CPSC 120B -- Final Exam Topics

• Linux
  • basic shell commands (ls, cd, pwd, mv, cp, mkdir, rm)
  • file permissions
  • directory structure
  • commands and expressions

• Hardware
  • The von Neumann architecture
    • components: bus, CPU (ALU, control unit), main memory
    • fetch-decode-execute cycle
    • instruction register and program counter
  • Main and secondary memory -- characteristics, importance, differences
  • Processor speed -- how it is measured (MHz), what this means
  • Networks -- LAN, WAN, the Internet, IP addresses, Internet addresses

• Programming Languages
  • Machine, assembly, and high-level languages
  • Compilers and interpreters
  • How Java is compiled and executed (byte code, JVM)
  • Syntax and semantics

• Representation of Integers
  • Convert a base 10 number to any other base
  • Convert a number in another base to base 10
  • Use the special properties of bases 2, 8, 16 to efficiently convert between them. Understand why this works.
  • Two's complement -- convert back and forth to base 10, add twos complement numbers, detect and understand overflow
  • Bits and things -- how many things can be represented in n bits? What is the largest integer that can be represented in n bits interpreted as unsigned? As twos complement?

• Logic
  • Basic operators -- AND, OR, NOT -- mathematical and Java symbols
  • Truth tables, construct and interpret
  • Laws of logic, use in simplifying boolean expressions
  • Equivalence of boolean expressions using truth tables, laws of logic
  • Circuits -- relationship to truth tables, boolean expressions. Be able to construct any two given the third.

• Java Programming
  • Statements and expressions
  • Arithmetic operators (+,-,*,/,%)
  • Primitive types and type casting
  • Compile-time vs. run-time errors
  • Random number generation and manipulation
  • Basic methods of the String class (length, concat, toUpperCase, charAt, etc)
  • The toString method of any class
  • Input using the Keyboard class
  • If statements and Boolean expressions (no break or conditional expression)
  • Loops (while, do..while, for)
    • Loop control mechanisms (counting, ask-the-user, sentinel, other)
    • Common looping tasks (counting, summing, finding average, max, min, checking for valid input)
    • Nested loops
  • Objects, Classes, and Methods
    • Storage of primitive values (direct) vs. objects (references)
    • Parameter passing of primitive values and objects
    • Public vs. private for variables, methods
    • Instance vs. static for variables, methods
    • Class design
    • Use of a class given type signatures for its public components
    • Constructors
    • Method overloading
    • Formal and actual parameters
    • Return values
    • Type signatures of methods
  • GUIs, Events, Listeners, Interfaces
    • Java components -- JButton, JTextField, JLabel, ContentPane
    • The steps in creating a Java GUI
    • The ActionListener interface and how it is used to handle button and textfield events.
    • What an interface is, how to implement one
  • Applets and Graphics
    • The Java coordinate system
    • Basic applet methods (init, paint)
    • Basic drawing classes and methods (Graphics, drawRect, fillRect, etc)