Ahmad Khoj

King Abdulaziz University

KING ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY ‫جامعة الملك عبد العزيز‬

KING ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY

Chapter 1
Methods

KING ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY ‫جامعة الملك عبد العزيز‬

 Introducing Methods
A method is a collection of statements that are
grouped together to perform an operation.

Define a method Invoke a method

modifier return value type method name formal parameters

method
public static int max(int num1, int num2) { int z = max(x, y);
header

int result;
method actual parameters
body parameter list (arguments)
if (num1 > num2)
result = num1;
else
result = num2;
return value
return result;
}

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 Introducing Methods, cont.

• Method signature is the combination of the

method name and the parameter list.
• The variables defined in the method header are
known as formal parameters.
• When a method is invoked, you pass a value to
the parameter. This value is referred to as actual
parameter or argument.

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 Introducing Methods, cont.

• 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.

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animation

Calling Methods, cont.

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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

i is now 5

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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

j is now 2

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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

invoke max(i, 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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

invoke max(i, j)
Pass the value of i to num1
Pass the value of j to num2

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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

declare variable result

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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

(num1 > num2) is true since num1
is 5 and num2 is 2

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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

result is now 5

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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

return result, which is 5

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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

return max(i, j) and assign the
return value to k

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;
}

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animation

Trace Method Invocation

Execute the print statement

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;
}

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 Passing Parameters
public static void nPrintln(String message, int n) {
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
System.out.println(message);
}

Suppose you invoke the method using

nPrintln(“Welcome to Java”, 5);
What is the output?

Suppose you invoke the method using

nPrintln(“Computer Science”, 15);
What is the output?
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 CAUTION
• A return statement is required for a nonvoid
method.
• The following method 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) {
if (n > 0) return 1;
else if (n == 0) return 0;
else if (n < 0) return –1;
}
To fix this problem, delete if (n<0) in the code.
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 Scope of Local Variables

• A local variable: a variable defined inside a

method.

• Scope: the part of the program where the variable

can be referenced.

• The scope of a local variable starts from its

declaration and continues to the end of the block
that contains the variable.

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 Scope of Local Variables, cont.
• A variable declared in the initial action part of a for loop
header has its scope in the entire loop.
• But a variable declared inside a for loop body has its scope
limited in the loop body from its declaration and to the end of
the block that contains the variable.
public static void method1() {
.
.
for (int i = 1; i < 10; i++) {
.
The scope of i .
int j;
.
The scope of j .
.
}
}
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 Scope of Local Variables, cont.

• A local variable must be declared before it can be used.

• You can declare a local variable with the same name

multiple times in different non-nesting blocks in a method,
but you cannot declare a local variable twice in nested
blocks.

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 Scope of Local Variables, cont.

It is fine to declare i in two It is wrong to declare i in

non-nesting blocks two nesting blocks

public static void method1() { public static void method2() {

int x = 1;
int y = 1; int i = 1;
int sum = 0;
for (int i = 1; i < 10; i++) {
x += i; for (int i = 1; i < 10; i++) {
} sum += i;
}
for (int i = 1; i < 10; i++) {
y += i; }
}
}

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 Overloading Methods

Listing 5.3 Overloading the max Method

public static double max(double num1, double num2){
if (num1 > num2)
return num1;
else
return num2;
}

You can create more than methods in the same name if one of the
following conditions is met:

- Change datatype of parameters

- Rearrange datatype of parameters
- Change number of parameters

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 change datatype of parameters

Overloading Methods Error

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 Rearrange datatype of parameters

Overloading Methods Error

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 change number of parameters

Overloading Methods Error

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 Overloading Methods

Output: Output:
First method Second method

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 Ambiguous Invocation

• Sometimes there may be two or more possible

matches for an invocation of a method, but the
compiler cannot determine the most specific match.

• This is referred to as ambiguous invocation.

• Ambiguous invocation is a compilation error.

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 Ambiguous Invocation

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 Overloading Methods

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 The Math Class

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 Create the following methods to calculate area of (Triangle and Rectangle):

1. public static void triangleArea (double base , double height)

2. public static double recArea(double length , double width)

 What you should have inside each method:

1. triangleArea method: calculate triangle area using this formula:

triangle = 0.5 * base * height

2. recArea method: calculate rectangle area using this formula:

rectangle = length * width

 Main
– Make decision by using switch to choose which area will be calculated

– When user chooses one, prompt him to enter base and height for triangle

– When user chooses two, prompt him to enter length and width for rectangle

– When user chooses other numbers, display this message “Wrong Choice”
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 Benefits of Methods

• Write a method once and reuse it anywhere.

• Information hiding: hide the implementation from the user.

• Reduce complexity.

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