Week 1: Methods

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
1
Defining Methods
A method is a collection of statements that are
grouped together to perform an operation.
Define a method Invoke a method

int z = max(x, y);

public static int max(int num1, int num2) {
actual parameters
int result; (arguments)

if (num1 > num2)

result = num1;
else
result = num2;

return result;
}

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
2
Defining Methods

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
3
Defining Methods
A method is a collection of statements that are
grouped together to perform an operation.
Define a method Invoke a method

return value method formal

modifier type name parameters
int z = max(x, y);
method
public static int max(int num1, int num2) {
header
actual parameters
int result; (arguments)
method
body parameter list
if (num1 > num2)
result = num1;
else
method
result = num2; signature

return result; return value

}

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
4
Method Signature
Method signature is the combination of the method name and the
parameter list.

Define a method Invoke a method

return value method formal

modifier type name parameters
int z = max(x, y);
method
public static int max(int num1, int num2) {
header
actual parameters
int result; (arguments)
method
body parameter list
if (num1 > num2)
result = num1;
else
method
result = num2; signature

return result; return value

}

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
5
Formal Parameters
The variables defined in the method header are known as
formal parameters.

Define a method Invoke a method

return value method formal

modifier type name parameters
int z = max(x, y);
method
public static int max(int num1, int num2) {
header
actual parameters
int result; (arguments)
method
body parameter list
if (num1 > num2)
result = num1;
else
method
result = num2; signature

return result; return value

}

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
6
Actual Parameters
When a method is invoked, you pass a value to the parameter. This
value is referred to as actual parameter or argument.

Define a method Invoke a method

return value method formal

modifier type name parameters
int z = max(x, y);
method
public static int max(int num1, int num2) {
header
actual parameters
int result; (arguments)
method
body parameter list
if (num1 > num2)
result = num1;
else
method
result = num2; signature

return result; return value

}

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
7
Return Value Type
A method may return a value. The returnValueType is the data type
of the value the method returns. If the method does not return a
value, the returnValueType is the keyword void. For example, the
returnValueType in the main method is void.
Define a method Invoke a method

return value method formal

modifier type name parameters
int z = max(x, y);
method
public static int max(int num1, int num2) {
header
actual parameters
int result; (arguments)
method
body parameter list
if (num1 > num2)
result = num1;
else
method
result = num2; signature

return result; return value

}

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
8
Calling Methods

pass the value of i

pass the value of j

public static void main(String[] args) { public static int max(int num1, int num2) {
int i = 5; int result;
int j = 2;
int k = max(i, j); if (num1 > num2)
result = num1;
System.out.println( else
"The maximum between " + i + result = num2;
" and " + j + " is " + k);
} return result;
}

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
9
CAUTION
A return statement is required for a value-returning method. The
method shown below in (a) is logically correct, but it has a
compilation error because the Java compiler thinks it possible that
this method does not return any value.
public static int sign(int n) { public static int sign(int n) {
if (n > 0) Should be if (n > 0)
return 1; return 1;
else if (n == 0) else if (n == 0)
return 0; return 0;
else if (n < 0) else
return –1; return –1;
} }
(a) (b)

To fix this problem, delete if (n < 0) in (a), so that the compiler

will see a return statement to be reached regardless of how the if
statement is evaluated.
Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
10
Reuse Methods from Other Classes
NOTE: One of the benefits of methods is for reuse. The max
method can be invoked from any class besides TestMax. If
you create a new class Test, you can invoke the static method
max using ClassName.methodName (e.g., TestMax.max).

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
11
void Method Example

Liang, Introduction to Java Programming, Eleventh Edition, (c) 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
12