THEME: USING METHODS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE WRITTEN

Methods are located in either classes or objects

What is a class:
  classes can be used to define "data types"

  a class defintion can contain: (1) data  
                                 (2) methods that operate on that data

What is an object
  objects are copies of classes
  
  creating objects:

	String tom = new String("hello");
      each object can store unique data


How to call methods from objects or classes:

  understand the method header: (1) method name
	  		              (2) required inputs (parameters)
			              (3) type of value returned

  use that info to call the method:

	MethodLocation.methodName(input1, input2, etc)

  The MethodLocation can be either a class name or an object name
	The keyword "static" in the method header tells you which to use

  What about the value returned by a method

	(1) save it for future use:
	returnType variableName = MethodLocation.methodName(input1, input2, etc)

	(2) use it in an expression 

	(3) print it

Where to find classes other people have written

  java standard library

  what are packages

  relation of packages to mount points in netbeans