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Methods in Java
Difficulty Level :
Easy ● Last Updated :
09 Feb, 2022

A method in Java or Java Method is a collection of statement s that per form some specific task and return the result

to the caller. A Java method can per form some specific task without returning anything. Methods in Java allow us to

reuse the code without ret yping the code. In Java, ever y method must be par t of some class that is dif ferent from

languages like C, C++, and P ython. 

Note : Methods are time savers and help us to reuse the code without retyping the code. 

Method Declaration

In general, method declarations has six component s :  

1. Modifier: It defines the access t ype of the method i.e. from where it can be accessed in your application. In Java,

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public : It is accessible in all classes in your application.

protec ted: It is accessible within the class in which it is defined and in it s subclass/es

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private : It is accessible only within the class in which it is defined.
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default : It is declared/defined without using any modifier. It is accessible within the same class and package

within which it s class is defined.

2. The return t ype : The data t ype of the value returned by the method or void if does not return a value.

3. Method Name : the rules for field names apply to method names as well, but the convention is a little dif ferent.

4. Parameter list : Comma-separated list of the input parameters is defined, preceded with their data t ype, within

the enclosed parenthesis. If there are no parameters, you must use empt y parentheses ().

5. Exception list : The exceptions you expect by the method can throw, you can specif y these exception(s).

6. Method body: it is enclosed between braces. The code you need to be executed to per form your intended

operations.

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Types of Methods in Java

There are two t ypes of methods in Java:

1. Predefined Method: In Java, predefined methods are the method that is already defined in the Java class libraries

is known as predefined methods. It is also known as the standard librar y method or built-in method. We can

directly use these methods just by calling them in the program at any point. 

2. User-defined Method: The method written by the user or programmer is known as a user-defined method. These

methods are modified according to the requirement.

Method Signature

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It consist s of the method name and a parameter list (number of parameters, t ype of the parameters, and order of the

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parameters). The return t ype and exceptions are not considered as par t of it. 

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Method Signature of above function:  

max(int x, int y) Number of parameters is 2, Type of parameter is int.

How to Name a Method?

A method name is t ypically a single word that should be a verb in lowercase or multi-word, that begins with a verb

in lowercase followed by an adjec tive, noun….. Af ter the first word, the first letter of each word should be

capitalized. 

Rules to Name a Method

While defining a method, remember that the method name must be a verb and star t with a lowercase letter. 

If the method name has more than two words, the first name must be a verb followed by an adjective or noun. 

In the multi-word method name, the first letter of each word must be in uppercase except the first word. For

example, findSum, computeMax, setX and getX.

Generally, a method has a unique name within the class in which it is defined but sometimes a method might have

the same name as other method names within the same class as method overloading is allowed in Java.

Method Calling

The method needs to be called for using it s functionalit y. There can be three situations when a method is called: 

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A method returns to the code that invoked it when:  

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It completes all the statement s in the method

It reaches a return statement

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Throws an exception
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Example :

Java

// Java Program to Illustrate Methods

  
// Importing required classes
import java.io.*;
  
// Class 1
// Helper class
class Addition {
  
    // Initially taking sum as 0
    // as we have not started computation
    int sum = 0;
  
    // Method
    // To add two numbers
    public int addTwoInt(int a, int b)
    {
  
        // Adding two integer value
        sum = a + b;
  
        // Returning summation of two values
        return sum;
    }
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// Class 2
// Helper class
class GFG { Start Your Coding Journey Now! Login Register
  
    // Main driver method
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
  
        // Creating object of class 1 inside main() method
        Addition add = new Addition();
  
        // Calling method of above class
        // to add two integer
        // using instance created
        int s = add.addTwoInt(1, 2);
  
        // Printing the sum of two numbers
        System.out.println("Sum of two integer values :"
                           + s);
    }
}

Output

Sum of two integer values :3

Example 2:

Java

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// Java Program to Illustrate Method Calling 
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// Via Different Ways of Calling a Method

  
// Importing required classes
import java.io.*;Start Your Coding Journey Now! Login Register
  
// Class 1
// Helper class
class Test {
  
    public static int i = 0;
  
    // Constructor of class
    Test()
    {
  
        // Counts the number of the objects of the class
        i++;
    }
  
    // Method 1
    // To access static members of the class and
    // and for getting total no of objects
    // of the same class created so far
    public static int get()
    {
  
        // statements to be executed....
        return i;
    }
  
    // Method 2
    // Instance method calling object directly
    // that is created inside another class 'GFG'.
  
    //
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    // same class and return integer value as return type is

    // int.
    public int m1()
    { Start Your Coding Journey Now! Login Register
  
        // Display message only
        System.out.println(
            "Inside the method m1 by object of GFG class");
  
        // Calling m2() method within the same class.
        this.m2();
  
        // Statements to be executed if any
        return 1;
    }
  
    // Method 3
    // Returns nothing
    public void m2()
    {
  
        // Print statement
        System.out.println(
            "In method m2 came from method m1");
    }
}
  
// Class 2
// Main class
class GFG {
  
    // Main driver method
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
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        Test obj = new Test();

  
        // Calling method 2 inside main() method
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        int i = obj.m1(); Login Register
  
        // Display message only
        System.out.println(
            "Control returned after method m1 :" + i);
  
        // Call m2() method
        // obj.m2();
        int no_of_objects = Test.get();
  
        // Print statement
        System.out.print(
            "No of instances created till now : ");
        
        System.out.println(no_of_objects);
    }
}

Output

Inside the method m1 by object of GFG class

In method m2 came from method m1

Control returned after method m1 :1

No of instances created till now : 1

The control flow of the above program is as follows:

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Memor y Allocation for Methods Calls

Methods calls are implemented through a stack. Whenever a method is called a stack frame is created within the

stack area and af ter that, the argument s passed to and the local variables and value to be returned by this called

method are stored in this stack frame and when execution of the called method is finished, the allocated stack frame

would be deleted. There is a stack pointer register that track s the top of the stack which is adjusted accordingly.

Related Ar ticles :  

Java is Strictly Passed B y Value

Method Overloading and Null Error in Java

Can we overload or override static methods in Java?

Java Quizzes

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