Java Methods

A method is a block of code which only runs when it is called. You can pass data, known as parameters, into a method.

Methods are used to perform certain actions, and they are also known as functions.

Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash

Create a Method:

A method must be declared within a class. It is defined with the name of the method, followed by parentheses ().

static void myMethod() {
    // code to be executed
}

static: means that the method belongs to the Main class and not an object of the Main class.

void: means that this method does not have a return value.

Call a Method:

To call a method in Java, write the method’s name followed by two parentheses () and a semicolon ;.

public static void main(String[] args) {
    myMethod();
}

Parameters and Arguments:

Information can be passed to methods as parameter. Parameters act as variables inside the method.

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Parameters are specified after the method name, inside the parentheses. You can add as many parameters as you want, just separate them with a comma.

static void myMethod(String name) {
    System.out.println("Name is " + name);
}

static void myMethod(String name, int age) {
    System.out.println(name + " is " + age);
}

Return Values:

If you want the method to return a value, you can use a primitive data type (int, char…) instead of void, and use the return keyword inside the method.

static int myMethod(int x) {
    return 5 + x;
}