Java Programming and Computer Science Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the Java programming and core computer hardware lecture notes.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The hardware component primarily responsible for managing and executing all instructions required to run the operating system.

Secondary Storage

A type of storage that provides data persistence without electricity, such as hard disks and SSDs.

Java Virtual Machine (JVM)

A program that reads and executes bytecode, translating high-level descriptions into machine code.

Java Development Kit (JDK)

The software needed on a computer in order to run Java programs.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

A software suite that bundles programming tools into a unified application, typically including a source code editor, compiler/interpreter, debugger, and build automation tools.

Java Class File

A compiled binary file with a $.class$ extension containing Java bytecode that is executed by the JVM.

main Method

The entry point for program execution in Java, declared as $public\ static\ void\ main(String[]\ args)$.

Assignment Statement

A line of code in Java formatted as $variable = expression$ used to assign a value to a variable.

Constant

A variable declared as $public\ static\ final\ datatype\ ALL\_CAPS = \dots;$ whose value cannot be changed after assignment and is shared by all instances of a class.

Integer Overflow

An error occurring when an arithmetic expression produces a value exceeding the maximum integer storage range, causing an incorrect assignment to a negative value.

Truncation

The dropping of the fractional part during integer division because $int$ types can only hold whole numbers.

BigDecimal

A Java class used to perform precise calculations and avoid round-off errors.

If Statement

A control structure that manages program flow by executing specific blocks of code when a defined condition evaluates to $true$.

Else Branch

The reserved word branch in a multi-alternative if-statement chain executed when none of the defined conditions are true.

Switch Statement

A statement in Java that allows a variable or expression to be tested for equality against a list of values, executing a specific block of code for the matching case.

Do-While Loop

A control flow statement that executes the statements inside its loop body at least once before evaluating its boolean condition.

Local Variable

A variable declared inside a method or code block that can only be accessed within that specific method or block.

Procedural Abstraction (Black Box)

A design method concept where a function is treated as an isolated unit defined solely by its inputs and outputs.

Void Method

A method that performs actions (such as printing, updating variables, or modifying internal object state) without returning a value.

Stepwise Refinement

The program design practice of decomposing complex tasks into simpler, smaller sub-tasks.

Stub Method

A temporary placeholder method used during development and unit testing to ensure code compilation.

Enhanced For Loop

A loop structure used to iterate sequentially through elements of an array without using an index variable.

Arrays.copyOf()

A utility method in Java used to duplicate an existing array or expand its storage size.

Auto-boxing

The automatic conversion performed by Java when adding a primitive value to a wrapper class object collection, such as $ArrayList<Integer>$.

Auto-unboxing

The automatic conversion performed by Java when retrieving a wrapper class object from a collection and assigning it directly to a primitive variable.