Chapter 2: Using Objects Flashcards
object
A value of a class type.
methods
A sequence of statements that has a name, may have parameter variables, and may return a value. A method can be invoked any number of times, with different values for its parameter variables.
class
A programmer-defined data type.
variable
A symbol in a program that identifies a storage location that can hold different values.
initialize
Set a variable to a well-defined value when it is created.
integer
A number that cannot have a fractional part.
floating-point numbers
A number that can have a fractional part.
case sensitive
Distinguishing upper- and lowercase characters.
reserved words
A word that has a special meaning in a programming language and there-
fore cannot be used as a name by the programmer.
comments
An explanation to help the human reader understand a section of a program; ignored by the compiler.
uninitialized variable
A variable that has not been set to a particular value. In Java, using an uninitialized local variable is a syntax error.
public interface
The features (methods, variables, and nested types) of a class that are accessible to all clients.
argument
A value supplied in a method call, or one of the values combined by an operator.
void
A reserved word indicating no type or an unknown type.
overloading
Giving more than one meaning to a method name.