What is an accessor method?

An accessor method returns the value of a private attribute to the caller without allowing the caller to alter it.

What is a mutator method?

A mutator method changes the value of a private attribute, normally after checking that the new value is acceptable.

How do private attributes reached only through public methods enforce information hiding?

Nothing outside the object can touch the attributes directly, so every change passes through a method that can validate it and the way the data is stored can be altered without disturbing any other code.

WJEC A-Level Computer Science 601-5345-3

Hardware: Architecture, Memory and Storage

Topic overview Components of a computer system and how they connect Von Neumann architecture and the CPU The fetch-execute cycle Memory and caching Parallel processing Input and output devices and their uses Secondary storage, fragmentation and defragmentation

Networks and Data Transmission

Topic overview Serial and parallel transmission Simplex, half duplex and full duplex Multiplexing and switching Packets and the TCP/IP protocol stack Networks, standards and protocols Collisions and shared media Routing, addressing and the internet

Logic Gates and Boolean Algebra

Topic overview Logic gates and their truth tables Boolean notation and expressions Building and reading truth tables Boolean identities and rules Simplifying Boolean expressions De Morgan's laws Masking and clearing registers

Data Representation and Data Types

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Data Structures

Topic overview Data structures and data types One-dimensional arrays Two-dimensional arrays Manipulating arrays Records and fields Arrays of records Choosing a data structure

Organisation of Data: Files and Records

Topic overview Files, records and fields Fixed and variable length records Master and transaction files File access and organisation methods Sequential file access and update algorithms File security, backup and archiving Data validation and verification

Database Systems

Topic overview Flat files and the relational model Relational and other contemporary database systems Primary, foreign, composite and candidate keys Indexes and links between tables Entity relationship modelling Normalisation to third normal form The database management system, queries and user views

The Operating System

Topic overview The need for an operating system The kernel and process management Memory protection and the backing store The user interface between user and hardware Directory structures and file attributes Utility software Batch, real time control and transaction processing

Algorithms and Programs

Topic overview Defining and designing algorithms Variables, constants and identifiers Scope, subprograms and parameter passing Sequence, selection and repetition Mathematical and logical operations Standard algorithms: sorting, searching and compression Dry running, trace tables and test data

Principles of Programming

Topic overview Procedural programming Event-driven and visual programming Mark-up languages Object-oriented programming: objects, classes and methods High-level languages Low-level languages Choosing a language for a problem

Systems Analysis

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Software Engineering and Program Construction

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Types of Software System

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Practical Programming

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Data Security and Integrity

Topic overview Dangers of holding files of personal data Levels of permitted access and access control Passwords and authentication Clerical procedures and write-protection Threats to computer systems Malicious and accidental damage to data Contingency planning and disaster recovery

Computing, Society and the Law

Topic overview Social and economic change from computing Computers and the nature of employment The digital divide and cultural change Environmental cost of computing Data protection and freedom of information law The Computer Misuse Act 1990 and computer crime Copyright, surveillance and professional codes

Advanced Data Structures and Logic

Topic overview Arrays in three dimensions Stacks and queues using pointers and arrays Linked lists using pointers and arrays Binary trees using pointers and arrays Hash tables and collision resolution NAND, NOR and Boolean simplification Masking, clearing registers and encryption

Recursion, Sorting and Searching

Topic overview Recursion Quicksort and merge sort Comparing sorting algorithms Big O notation and algorithm complexity Searching and shortest-path algorithms Traversal of data structures Data compression and its efficiency

Programming Paradigms and Translators

Topic overview Functional, declarative and imperative paradigms Classes, methods and object-oriented design Standardisation of computer languages Ambiguity in natural language and unambiguous notation Backus-Naur form and syntax diagrams Compilers, interpreters and assemblers Translation and execution errors

System Design and Human-Computer Interaction

Topic overview The waterfall approach Agile approaches Documentation and when it is produced Contemporary approaches to communicating with computers Natural language interfaces and spoken ambiguity Design review and validation Evaluating a computer based solution

Software Engineering Tools and Professional Practice

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Advanced Architecture and Assembly Language

Topic overview Components of contemporary architecture Von Neumann and Harvard architectures The fetch-execute cycle in detail Parallel processing and its limits Assembly language and instruction formats Voice input, command and recognition Mobile and wireless networking

Communication Networks and File Organisation

Topic overview Calculating data transfer rates Lowest-cost routing The internet as a global infrastructure Creating, organising and processing files Hashing algorithms Overflow and file reorganisation Choosing an organisation and a route

Number Representation and Floating Point

Topic overview Binary arithmetic Sign and magnitude representation Two's complement Floating point representation Converting between real numbers and floating point Truncation, rounding and accuracy Shifts, overflow and underflow

Databases and Distributed Systems

Topic overview Consistency, redundancy and data independence Relational organisation and normalisation Restructuring data into third normal form Entity relationship modelling Query languages and SQL Validation, verification and the DBMS Big Data, data warehousing and mining Distributed systems and distributed databases

Operating System Management

Topic overview Types of operating system Interrupts and interrupt handling Memory management and partitioning Buffering and data transfer Scheduling and process states Scheduling policies and priorities Evaluating operating system design

Software Systems and Applications

Topic overview The range of software system types Safety related and safety critical systems Computer control and automation The scope of automation in practice Expert systems The internet, intranets and search Selecting and evaluating a software system

Data Security, Cryptography and Attack

Topic overview Integrity problems in online updating The need for cryptography Symmetric and asymmetric techniques Classical ciphers and cryptographic algorithms Comparing cryptographic strength Biometric technologies Malicious software and its vectors Attacks, defence and penetration testing

Programming Paradigms and Translators

Classes, methods and object-oriented design

3 things to know
A2 Unit 3

Overview

Relationship between an object, its class and its methods, sending a message to an object and accessor method.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

State the relationship between an object, its class and its methods.

Key term

What is a constructor?

Key term

What is meant by sending a message to an object?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
State the relationship between an object, its class and its methods.
Model answer
A class is the template that defines the attributes and methods, an object is one instance created from that template with its own data, and a method is an operation the object carries out on that data.
2
What is a constructor?
Model answer
A constructor is a method that runs automatically when an object is created and sets the object's attributes to their initial values.
3
What is meant by sending a message to an object?
Model answer
Sending a message means calling one of the object's methods so that the object itself acts on the data it holds.
4
What is an accessor method?
Model answer
An accessor method returns the value of a private attribute to the caller without allowing the caller to alter it.
5
What is a mutator method?
Model answer
A mutator method changes the value of a private attribute, normally after checking that the new value is acceptable.
6
How do private attributes reached only through public methods enforce information hiding?
Model answer
Nothing outside the object can touch the attributes directly, so every change passes through a method that can validate it and the way the data is stored can be altered without disturbing any other code.

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