Creating Functions
New Terminology
- class
- Container the holds the template for objects
- object
- Complex container created from a class
- constructor
- The method which initializes an object as it is created
(instantiated) from the class
- instantiate
- Create a new object from a class. The new object has its own state
and methods
- void method
- A method that carries out an action and returns nothing
- value returning method
- A method that carries out an action and returns a value to the
calling program.
- invocation
- Calling a method during program execution
- qualified name
- An identifier which uses the name of a class or an object to specify
the location of the identifier.
- pass by value
- A term which describes the process of passing an actual parameter to
a formal parameter in which the value of the actual parameter is copied
into the formal parameter container.
Programming specific structures and terms
- method header
- The introduction of the method. The header contains all of the
information the compiler needs to use the method.
- method body
- The code that carries out the action of the method.
- method modifiers
- The keywords of public and static which identify the visibility and
the useage respectively
- return type
- The datatype of the value returned by a method. In the case of a void
method, the datatype is replaced by the keyword,
void.
- method identifier
- The name of the method. By convention, method identifiers begin with
a small letter and use capital letters or underscore characters to
separate words.
- formal parameter list
- The list of variable declarations that accept values from the calling
program into the method.
return- A keyword in java that signifies the beginning of a return
statement.
@param tag- The tag (one per formal paramter) which describes the method
arguments
@return tag- The tag that describes the return type of a method. Not used in the
case of a void method.
Class notes
- Design issues for methods. Looking for patterns...chunking a program into functional units. Who are the players? Example.java
- What is a method? n14.ppt
- SimpleMethod.java
- Creating a method in a different class. (SimpleDriver.java, SimpleContainer.java)
- DeepAndDeeper.java
- PassArg.java
- PassString.java
- ValueReturn.java
- LocalVars.java
- Documenting methods
- @param tags
- @return tags
- Preview tomorrow lab