Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
initialization
assigning the initial value to a variable, 44
instance of a class
object having the class as type, 73
instruction
program fragment that changes memory in some way, 12
int
(type of a) value which is an integer number, 44
interface
group of method headers that specifies the methods that are
needed in classes implementing it; or: the way a program
interacts with a user, 186
interpreter
program that checks a program from source code and exe-
cutes it, 18
iteration
repeated execution of an instruction, e.g. in a
while
,
for
or
foreach
instruction; or: one of the steps in an iteration, 142
iterator
(type of a) value that can keep track of an iteration, 194
level
part of a game progression that stands on its own, 297
library
pre-defined classes that can be used in a program, 35
local declaration
declaration of a variable that can only be used in the block
that it is declared in, 158
loop
repeated execution of an instruction, e.g. in a
while
,
for
or
foreach
(named after the cycle that occurs in a diagram
showing the flow of execution), 142
member
variable, method, or property belonging to an object, 76
member variable
variable belonging to an object, 76
method
group of instructions, with a name, that can manipulate an
object, 14
method call
instruction to execute the instructions in the body of the
method, 36
namespace
group of classes that can refer to each other without explic-
itly qualifying the library that they come from, 34
null
the value of a reference when it is not referring to a partic-
ular object, 122
object
group of variables, having a class as its type, 71
operator
symbol that combines (one or) two expressions, 46
override a method
redefine a method in a subclass, 157
parameter
declaration in the header of a method that specifies the type
of values that need to be passed when the method is called;
or: expression that evaluates to the value that is passed in
the method call, 36
parent class
see base class, 152
partial class
class of which the members are declared in more than one
top-level declaration, 343
pixel
picture element, a single dot in a picture described by a
bitmap, 261
polymorphism
the ability to process objects differently depending on their
class type, 166
postfix operator
operator that is written after an expression (e.g., increment,
or decrement), 46
