
| Boolean value | Data values that can only be true or false, used in logical operations and conditional statements. |
| data type | A classification that specifies what kind of value a variable can store and what operations can be performed on it. |
| double | A primitive data type used to store real numbers (numbers with decimal points). |
| int | A primitive data type used to store integer values (whole numbers). |
| primitive data type | Basic data types in Java such as int, double, boolean, and char that are not objects. |
| reference type | A data type that holds a reference (memory address) to an object rather than storing the object's value directly. |
| variable | A named storage location in a program that holds a value of a specific data type; the value can change while the program is running. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| arithmetic expression | Mathematical expressions consisting of numeric values, variables, and operators that perform calculations. |
| casting | The process of converting a value from one primitive data type to another, such as from double to int or int to double. |
| casting operator | Operators used to convert a value from one data type to another, such as converting a double to an int. |
| data type | A classification that specifies what kind of value a variable can store and what operations can be performed on it. |
| double | A primitive data type used to store real numbers (numbers with decimal points). |
| int | A primitive data type used to store integer values (whole numbers). |
| integer expression | A mathematical or computational expression that evaluates to an integer value. |
| integer overflow | An error that occurs when an integer expression evaluates to a value outside the allowed range for the int data type, resulting in an unexpected value. |
| Integer.MAX_VALUE | A Java constant that holds the largest possible value that can be stored in an int variable. |
| Integer.MIN_VALUE | A Java constant that holds the smallest possible value that can be stored in an int variable. |
| out of range | A value that exceeds the maximum or minimum limits allowed for a particular data type. |
| precision | The degree of exactness with which a floating-point number can be represented in computer memory. |
| primitive data type | Basic data types in Java such as int, double, boolean, and char that are not objects. |
| round-off error | An error that occurs when a computed value cannot be exactly represented in the available memory and must be rounded to the nearest representable value. |
| rounding | The process of converting a decimal number to the nearest integer value. |
| truncation | The removal of digits to the right of the decimal point when casting a double value to an int value. |
| widening | The automatic conversion of a value from a smaller primitive type (like int) to a larger primitive type (like double). |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| call by value | A method of passing arguments where the parameters are initialized with copies of the argument values rather than references to the original values. |
| constructor | A special method that is called to create and initialize an object of a class, having the same name as the class. |
| constructor argument | A value passed to a constructor when it is called that must match the type, order, and number of parameters in the constructor signature. |
| constructor signature | The combination of a constructor's name (same as the class name) and its ordered list of parameter types that uniquely identifies the constructor. |
| flow of control | The order in which statements in a program are executed, which can be interrupted by method calls and resumed after the method completes. |
| new | A Java keyword used to create a new instance of a class by allocating memory and calling the constructor. |
| null | A special value indicating that a reference variable does not currently reference any object. |
| object | A specific instance of a class with defined attributes and behaviors. |
| object reference | A value that points to the memory location where an object is stored, allowing access to that object. |
| overloaded constructor | Multiple constructors in the same class that have different signatures, allowing objects to be created with different sets of parameters. |
| parameter | A variable declared in the header of a method or constructor that receives values passed to the method when it is called. |
| parameter types | The data types of the values that are passed to a constructor or method. |
| reference type | A data type that holds a reference (memory address) to an object rather than storing the object's value directly. |
| variable | A named storage location in a program that holds a value of a specific data type; the value can change while the program is running. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| attribute | The data or properties that define the state of an object or class. |
| behavior | The methods or actions that an object or class can perform. |
| class | A formal implementation or blueprint that defines the attributes and behaviors of objects. |
| inheritance | A relationship in which a subclass draws upon and reuses the attributes and behaviors of a superclass. |
| instance | A specific occurrence or realization of a class with its own set of attribute values. |
| memory address | The location in computer memory where an object is stored, which is referenced by a reference type variable. |
| object | A specific instance of a class with defined attributes and behaviors. |
| object reference | A value that points to the memory location where an object is stored, allowing access to that object. |
| reference type | A data type that holds a reference (memory address) to an object rather than storing the object's value directly. |
| subclass | A class that extends a superclass and inherits its attributes and behaviors. |
| superclass | A class that contains common attributes and behaviors shared by multiple related classes. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| API | An application programming interface that provides a specification informing programmers how to use classes and libraries. |
| attribute | The data or properties that define the state of an object or class. |
| behavior | The methods or actions that an object or class can perform. |
| class | A formal implementation or blueprint that defines the attributes and behaviors of objects. |
| library | Collections of classes that can be utilized to create objects and are documented in API specifications. |
| method | A named block of code that only runs when it is called, allowing programmers to reuse code and organize programs into logical sections. |
| object | A specific instance of a class with defined attributes and behaviors. |
| package | Organizational groupings of classes within APIs and libraries. |
| reference type | A data type that holds a reference (memory address) to an object rather than storing the object's value directly. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| argument | A value or variable passed to a method or constructor when it is called. |
