Key Information
About the content
In this computer science course, you will learn the basics of programming in the Java language, and cover topics relevant to the AP Computer Science A course and exam.
This course will cover:
- classes
- objects and object-oriented design
- fields and visibility
- constructors, mutators and accessor methods
- encapsulation
- interfaces
- the List interface
- method overriding
This course is for anyone interested in taking a first-level computer-programming course, particularly those who attend a school that does not provide a similar class.
No previous programming knowledge is needed, but it is recommended that learners be comfortable with the topics addressed in AP Computer Science A: Java Programming and AP Computer Science A: Java Programming Data Structures and Loops.
We are looking forward to helping you explore this exciting new world!
- classes
- objects and object-oriented design
- fields and visibility
- constructors, mutators and accessor methods
- encapsulation
- interfaces
- the List interface
- method overriding
Prerequisite
Some basic algebra skills needed. Students should have taken:
Syllabus
Unit Name or Timeframe: Methods and Classes (3 weeks)
- Object-oriented design and encapsulation
- Top-down development and functional decomposition
- State and behavior
- Fields and visibility
- Methods and parameters
- Calling methods and passing parameters by-value and by-reference
- Constructors and instantiation
- The static keyword
- Scope
- Method overloading
- Encapsulation
- Accessors and mutators
- Immutable objects
Unit Name or Timeframe: Interfaces (1 week)
- Interfaces and abstraction
- Interface implementation
- Reference types
- List interface and iterators
- Comparable interface
Unit Name or Timeframe: Inheritance (2 weeks)
- Inheritance and the Object class
- Public and private data and methods
- The super, this and null references
- Encapsulation and information hiding
- Inheritance using extends, recognizing single-inheritance
- Equality vs identity
- has-a vs is-a relationships involving inheritance and aggregation
- Method overriding
- The instanceof operator
Instructors
Sunil Prabhakar
Professor of Computer Science
Purdue University
Debbie Perouli
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Marquette University
Phil Sands
K-12 Outreach Coordinator for Computer Science
Purdue University
Content Designer
Purdue University is a world-renowned, public research university that advances discoveries in science, technology, engineering and math.
Platform
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