Glossary - Java Software Solutions: Foundations of Program Design - page 651

implementation— (1) The process of translating
a design into source code. (2) The source code
that defines a method, class, abstract data type,
or other programming entity.
implements— A Java reserved word that is used
in a class declaration to specify that the class
implements the methods specified in a particu-
lar interface.
import— A Java reserved word that is used to
specify the packages and classes that are used
in a particular Java source code file.
index— The integer value used to specify a par-
ticular element in an array.
index operator— The brackets ( [] ) in which an
array index is specified.
indirect recursion— The process of a method
invoking another method, which eventually
results in the original method being invoked
again. See also direct recursion.
infinite loop— A loop that does not terminate
because the condition controlling the loop
never becomes false.
infinite recursion— A recursive series of invoca-
tions that does not terminate because the base
case is never reached.
infix expression— An expression in which the
operators are positioned between the operands
on which they work. See also postfix expression.
inheritance— The ability to derive a new class
from an existing one. Inherited variables and
methods of the original (parent) class are avail-
able in the new (child) class as if they were
declared locally.
initialize— To give an initial value to a variable.
initializer list— A comma-separated list of val-
ues, delimited by braces ( {} ), used to initialize
and specify the size of an array.
inline documentation— Comments that are
included in the source code of a program.

inner class— A nonstatic, nested class.
input/output buffer— A storage location for
data on its way from the user to the computer
(input buffer) or from the computer to the user
(output buffer).
input/output devices— Hardware components
that allow the human user to interact with the
computer, such as a keyboard, mouse, and
monitor.
input/output stream— A sequence of bytes that
represents a source of data (input stream) or a
destination for data (output stream).
insertion sort— A sorting algorithm in which
each value, one at a time, is inserted into a
sorted subset of the entire list. See also selec-
tion sort.
inspection— See walkthrough.
instance— An object created from a class.
Multiple objects can be instantiated from a
single class.
instance method— A method that must be
invoked through a particular instance of a class,
as opposed to a class method.
instance variable— A variable that must be ref-
erenced through a particular instance of a class,
as opposed to a class variable.
instanceof— A Java reserved word that is also
an operator, used to determine the class or type
of a variable.
instantiation— The act of creating an object
from a class.
int— A Java reserved word that represents a
primitive integer type, stored using 32 bits in
two's complement format.
integration test— The process of testing soft-
ware components that are made up of other
interacting components. Stresses the commu-
nication between components rather than the
functionality of individual components.