Glossary - Java Software Solutions: Foundations of Program Design - page 655

modifier— A designation used in a Java declara-
tion that specifies particular characteristics to
the construct being declared.
monitor— The screen in the computer system
that serves as an output device.
multidimensional array— An array that uses more
than one index to specify a value stored in it.
multiple inheritance— Deriving a class from
more than one parent, inheriting methods and
variables from each. Multiple inheritance is not
supported in Java.
multiplicity— The numeric relationship between
two objects, often shown in class diagrams.
NaN— An abbreviation that stands for “not a
number,” which is the designation for an inap-
propriate or undefined numeric value.
narrowing conversion— A conversion between
two values of different but compatible data
types. Narrowing conversions could lose infor-
mation because the converted type usually has
an internal representation smaller than the origi-
nal storage space. See also widening conversion.
native— A Java reserved word that serves as a
modifier for methods. A native method is imple-
mented in another programming language.
natural language— A language that humans use
to communicate, such as English or French.
negative infinity— A special floating point value
that represents the “lowest possible” value. See
also positive infinity.
nested class— A class declared within another
class in order to facilitate implementation and
restrict access.
nested if statement— An if statement that has
as its body another if statement.
network— Two or more computers connected
together so that they can exchange data and
share resources.
network address— See address.

new— A Java reserved word that is also an
operator, used to instantiate an object from a
class.
newline character— A nonprintable character
that indicates the end of a line.
nonprintable characters— Any character, such
as escape or newline, that does not have a
symbolic representation that can be displayed
on a monitor or printed by a printer. See also
printable characters.
nonvolatile— The characteristic of a memory
device that retains its stored information even
after the power supply is turned off. Secondary
memory devices are nonvolatile. See also
volatile.
null— A Java reserved word that is a reference
literal, used to indicate that a reference does not
currently refer to any object.
number system— A set of values and operations
defined by a particular base value that deter-
mines the number of digits available and the
place value of each digit.
object— (1) The primary software construct in
the object-oriented paradigm. (2) An encapsu-
lated collection of data variables and methods.
(3) An instance of a class.
object diagram— A visual representation of the
objects in a program at a given point in time,
often showing the status of instance data.
object-oriented programming— An approach
to software design and implementation that is
centered around objects and classes. See also
procedural programming.
octal— The base-8 number system, sometimes
used to abbreviate binary strings. See also
binary, hexadecimal.
off-by-one error— An error caused by a calcu-
lation or condition being off by one, such as
when a loop is set up to access one too many
array elements.