| call by value | A method of passing arguments where the parameters are initialized with copies of the argument values rather than references to the original values. |
| constructor | A special method that is called to create and initialize an object of a class, having the same name as the class. |
| flow of control | The order in which statements in a program are executed, which can be interrupted by method calls and resumed after the method completes. |
| method | A named block of code that only runs when it is called, allowing programmers to reuse code and organize programs into logical sections. |
| method call | An invocation of a method that interrupts sequential execution and causes the program to execute the method's statements before returning control to the calling location. |
| method signature | The combination of a method's name and its ordered list of parameter types, used to identify and call a specific method. |
| non-void method | A method that returns a value of a specified type that can be stored in a variable or used as part of an expression. |
| overloaded method | Multiple methods with the same name but different method signatures, allowing the same method name to be used with different parameter types or numbers. |
| parameter | A variable declared in the header of a method or constructor that receives values passed to the method when it is called. |
| parameter list | The list of parameters in a method signature that specifies the types and order of arguments the method expects. |
| procedural abstraction | The ability to use a method by knowing what it does without needing to understand how it was implemented. |
| return statement | A statement that terminates method execution and returns control flow to the point immediately following where the method was called. |
| return value | The value produced by a non-void method that matches the return type specified in the method header. |
| void method | A method that does not return a value and cannot be used as part of an expression. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| addition | The arithmetic operator (+) that combines two numeric values to produce their sum. |
| arithmetic expression | Mathematical expressions consisting of numeric values, variables, and operators that perform calculations. |
| ArithmeticException | An exception that occurs when attempting to divide an integer by zero. |
| compound expression | Expressions that use multiple operators to combine numeric values. |
| division | The arithmetic operator (/) that divides one numeric value by another. |
| double | A primitive data type used to store real numbers (numbers with decimal points). |
| escape sequence | A special sequence of characters starting with a backslash that has a special meaning in Java, such as \" for double quote, \\ for backslash, and \n for newline. |
| int | A primitive data type used to store integer values (whole numbers). |
| integer division | Division of two int values that results in only the integer portion of the quotient, discarding any fractional part. |
| literal | The code representation of a fixed value. |
| multiplication | The arithmetic operator (*) that produces the product of two numeric values. |
| numeric value | Numbers used in expressions, which can be of type int or double. |
| operator | Symbols that perform operations on numeric values in expressions. |
| operator precedence | The rules that determine the order in which operators are evaluated in an expression, with multiplication, division, and remainder evaluated before addition and subtraction. |
| parentheses | Symbols used to modify operator precedence and control the order of operations in an expression. |
| remainder operator | The operator (%) that computes the remainder when one number is divided by another. |
| string literal | A sequence of characters enclosed in double quotes used to create a String object directly in code. |
| subtraction | The arithmetic operator (-) that finds the difference between two numeric values. |
| System.out.print | A Java method that displays information on the computer display without moving the cursor to a new line after the output. |
| System.out.println | A Java method that displays information on the computer display and moves the cursor to a new line after the output. |
| variable | A named storage location in a program that holds a value of a specific data type; the value can change while the program is running. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| API documentation | Documentation generated from Javadoc comments that describes the functionality and usage of code. |
| block comment | Comments in Java denoted by /* */ that span multiple lines or create a block of explanatory text. |
| comment | Explanatory text in code that describes functionality and is ignored by the compiler during program execution. |
| Javadoc comment | Comments in Java denoted by /** */ that are used to generate API documentation. |
| line comment | Comments in Java denoted by // that apply to a single line of code. |
| postcondition | A condition that must always be true after a method executes, describing the outcome in terms of return values or object attributes. |
| precondition | A condition that must be true immediately before a method executes in order for the method to behave as expected. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| compareTo() method | A String method that compares two strings alphabetically and returns a negative value if the first string is less than the second, zero if they are equal, or a positive value if the first string is greater than the second. |
| concatenation | The process of combining two or more String objects or a String with a primitive value using the + or += operator to create a new String object. |
| equals method | A String method that returns true if the string contains the same sequence of characters as another string, and false otherwise. |
| immutable | A property of String objects meaning that once created, their content cannot be changed; methods called on a String return a new String rather than modifying the original. |
| implicit conversion | The automatic conversion of a primitive value to a String object when concatenated with a String. |
| index | A numeric position in a string, starting from 0 for the first character and going up to one less than the length of the string. |
| indexOf() method | A String method that returns the index of the first occurrence of a specified substring, or -1 if the substring is not found. |
| java.lang package | A Java package containing fundamental classes that are automatically available without explicit import statements. |
| length() method | A String method that returns the number of characters in a String object as an integer. |
| method overriding | When a public method in a subclass has the same method signature as a public method in the superclass but with subclass-specific behavior. |
