Designing Methods Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering Java method declarations, optional specifiers, access modifiers, and method components.

Method declaration

Specifies all the information needed to call a method.

Access modifier

Specifies whether other classes can use a particular field or invoke a particular method.

static

An optional specifier used for class methods.

abstract

An optional specifier used when a method does not have a body.

final

An optional specifier used when a method is not allowed to be overridden by a subclass.

Return type

The data type of the value returned by the method, or void if the method does not return a value.

Method name

The identifier of a method that should be a lowercase verb (ex. run) or a multi-word name beginning with a lowercase verb followed by capitalized words (ex. runFast).

Parameter list

A comma-delimited list of input parameters, preceded by their data types and enclosed by parentheses.

Optional exception list

Indicates that the method might throw one of the listed exception types.

Method body

Everything that is enclosed between braces, containing the method's code including the declaration of local variables.

Top level access control

Level of access control that can be public or package-private.

Member level access control

Level of access control that can be public, private, protected, or package-private.

Public modifier

Allows the method to be visible to all classes everywhere.

Private modifier

Specifies that the method can only be accessed in its own class.

Protected modifier

Specifies that the member can only be accessed within its own package and by a subclass of its class in another package.

Package-private modifier

Specifies that the member can only be accessed within its own package (used when no modifier is specified).