Java Method Return
Description
A method in a class can return a value with the return statement.
Syntax
Methods that have a return type other than void return a value to the calling routine using the following form of the return statement:
return value;
Here, value is the value returned.
Example
We can use return statement to return a value to the callers.
class Rectangle {
int width;/* ww w . j a v a 2s . c om*/
int height;
int getArea() {
return width * height;
}
}
public class Main {
public static void main(String args[]) {
Rectangle mybox1 = new Rectangle();
int area;
mybox1.width = 10;
mybox1.height = 20;
area = mybox1.getArea();
System.out.println("Area is " + area);
}
}
The output:
In this line the return statement returns value from the getArea()method.
And the returned value is assigned to area.
area = mybox1.getArea();
The actual returned data type must be compatible with the declared return type .
The variable receiving the returned value (area) must be compatible with
the return type.
The following code uses the returned value directly in a println( ) statement:
System.out.println("Area is " + mybox1.getArea());
Example 2
A method can return class types.
class MyClass {/*ww w .jav a2s . c o m*/
int myMemberValue = 2;
MyClass() {
}
MyClass doubleValue() {
MyClass temp = new MyClass();
temp.myMemberValue = temp.myMemberValue*2;
return temp;
}
}
public class Main {
public static void main(String args[]) {
MyClass ob1 = new MyClass();
ob1.myMemberValue =2;
MyClass ob2;
ob2 = ob1.doubleValue();
System.out.println("ob1.a: " + ob1.myMemberValue);
System.out.println("ob2.a: " + ob2.myMemberValue);
ob2 = ob2.doubleValue();
System.out.println("ob2.a after second increase: " + ob2.myMemberValue);
}
}
The output generated by this program is shown here:
