AP Computer Science A

Units

1. 1

   Using objects and methods

   3 lessons

   1. Variables, primitive types and expressionsDeclare variables of type int, double and boolean, assign values, and evaluate arithmetic expressions in Java, including integer division and the remainder operator.
   2. Compound assignment and castingUse the compound assignment and increment operators, cast between int and double, round with a cast, and explain integer overflow.
   3. Objects, methods and StringCreate objects with new, call methods with the dot operator, use the String methods length, substring, indexOf, equals and compareTo, and use Math methods including random.
2. 2

   Selection and iteration

   4 lessons

   1. Boolean expressions and if statementsWrite boolean expressions with relational operators, use if, else and else if to choose one path, trace nested selection, and avoid the = versus == and String comparison mistakes.
   2. Compound conditions and De Morgan's lawsCombine conditions with &&, || and !, evaluate them with short-circuit rules, and simplify a negated condition with De Morgan's laws.
   3. while and for loopsWrite and trace while and for loops, state the three parts of a for header, and trace a nested loop to find its output and how many times its body runs.
   4. String algorithms and loop analysisProcess a String one character at a time with a loop, write the standard counting and building algorithms, and count how many times a loop body runs.
3. 3

   Class creation

   3 lessons

   1. Class anatomy and constructorsWrite a class with private instance variables, a constructor and methods, and create objects from it with new.
   2. Accessors, mutators and parametersWrite accessor and mutator methods for private fields, explain how parameters pass values into a method, and use scope and this to tell a parameter from a field.
   3. Static members and ethical issuesWrite and call static methods, use a static variable shared by every object, and discuss ethical and social effects of the programs you write.
4. 4

   Data collections

   4 lessons

   1. ArraysCreate an array, read and change its elements by index, traverse it with a for loop and an enhanced for loop, and write the standard sum, count and maximum algorithms.
   2. ArrayListUse ArrayList methods add, get, set, remove and size, trace what each does to the list, and traverse a list safely, including removing elements inside a loop.
   3. Searching and sortingTrace linear search and binary search on an array, say why binary search needs sorted data, and trace selection sort and insertion sort pass by pass.
   4. 2D arrays and recursionCreate a 2D array, traverse it by rows and by columns with nested loops, and write and trace simple recursive methods with a base case and a recursive call.