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Lecture 13 - Methods

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Lecture 13 - Methods

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devmith2005
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Object Oriented

Programming

Lecture 13
Methods
Method?
• A method is a block of code or collection of statements or a set of code grouped
together to perform a certain task or operation.
• It is used to achieve the reusability of code.
• Write a method once and use it many times.
• No need to write code again and again.
• It also provides the easy modification and readability of code, just by adding or
removing a chunk of code.
• The method is executed only when we call or invoke it.

• The most important method in Java is the main() method.


Java main() Method
• The main() is the starting point for JVM to start execution of a Java program.
• Without the main() method, JVM will not execute the program.
• The syntax of the main() method is:
• public
o It is an access specifier.
o Should use a public keyword before the main() method so that JVM can
identify the execution point of the program.
o If we use private, protected, and default before the main() method, it will not
be visible to JVM.
• static
o Can make a method static by using the keyword static.
o Should call the main() method without creating an object.
o Static methods are the method which invokes without creating the objects.
• void
o In Java, every method has the return type.
o Void keyword acknowledges the compiler that main() method does not return
any value.
• main()
o It is a default signature which is predefined in the JVM.
o It is called by JVM to execute a program line by line and end the execution after
completion of this method.
o Can also overload the main() method.

• String args[]
o The main() method also accepts some data from the user.
o It accepts a group of strings, which is called a string array.
o It is used to hold the command line arguments in the form of string values.
• In Java, there are two types of methods:

o User-defined Methods: We can create our own method based on


our requirements.

o Standard Library Methods: These are built-in methods in Java that


are available to use.
Method
Declaration Syntax

• Declaring a Java Method


• The syntax to declare a method is:

returnType methodName() {
// method body
}
Method
Complete Declaration Syntax

modifier static returnType nameOfMethod (parameter1, parameter2, …)


{
// method body
}
• returnType
o It specifies what type of value a method returns.

o It is Mandatory in syntax.

o If the method does not return a value, its return type is void.

• methodName
o It is an identifier that is used to refer to the particular method in a program.

o It is Mandatory in syntax.

• method body
o It includes the programming statements that are used to perform some tasks.

o The method body is enclosed inside the curly braces { }.


• modifier
o It defines access types whether the method is public, private, and so on.

• static
o If we use the static keyword, it can be accessed without creating objects.

• parameter1/parameter2
o These are values passed to a method.

o Can pass any number of arguments to a method.


Access Modifier/ Visibility
• It defines the access type of the method i.e. from where it can be accessed in your
application.
• In Java, there are 4 types of access specifiers.
o public : It is accessible in all classes in your application.
o protected : It is accessible within the class in which it is defined and, in its
subclass/es
o private : It is accessible only within the class in which it is defined.
o default : It is declared/defined without using any modifier. It is accessible
within the same class and package within which its class is defined.
Naming a Method
• Method name must be a verb and start 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.
o For example, findSum, computeMax, setX, and getX.
Creating a Method
Instance Method / Non-Static Method

1. Instance Method:
• Access the instance data using the object name.
• Declared inside a class.
• Before calling or invoking the instance method, it is necessary to create an object of its class.

Syntax:

void method_name(){
body // instance area
}
Creating a Method
Static Method

2. Static Method
• Access the static data using class name.
• Declared inside class with static keyword.

Syntax:

static void method_name(){


body // static area
}
Static
A method that belongs to a class rather than an instance of a class

• A method that has static keyword is known as static method.

• Main advantage: It can call it without creating an object.


• It can access static data members and change the value of it.
• It is used to create an instance method.
• It is invoked by using the class name.
• The best example of a static method is the main() method.
Method Signature
• It consists of the method name and a parameter list (number of parameters, type
of the parameters, and order of the parameters).
• The return type and exceptions are not considered as part of it.

public void square(int a) {


int square = a * a;
System.out.println("Square is: " + square);
}

Signature: square(int a)
Method
Calling a Method

• The method needs to be called for use its functionality.


• A method returns to the code that invoked it when:
o It completes all the statements in the method
o It reaches a return statement
o Throws an exception
public class ExampleMinNumber {

public static void main(String[] args) {


int a = 11;
int b = 6;
int c = minFunction(a, b);
System.out.println("Minimum Value = " + c);
}

Ex: public static int minFunction(int n1, int n2) {


int min;
if (n1 > n2)
min = n2;
else
min = n1;

return min;
}
}
public class ExampleMinNumber {

public static void main(String[] args) {


int a = 11;
int b = 6;

ExampleMinNumber ob = new ExampleMinNumber();

int c = ob. minFunction(a, b);


System.out.println("Minimum Value = " + c);
}

public int minFunction(int n1, int n2) {


int min;
if (n1 > n2)
min = n2;
else
min = n1;

return min;
}
}
Standard Library Methods
• The standard library methods are built-in methods in Java that are readily available
for use.
• These standard libraries come along with the Java Class Library (JCL) in a Java
archive (*.jar) file with JVM and JRE.
Method Overloading
• With method overloading, multiple methods can have the same name with different
parameters:

• Examples:

int addition(int x)

float addition(float x)

double addition(double x, double y)


Why method overloading?
• Readability and Simplicity:
• Overloading allows using the same method name for logically related operations.
• Consistency:
• Maintains a consistent naming convention when similar operations are performed on
different data types or parameter combinations.
• Ease of Maintenance:
• Updates or improvements to a method can be done in one place, reducing the chance
of errors and simplifying maintenance.
• Avoiding Ambiguity:
• If you were to implement different methods with different names, it might lead to
ambiguity and confusion.
Method Scope • Example:
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
• Variables declared directly
inside a method are available // Code here CANNOT use x
anywhere in the method
int x = 100;
following the line of code in
which they were declared: // Code here can use x
System.out.println(x);
}

}
Advantages of Methods
• Modularity and Reusability:
o Methods promote code modularity by breaking down a program into smaller,
more manageable and reusable parts.
o This makes code maintenance and updates easier.
• Code Organization:
o Methods help in organizing code by encapsulating specific functionality.
o This enhances code readability and makes it easier to understand and maintain.
• Abstraction:
o Methods allow developers to abstract away the implementation details of a task,
providing a high-level view of functionality while hiding the underlying
complexity.
• Parameter Passing:
o Methods can accept parameters, allowing the passing of data and facilitating
customization of behavior.
o This makes methods versatile and adaptable to various scenarios.
• Code Debugging:
o Smaller methods are easier to debug than large, monolithic code blocks.
o Debugging can be more focused and efficient when dealing with well-defined
and isolated methods.
• Encapsulation:
o Methods encapsulate logic, variables, and operations within a defined scope.
o This helps in preventing unintended interference with other parts of the
program.
• Improved Readability:
o Well-named methods enhance code readability by providing clear and
meaningful names for specific tasks or operations.
• Code Maintenance:
o Methods make it easier to maintain and update code. Changes or
enhancements can be localized to specific methods, reducing the risk of
unintended side effects.
• Code Reusability:
o Once a method is written and tested, it can be reused in multiple parts of the
program or even in different projects, saving development time.
END

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