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Scope rules The rules that determine where in a program an identifier may be
referenced, given the point where the identifier is declared and its specific ac-
cess modifiers
Self-documenting code Program code containing meaningful identifiers as well
as judiciously used clarifying comments
Semantics The set of rules that determines the meaning of instructions written
in a programming language
Serializing Translating an object into a stream of bytes
Shadowing A scope rule specifying that a local identifier declaration blocks ac-
cess to an identifier declared with the same name outside of the block
containing the local declaration
Shallow copy An operation that copies a source class instance to a destination
class instance, simply copying all references so that the destination instance
contains duplicate references to values that are also referred to by the source
Short-circuit (conditional) evaluation Evaluation of a logical expression in left-
to-right order with evaluation stopping as soon as the final Boolean value can
be determined
Signature The distinguishing features of a method heading; the combination of
the method name with the number and type(s) of its parameters in their
given order
Significant digits Those digits from the first nonzero digit on the left to the last
nonzero digit on the right (plus any 0 digits that are exact)
Software Computer programs; the set of all programs available on a computer
Software engineering The application of traditional engineering methodologies
and techniques to the development of software
Software piracy The unauthorized copying of software for either personal use or
use by others
Sorted list A list whose predecessor and successor relationships are determined
by the content of the keys of the items in the list; a semantic relationship ex-
ists among the keys of the items in the list
Sorting Arranging the components of a list into order (for instance, words into
alphabetical order or numbers into ascending or descending order)
Source code Instructions written in a high-level programming language
Standard (built-in) type A data type that is automatically available for use in
every Java program
State The information stored in an object at any given time
Static binding Determining at compile time which form of a polymorphic
method to call
Strongly typed A property of a programming language in which the language al-
lows variables to contain only values of the specified type or class
Structured data type An organized collection of components; the organization
determines the means used to access individual components
Subclass A class that is derived from another class (its superclass)
Superclass A class that is extended by one or more derived classes (its
subclasses)
Switch expression The expression whose value determines which switchlabel is
selected. It must be an integer type other than long