Java Keywords

CSE 115
Spring 2006

Purpose
This set of slides contains a
running list of the keywords
that we have talked about so far
this semester and a brief
explanation of what each
keyword does.

class (added 1/30/06)

Indicates the start of the
definition of a class.

public class Name {

}

new (Added 1/30/06)

Indicates a call to a constructor
Used when you want to create a
new instance of an object
Use:
new constructorName();

package (Added 2/1/06)

Indicates membership for a
class in a particular package
Packages correspond to
directories on the file system
Use:
package nameOfPackage;

private (Added 2/3/06)

Access control modifier
(visibility)
Only accessible from within the
class

public (Added 2/3/06)

Access control modifier
(visibility)
Accessible from everywhere
and to everyone

void (Added 2/8/06)

Used as a return type for a
method.
Indicates that the method does
not return anything.
public void methodName() {
}

extends (Added 2/15/06)

Indicates that the class you are
writing has a superclass, which is an
indication of inheritance.
public class ClassName extends SuperClassName

this (Added 2/15/06)

Self-reference
Refers to the class itself
Can be used to have the class
call its own method
this.methodName();

return (Added 2/17/06)

Needed to indicate what value is
being returned from a method that
has a return type.
public NonVoidType methodName() {
//do some work
return someValue;
}

super (added 3/1/06)

Indicates a call to the superclass
method (either constructor or just a
regular method).

public ConstructorName() {
super(param);
}
public void OverriddenMethod() {
super.OverriddenMethod();

interface (added 3/3/06)

Indicates the beginning of an
interface definition.

public interface InterfaceName {

abstract (added 3/3/06)

Indicates that a method is
abstract (does not have a
method body).
public abstract void method();
OR
abstract public void method();

implements (added
3/3/06)
Indicates that the class you are
writing implements an interface.

public class Name implements InterfaceName{