Java Basics Methods

In Java, a method is a block of code that performs a specific task. Methods are used to organize code into modules that can be called from other parts of the program. Here are some basics of methods in Java:

1. Declaration: To declare a method in Java, you specify the access level, return type, method name, and parameters (if any). For example:

public int add(int x, int y) {
    int result = x + y;
    return result;
}

This declares a public method called `add` that takes two integer parameters and returns an integer value.

2. Parameters: Parameters are variables that are passed to a method when it is called. Parameters are specified in the method declaration, and their types must match the types of the arguments passed to the method. For example:

public void printName(String name) {
    System.out.println("Hello, " + name + "!");
}

This declares a public method called `printName` that takes a single string parameter.

3. Return type: The return type specifies the type of value that a method returns. If a method does not return a value, its return type is `void`. For example:

public void greet() {
    System.out.println("Hello!");
}

This declares a public method called `greet` that does not take any parameters and does not return a value.

4. Calling a method: To call a method in Java, you specify the name of the method and the arguments (if any) in parentheses. For example:

int result = add(5, 10);

This calls the `add` method with arguments 5 and 10, and assigns the result to the variable `result`.

5. Method overloading: In Java, you can define multiple methods with the same name but different parameters. This is called method overloading. For example:

public int add(int x, int y) {
    int result = x + y;
    return result;
}

public double add(double x, double y) {
    double result = x + y;
    return result;
}

These are two overloaded methods called `add` that take different types of parameters.

Methods are an essential part of Java programming, and they are used extensively to organize and reuse code. By breaking code into smaller methods, you can make it more modular, easier to read, and easier to maintain.