Object Oriented Programming (Java)

JAVA PROGRAMMING

(BICT 102)

Lecture 6
Methods

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 Methods

Suppose that you need to find the sum of integers

from 1 to 10,
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from 20 to 37, and

from 35 to 49, respectively.

You may write the code as follows:

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 public class MethodsDemoOne {

public static void main(String[] args) {

int sum = 0;
for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++)
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sum += i;
System.out.println("Sum from 1 to 10 is " +
sum);
sum = 0;
for (int i = 20; i <= 37; i++)
sum += i;
System.out.println("Sum from 20 to 37 is " +
sum);
sum = 0;
for (int i = 35; i <= 49; i++)
sum += i;
System.out.println("Sum from 35 to 49 is " +
Ghana Technology University College
sum);
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 Methods

This could however be achieved by writing some common

code once and reusing it.
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This is called defining a method and calling or invoking it.

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 Methods
public class MyMethodsDemo2 {

public static int sum(int firstInt, int

secondInt) {
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int result = 0;
for (int i = firstInt; i <= secondInt; i++)
result += i;
return result;
}

public static void main(String[] args) {

System.out.println("Sum from 1 to 10 is " + sum(1,

10));
System.out.println("Sum from 20 to 37 is " + sum(20,
37));
System.out.println("Sum from 35 to 49 is " + sum(35,
49)); Ho Technical University
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 Methods

• A method is a series of statements that carry out a task

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• Any class can contain an unlimited number of methods

• Methods simplify code, making the code easier to follow
• Methods can be reused any number of times

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 Methods
• A method must include the following:
• A declaration (or header or definition)
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• An opening curly brace

• A body
• A closing curly brace
i.e. declaration
{
body
}

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 Methods
• The method declaration contains the following:
• Optional access modifiers (i.e. private, public,
static, protected)
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• The return type for the method

• The method name
• An open parentheses
• An optional list of method arguments (you
separate the arguments with commas if there is
more than one
• A closing parentheses

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 Methods
e.g. A method that void means the method
can be used returns nothing. int, double
anywhere etc. means it returns an
within the class integer, double etc.
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public means
any class can requires the
Name of the
use this method word static
method

public static void getMyAddress()

{
body The method
receives nothing
} so parentheses
access modifiers are empty

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 Methods
E.g.
public class MyMethods
{
public static void main (String [ ] args)
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{
System.out.println("My address is ");

getAddress(); // calling a method within the

same //class
}
public static void getAddress()
{
System.out.println("P. O. Box 100");
System.out.println("Accra, Ghana");
System.out.println("West Africa");
}
}
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 Methods

A method in one class can be called into another.

public class MyOtherMethods

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{
public static void main (String [ ] args) {

System.out.println("My address is ");

MyMethods.getAddress(); // calling a method from

another //class
}
}

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 Methods

•Some methods require additional information

•Information passed to methods are called arguments

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• When you write a method declaration for a method that

can receive an argument, you must include the following
within the declaration parentheses:

• The type of the argument

• The local name for the argument

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 Methods
e.g. Method name Type of argument

public void squareAge (int myAge)

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{
Name of argument
int result = myAge*myAge
System.out.println("When you double my age,
you get " + result);
}

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 Methods
public class MyCallingMethods
{
public static void main (String [ ] args) {
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squareAge(30);
}

public static void squareAge(int myAge) //method

{
int result = myAge*myAge;
System.out.println("When you square my age, you get
" + result);
}
}

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 Methods
•A method can require more than one argument

• You pass multiple arguments to a method by listing the

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arguments within the call to the method and separating

them with commas
e.g.
public void sum(int myAge, int yourAge)
{
int result = myAge + yourAge;
System.out.println("When you sum our ages, you
get "
+ result);
}
• You call this method using e.g. sum(22,32) and it
prints:
Sep 27, 202 When you sumHo
our ages,
Technical you get 54
University 15
 Methods
•Some methods can be made to return values

•Such values can be of types int, char, double etc.

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•Methods can also return Boolean (true, false) values

•If a method returns nothing, it is void

•For a method to return a value, the keyword return is

used

•If a method that returns a value is called, it simply

returns the return value

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 Methods
e.g. Return value type

public static int sum(int i, int j)

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{
int result = 0;
Parameters
result = i + j;

return result; return value

}
You call this method using e.g. sum(10, 15); and it returns
25
Returned values can be stored in variables

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 Methods
public class MyMethods2
{
public static void main (String [ ] args) {
squareAge(40);
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int bothAges = addAges(10, 15);

System.out.println("When you sum our ages, you get "
+ bothAges);
}
public static void squareAge(int myAge) //method 1
{
int result = myAge*myAge;
System.out.println("When you square my age, you get "
+ result);
}
public static int addAges(int myAge, int yourAge) //method 2
{
int ourAges = myAge + yourAge;
return ourAges;
} }
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 Methods

Overloading Methods

Two methods can be defined having the same name but

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different parameter lists within one class. This is called

method overloading.

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 class Dog {
Overloaded
public void bark(String s)
{
System.out.println(s);
}
public void bark(String s, int num)
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{
System.out.println(s + " " + num + "
times");
}
}
public class DisplayOverloading
{
public static void main(String args[])
{
Dog fido = new Dog();
fido.bark("woah!");
fido.bark("woah!",10);
}}
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 Recap

• A method is a series of statements that carry out a task,

and can be used repeatedly
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• We define methods and then call or invoke them to carry

out tasks

• In defining a method we must include:

 A declaration (or header or definition)
 An opening curly brace
 A body
 A closing curly brace

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 Recap

• The method declaration contains:

• Optional access modifiers (i.e. private, public, static,
JAVA PROGRAMMING

protected)
• The return type for the method
• The method name
• An open parentheses
• An optional list of method arguments (you separate
the arguments with commas if there is more than one
• A closing parentheses

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 Recap
•Some methods can be made to return values

•If a method returns nothing, it is void

JAVA PROGRAMMING

•For a method to return a value, the keyword return is

used

•Defining two or more methods with the same name but

different parameter lists within one class is known as
method overloading

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