AP CSA writing classes key terms

What is a class?

A blueprint for creating objects containing methods and attributes.

What is an object?

An instance of a class that can hold data and methods.

Difference between class and object

A class is a template; an object is a specific instance of that template.

What are attributes?

Variables that hold data specific to a class or object.

What are methods?

Functions defined within a class that can perform actions on its objects.

True or false: A class can have multiple objects.

True, because many instances can be created from a single class.

What is encapsulation?

Restricting access to certain components of an object.

Fill in the blank: Encapsulation improves _____ and reusability.

modularity.

What is inheritance?

The mechanism by which one class can inherit fields and methods from another.

Difference between inheritance and composition

Inheritance creates a parent-child relationship; composition builds a has-a relationship.

What is polymorphism?

The ability to present the same interface for different underlying data types.

True or false: Polymorphism can occur through method overloading.

True, because it allows different methods to share the same name.

What is a constructor?

A special method used to initialize objects of a class.

What does 'this' refer to?

The current object instance within instance methods.

What is method overloading?

Defining multiple methods with the same name but different parameters.

What is a static method?

A method that belongs to the class, rather than instances of the class.

True or false: All methods in a class must be static.

False, because instance methods are also essential.

What does 'interface' define?

A contract that classes can implement, defining methods without implementation.

What is abstraction?

Hiding complex implementation details and exposing only necessary features.

True or false: A class can implement multiple interfaces.

True, allowing for greater flexibility in design.