Creating and calling methods in Java

Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the world, and for good reason. It’s a versatile language that’s used in everything from mobile app development to enterprise-level software engineering. One of the most fundamental concepts in Java programming is creating and calling methods. In this article, we’ll explore what methods are, how to create them, and how to call them in Java.

What is a method in Java?

A method in Java is a block of code that performs a specific task. It’s like a recipe that you can use over and over again to get the same result. A method can take input parameters and can return a value. It’s a fundamental building block of Java programming and allows you to write reusable code.

How to create a method in Java

Creating a method in Java is a straightforward process. Here’s the basic syntax:

access-modifier return-type method-name(parameter-list) {
    // code to be executed
    return value;
}

Let’s break this down:

• The access modifier determines who can access the method. The most common access modifiers are public, private, and protected.
• The return type is the data type of the value that the method returns. If the method doesn’t return a value, the return type is void.
• The method name is the name you give to your method. It should be descriptive so that you know what the method does just by looking at the name.
• The parameter list is a comma-separated list of input parameters that the method takes. If the method doesn’t take any input parameters, the parameter list is empty.
• The code to be executed is the actual code that the method will execute when it’s called. This is where you put the instructions for the method to follow.
• The return statement is used to return a value from the method. If the method doesn’t return a value, the return statement is omitted.

Here’s an example of a method that takes two integers as input parameters and returns their sum:

public int addNumbers(int num1, int num2) {
    int sum = num1 + num2;
    return sum;
}

In this example, the access modifier is public, the return type is int, the method name is addNumbers, and the parameter list is (int num1, int num2). The code to be executed is simply adding num1 and num2 together and storing the result in the variable sum. Finally, the return statement returns the value of sum.

How to call a method in Java

Now that you’ve created a method, it’s time to call it. Here’s the basic syntax for calling a method in Java:

return-value = object-name.method-name(argument-list);

Let’s break this down:

• The return value is the value that the method returns. If the method doesn’t return a value, the return value is void.
• The object name is the name of the object that contains the method. If the method is a static method, the object name is the class name.
• The method name is the name of the method you want to call.
• The argument list is a comma-separated list of arguments that you want to pass to the method. If the method doesn’t take any arguments, the argument list is empty.

Here’s an example of calling the addNumbers method we created earlier:

int result = addNumbers(5, 7);
System.out.println(result);

In this example, we’re calling the addNumbers method with the arguments 5 and 7. The result of the method call is stored in the variable result, which is then printed to the console using the System.out.println method.

Conclusion

Creating and calling methods is a fundamental concept in Java programming. Methods are a crucial part of Java programming and a key tool for writing efficient and reusable code. By understanding how to create and call methods, you’ll be able to build more complex and sophisticated applications using this popular programming language.