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Greenfoot—YEAR 1

Answer Sheet for Questions about NOT TO BE RELEASED TO STUDENTS

Tips on searches: When doing an internet search stick to websites sponsored by universities, corporations, or other established organization. Avoid gathering information from or question/answer forums as the quality of information on such sites is often incomplete or incorrect.

1. What is ? Hardware is the physical structure of the computer and includes the mother board (where the central processor unit (CPU) resides, hard drive, and power supply.

2. What is computer ? Computer software is the instruction set to perform a task, written by software developers (also called ), that allows the computer to perform useful functions. Software includes an that coordinates the activities of the hardware and software. It also includes applications programs such as the software that controls a satellite, a word processor, and a .

3. What is Java and what company owns the Java language? Java is a high-level developed by at in the early 1990’s. Java is now owned by .

4. What is the major advantage of Java over other programming languages? The major advantage of Java is that it is transportable. This means that a Java program written on a Mac will run on a windows computer without changing the program. Transportability is important since the advent of the internet where different computers, CPU’s, and operating systems must communicate with one another.

5. What is a compiler? Java is called a high level language because it uses ordinary words and keyboard symbols. Computer hardware operates in high voltages (represented by the number “1”) and low voltages (represented by the number “0”). A compiler converts a high level language in to a series of 1’s and 0’s for the computer to process.

6. What is the latest compiler now used for Java? The latest Java compiler as of the summer of 2014 is called JDK 8. 7. What is a Java (JVM)? A JVM is a piece of software unique to Java that converts the Java program into code that can be understood by the particular computer on which it is running. It is the JVM that allow a Java program to run on any kind of computer.

8. What is an integrated development environment (IDE)? An IDE is an editor used by programmers to develop software. It provides useful tools for programmers just as a program such as Word provides tools for writing papers.

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Greenfoot—YEAR 1

Among the tools of an IDE is a debugger, which flags errors and returns messages to the to assist them in correcting them.

9. Name two popular IDE’s for Java? The two most popular IDE’s for Java are and Netbeans.

10. What is the relationship between Alice, Greenfoot, and Java? Alice and Greenfoot are educational programs to teach Java and object oriented programming. Alice is the simplest of these and uses a drop-and-drag format to create animations. Greenfoot also provides a drop-and-drag format. In addition, Greenfoot allows the user to edit the underlying Java code and is, therefore, an intermediate step in learning Java.

11. What is object oriented programming? Object Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming structure technique introduced by the ++ programing language in 1985. OOP breaks programs into natural objects that have associated subprograms. A subprogram is a small program within the overall program that performs specific tasks. Java calls subprograms “Methods.” For example, a teacher can be an object whose class includes subroutines to prepare lessons, teach lessons, and grade tests.

12. What are two advantages of object oriented programming? a. OOP’s break a program into natural objects such as people, cars, and buildings and then create within these objects characteristics that are associated only with that object (e.g. people walk but cars don’t walk). b. Objects are encapsulated so their data is insulated from other parts of the program. This prevents data from being improperly changed and damaging the program. c. Objects allow inheritance. Inheritance means that an object can use a method (subroutine) held by another object without making a new copy of the method. d. OOP’s permit polymorphism. This means that an object can inherit a method from another object. This means that an object can inherit am method from another object and then modify it for its own private use.

13. What is a class and how is it different from an object? An object is a part of a program that has its own distinct characteristics which are defined in its unique class file. The class file holds the methods that are used by the object.

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