Chapter 1: Introduction to Computers, Programs, and Java

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts of computer hardware, software, operating systems, and Java programming fundamentals from Chapter 1.

Computer programming

Creating instructions, or software, that tell a computer what to do.

Hardware

The physical parts of a computer, such as its CPU, monitor, and keyboard.

Software

Programs that provide instructions for computer hardware.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The component of a computer that retrieves instructions from memory and executes them.

Control unit and ALU

The two major internal components of a CPU; the ALU refers to the arithmetic/logic unit.

Computer bus

A system that connects computer components so they can exchange data.

Bit

One binary digit: either $0$ or $1$.

Byte

A unit of data consisting of eight bits.

Encoding scheme

A set of rules for representing characters and numbers as binary data.

RAM (Random-Access Memory)

Temporary working memory used for holding programs and data while the CPU works with them.

Volatile memory

Memory whose contents are lost when the power is turned off, such as RAM.

Network interface card (NIC)

Hardware that connects a computer to a network.

Machine language

A computer's built-in binary instructions that its CPU can execute.

Assembly language

A low-level language that uses short symbolic instructions called mnemonics.

Assembler

A program that translates assembly code into machine code.

High-level programming language

A programming language whose human-readable statements are easier to learn, write, and maintain.

Source code

Program instructions written in a programming language.

Compiler

A program that translates a source program into executable or intermediate code before execution.

Interpreter

A program that translates and executes instructions as it processes them during execution.

Operating system (OS)

Software that manages computer hardware, resources, and activities, performing jobs such as monitoring system activity, allocating resources, and scheduling operations.

Multiprogramming

An operating system technique that lets multiple programs share CPU time.

Multithreading

The capability of running multiple tasks concurrently within a single program.

Multiprocessing

Using multiple processors to run programs concurrently.

James Gosling

The person who led the team at Sun Microsystems that developed Java.

Oak

The original name of the Java programming language before it was renamed.

Platform-independent

The quality of Java programs where the same compiled bytecode can run on different systems with a compatible JVM.

Java language specification

The formal definition of Java's syntax and semantics.

Java API

A library of predefined classes and interfaces for building Java applications.

JDK (Java Development Kit)

The toolkit used for developing, compiling, running, and testing Java programs.

JRE (Java Runtime Environment)

The environment that provides what is needed to execute and run Java programs.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

Software that combines creating files, editing, compiling, running, and debugging code into a single tool.

Java applet

A type of Java program that was once run inside web browsers until browsers discontinued support.

main method

The entry point of a Java program, declared as public static void main(String[] args).

Java string

A sequence of characters enclosed in double quotation marks.

Curly braces { }

Symbols in Java used to delineate a block of code, such as a class body or method body.

Java keyword

A reserved word in Java with a predefined meaning, such as class or public.

Case-sensitive

A characteristic of Java meaning capitalization matters, so identifiers such as main and Main are treated as different.

Java bytecode

Platform-neutral compiled instructions contained in a .class file that the JVM executes.

JVM (Java Virtual Machine)

A software engine that loads, checks, and executes Java bytecode.

Class loader

The JVM component that loads needed class bytecode into memory.

Bytecode verifier

The JVM component that checks loaded bytecode to verify it is valid and satisfies Java security restrictions.

Javadoc comment

A special documentation comment enclosed within /** … */ that can be processed into HTML documentation.

Syntax error

A code-rule violation detected by the compiler during compilation, such as a missing semicolon or unmatched quote.

Runtime error

A problem that occurs during program execution causing it to terminate abnormally, such as integer division by zero.

Logic error

A programming mistake where the code compiles and runs to completion without crashing but produces an unintended or incorrect result.

Integer division

Arithmetic division between two integers where the fractional part is truncated, causing $9 / 5$ to evaluate to $1$ instead of $1.8$.