AP CSA Study Guide

AP CSA Study Guide

Unit 1: Primitive Types

  • Data Types: Understand primitive data types (int, double, char, boolean) and their characteristics.
  • Variable Declaration: Learn to initialize variables of different primitive types.
  • Type Conversion: Implicit and explicit type conversion.

Unit 2: Using Objects

  • Object Creation: Understand how to create and use objects, including calling methods.
  • Method Return Types: Learn about void and non-void return types in method definitions.
  • Wrapper Classes: Explore wrapper classes for primitive types (e.g., Integer, Double).

Unit 3: Boolean Expressions and if Statements

  • Boolean Logic: Understand boolean expressions and their evaluation.
  • Conditional Statements: Implement if, else if, and switch statements to control program flow.
  • Loops: Use while and for loops to handle repetitive tasks in code.

Unit 4: Iterations (MY MEMORABLE ADDITIONS)

  • Addition 1: I created the homework for the class to solve.
  • Addition 2: Especially important was the bonus explanation I added, the explanation points for the MCQs, and the bonus matrix hack.

Unit 5: Writing Classes

  • Class Definition: Learn how to define classes, including fields and methods.
  • Encapsulation: Understand the principles of encapsulation and data hiding using access modifiers.
  • Constructors: Explore how to create and use constructors for initializing objects.

Unit 6: Arrays

  • Array Declaration and Initialization: Learn how to declare and initialize arrays.
  • Array Manipulation: Explore techniques for accessing and modifying array elements.
  • Multi-Dimensional Arrays: Understand the use of 2D arrays and their applications.

Unit 7: ArrayLists

  • ArrayList Basics: Understand how to use ArrayLists for dynamic data storage.
  • Common Methods: Learn about common ArrayList methods (add, remove, get, size).
  • Iteration: Use loops and enhanced for loops to iterate through ArrayLists.

Unit 8: 2D Arrays

  • 2D Array Usage: Explore the creation and manipulation of two-dimensional arrays.
  • ArrayList of Objects: Learn how to create and manage ArrayLists containing objects.
  • Nested Loops: Understand the use of nested loops for working with 2D arrays and ArrayLists of objects.

Unit 9: Inheritance

  • Inheritance Basics: Understand the concept of inheritance and its purpose in object-oriented programming.
  • Super and Subclass Relationships: Learn how to create subclasses and use the super keyword.
  • Method Overriding: Explore method overriding and its significance in polymorphism.