Programming Basics and Java Development Flashcards

This set covers fundamental programming concepts, object-oriented principles, and the specific mechanics of the Java development and execution environment as discussed in the lecture.

Machine language

The most basic circuitry level language that the processor understands and executes.

High level programming language

A language that uses a vocabulary of reasonable terms and allows for simple statements that translate to multiple lines of machine code.

Keywords

Special words set aside for specific purposes in a programming language's vocabulary.

Syntax

The set of rules for the language defining how keywords and other terms can work together and be interpreted into meaningful statements.

Programming statements

A set of keywords and other terms put together following syntax to command the program to carry out particular tasks.

Compiler

A program that translates high level language down to machine code or intermediate code.

Interpreter

A program that reads instructions and communicates with the operating system to execute them line by line in real time.

Debugging

The process of removing errors from a computer program, originally named after removing actual insects from vacuum tube computers.

Syntax error

A problem where written statements do not properly obey the rules of the language, preventing the compiler from understanding or running the code.

Logic error

An error where the compiler can interpret and run the program, but it does not perform as intended because the logic was written incorrectly.

Procedural programming languages

Programming languages based on a set of operations done in a sequence, performing tasks in order one after the other.

Variables

Named locations in memory used to store, manipulate, or refer to data.

Spaghetti code

A term for programs with too many go to statements that jump around, making them hard to debug and expand.

Object oriented programming languages

Languages that allow the creation of classes as blueprints to combine variables and procedures together to represent objects.

Class

A plan or blueprint for an object that defines attributes and methods.

Attributes

Characteristics that define the objects within a class.

State

The value of an object's attributes at a given time.

Objects

Specific concrete instances of classes.

Method

A self-contained block of program code that carries out an action, also known as a function or procedure.

Encapsulation

The practice of concealing internal values and methods from outside sources to provide security and prevent accidental changes.

Inheritance

A feature of object oriented programming where a lower-level class can acquire basic attributes from a higher-level class.

Polymorphism

The concept where the same word or symbol is interpreted differently based on context, such as the plus sign ($+$) performing addition for numbers or concatenation for strings.

Java Virtual Machine (JVM)

A virtual computer that allows Java to be architecturally neutral by running bytecode instead of compiling directly to machine code.

Source code

Programming statements written in a high level language that have not yet been translated.

Bytecode

The binary program statements saved in a .class file that the Java compiler converts source code into.

WARA

An acronym for 'Write Once Run Anywhere,' describing Java's ability to run on any device that has a JVM.

Console application

A program that supports character output and uses a text-based interface.

GUI (Graphical User Interface)

A windowed application interface that uses icons, menus, and mouse pointers.

println

A Java method (short for print line) that prints a line of text to the output and moves the cursor to the next line.

Arguments

Information provided inside parentheses following a method name that the method needs to perform its task.

String

A series of characters representing text, identified in Java by being enclosed in double quotation marks.