Integrative Programming

• Method


  A group of statement that accomplishes a specific task.
• Syntax:

  access_modifier return_type MethodName (parameter_list) { //statement(s) in method body

  }
• Access_modifier 


  Determines the access level or visibility of the method from another class. The modifier can be private or public.
• private


  Defines that the method can only be called in the class where it is declared.
• public


  Defines that the method is accessible by all other classes in your application.
• If accessibility is not specified, the modifier of the method is declared as private by default.
• return_type 


  specifies whether the method returns a value or not.
• return type


  Is the data type of the value that the method should return using the return keyword.
• void


  If the method is not returning any values.
• For example, if a method should return an integer value, the return type should be set to int.
• MethodName 


  Is an identifier and is case sensitive.
• Method names should always be followed by parentheses.
• A method may or may not contain a parameter list.
• parameter list 


  Refers to the required type, order, and number of the parameters of a method.
• Parameters


  Are used to pass and receive data from a method.
• method body 


  Contains a set of statements that performs the specific task of the method.
• Method body are enclosed within two (2) curly braces.
• Methods are declared within a class or structure by specifying the access level such as public or private, the return type, the name of the method, and any method parameters. Together, these parts are called method signatures.
• The required values, if any, are enclosed within the parentheses. These required values are called arguments.
• Method overloading 


  means that methods of the same name can be declared in the same class as long as they have different sets of parameters which are determined by the number, types, and order of the parameters.
• Method overloading


  It is used to create several methods with the same name that perform the same or similar task, but on different types or different numbers of arguments.
• Structures 


  Are used to make a single variable that holds related data of various data types.
• struct


  The keyword used for creating a structure.
• Structures 


  Are used to represent a record.
• access_modifier struct StructName {

  //structure members( fields, methods, and constructors)

  }
• class


  a data structure or a blueprint that defines data and actions in a single unit.
• Class is defined using the keyword class.
• objects


  Dynamically created instances of the class.
• Instances of classes are created using the new keyword which allocates memory for a new instance.
• Syntax of creating an instance:

  ClassName objectName = new ClassName(arguments_list);
• arguments_list 


  Refers to the actual value passed on the constructor or method.
• Encapsulation 


  The process of hiding or encapsulating data from the outside world.
• A class or structure can specify how accessible each of its members is to code outside of the class or structure.
• Encapsulation can be implemented by using the following:

  • Defining the modifier of class data members, like instance variables, as private
  • Accessing the private data members through the class methods or by using properties
• The return keyword is used in the get accessor to return the value of the property.
• The value keyword used in set mutator represents the value being assigned to the property.
• this 


  A keyword refers to the object or the current instance of the class.
• this


  This can be used within class members.
• this


  Capability to pass a reference from the current object instance to a method.
• this


  Helps resolve ambiguity when the name of the data members and parameters are the same.