| Java |
Programming language and platform created in 1995 by Sun Microsystems |
| SDK |
Software Developer's Kit - everything you need to write,
compile, test, and debug software |
| IDE |
Integrated Development Environment - a windowing system to
make software development easier |
| Program |
Data types plus algorithms designed to do something useful |
| Data type |
Holds information. Different data types hold different kinds of
information |
| Algorithm |
Step by step instructions |
| Source Code |
Human readable form of a program |
| Executable |
Machine (computer) readable version of the program |
| Method |
Java term for an algorithm that can be called from another method.
Other programming languages use the terms function or procedure. You
can tell its a method if there are parenthesis after the method
name. Examples: Ball(), paint(Graphics g), b1.draw(g2). All
methods belong to a class. |
| Parameter |
Zero or more values passed to a method. Example:
paint(g), where g is the parameter being passed to the method paint(). |
| Class |
Object oriented programming paradigm |
| main() |
First method to execute when a program is run (not really, but will do
for now) |
| Field |
Variable that is part of an instance of a class. |
| Object |
Instance of a class |
| Statement |
A single command executed by Java. A statement can be
a method call, an assignment, a block, a variable declaration, or a loop
or condition statement. Note: there are more, but that is enough for
now. Statements are executed one after the other (except for loop
and condition statements). |
| Variable |
A named storage location that has a type and a value.
A local variable only exists within the block where it is defined. A
class field is a variable that exists for each instance of a class. |
| Factorial |
A mathematical concept (not a Java concept) where n
factorial is the product of all positive integers less than or equal to n. |
| Declaration |
A statement that tells Java the name of a variable and its
data type. |
| Assignment |
A statement that assigns a value to a variable after
evaluating the expression on the right-hand side of the equal sign. Note:
there are more, but that is enough for now. |
| Block |
A group of zero or more statements between balanced braces
and can be used anywhere a single statement is allowed. |
| Loop |
A while statement where the
block following the expression (while
(expression) { statements }) is executed repeatedly until the
expression evaluates to false. Note: there are more, but that is
enough for now. |
| Expression |
One or more variables, constants, or method calls separated
by operators that (typically) evaluate to value. An expression can
be used in conditional and loop statements (while
(expression) and if (expression)),
assignment (x=5 + y) and when passing a
parameter to a method (sqrt(x*y)). |
| Conditional |
An if statement or if
- else statement that first evaluates an expression and then based
on if the express is true or false,
determines which block of statements to execute. |