| Object class | The superclass in Java from which all classes inherit, guaranteeing the existence of the toString method. |
| String class constructor | A method that creates a new String object by calling the String class constructor. |
| string literal | A sequence of characters enclosed in double quotes used to create a String object directly in code. |
| String object | An instance of the String class in Java that represents a sequence of characters. |
| StringIndexOutOfBoundsException | An exception thrown when attempting to access a string index that is outside the valid range of 0 to length - 1. |
| substring() method | A String method that returns a portion of a string, either from a starting index to an ending index, or from a starting index to the end of the string. |
| toString method | A method that returns a string representation of an object, automatically called when an object is concatenated with a String. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| algorithm | A step-by-step procedure or set of rules designed to solve a problem or accomplish a task. |
| code compilation | The process of translating source code written by a programmer into machine-readable instructions that a computer can execute. |
| code execution | The process of running compiled code on a computer to perform the instructions specified in the program. |
| compiler | A program that translates source code into machine code and checks for errors that must be fixed before the program can run. |
| compiler error | Errors in source code that are detected by a compiler and must be fixed before a program can be executed. |
| exception | A type of run-time error that occurs as a result of an unexpected error not detected by the compiler and interrupts the normal flow of program execution. |
| integrated development environment | A software application that provides comprehensive tools for writing, compiling, and running code in one unified interface. |
| logic error | A mistake in the algorithm or program that causes it to behave incorrectly or unexpectedly, detected through testing with specific data. |
| pattern | Recurring sequences or structures found in everyday processes that can be represented and analyzed. |
| run-time error | A mistake in the program that occurs during execution and typically causes the program to terminate abnormally. |
| sequencing | The order in which steps in a process are completed, with steps executed one at a time. |
| syntax error | A mistake in a program where the rules of the programming language are not followed, detected by the compiler. |
| text editor | A software tool used to write and edit source code in plain text format. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| dot operator | The symbol (.) used in Java to access instance methods and properties of an object. |
| instance methods | Methods that belong to an object and are called on specific instances of a class using the dot operator. |
| null reference | A reference variable that points to no object, which will cause a NullPointerException if an instance method is called on it. |
| NullPointerException | An exception that occurs when a method is called on a null reference instead of a valid object. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| class methods | Methods that are associated with a class rather than with instances of the class, and include the static keyword in their header. |
| dot operator | The symbol (.) used in Java to access instance methods and properties of an object. |
| static | A keyword used in a method header to indicate that the method is a class method associated with the class itself, not with individual instances. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| abs() | A Math class method that returns the absolute value of a numeric parameter. |
| built-in mathematical libraries | Pre-written code libraries in Java that contain mathematical functions and methods available for use without needing to write them from scratch. |
| casting operator | Operators used to convert a value from one data type to another, such as converting a double to an int. |
| class methods | Methods that are associated with a class rather than with instances of the class, and include the static keyword in their header. |
| exclusive endpoint | An endpoint of a range where the boundary value is not included in the possible results. |
| inclusive endpoint | An endpoint of a range where the boundary value is included in the possible results. |
| java.lang package | A Java package containing fundamental classes that are automatically available without explicit import statements. |
| Math class | A Java class in the java.lang package that contains static methods for performing mathematical operations. |
| pow() | A Math class method that returns the value of the first parameter raised to the power of the second parameter. |
| random() | A Math class method that returns a random double value greater than or equal to 0.0 and less than 1.0. |
| sqrt() | A Math class method that returns the nonnegative square root of a double value. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| assignment operator | The = symbol that allows a program to store the value of an expression on the right into a variable on the left. |
| assignment statement | A statement that stores a value in a variable using the assignment operator or a compound assignment operator. |
| data type | A classification that specifies what kind of value a variable can store and what operations can be performed on it. |
| expression | A combination of values, variables, and operators that is evaluated to produce a single value. |
| initialization | The first assignment of a value to a variable. |
| input | Data or information provided to a program, which can come from various sources such as keyboard, files, or user interactions. |
| null | A special value indicating that a reference variable does not currently reference any object. |
| reference type | A data type that holds a reference (memory address) to an object rather than storing the object's value directly. |
| Scanner class | A Java class used to obtain and parse text input from the keyboard or other input sources. |
| text input | Data entered by a user in the form of characters and strings, typically from a keyboard. |
| variable | A named storage location in a program that holds a value of a specific data type; the value can change while the program is running. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| assignment statement | A statement that stores a value in a variable using the assignment operator or a compound assignment operator. |
| compound assignment operator | Operators (+=, -=, *=, /=, %) that perform an arithmetic operation and assign the result to a variable in a single statement. |
| post-decrement operator | The -- operator used after a variable to subtract 1 from its stored value and assign the new value to the variable. |
| post-increment operator | The ++ operator used after a variable to add 1 to its stored value and assign the new value to the variable. |