A method is a block of code which only runs when it is called.
You can pass data, known as parameters, into a method.
Methods are used to perform certain actions, and they are also known
as functions.
Why use methods? To reuse code: define the code once, and use it many
times.
Create a Method
A method must be declared within a class. It is defined with the name of the
method, followed by parentheses (). Java provides some pre-defined methods,
such as [Link](), but you can also create your own methods to
perform certain actions:
Example
Create a method inside MyClass:
public class MyClass {
static void myMethod() {
// code to be executed
Example Explained
myMethod() is the name of the method
static means that the method belongs to the MyClass class and not an
object of the MyClass class. You will learn more about objects and how to
access methods through objects later in this tutorial.
void means that this method does not have a return value. You will learn
more about return values later in this chapter
Call a Method
To call a method in Java, write the method's name followed by two
parentheses () and a semicolon;
In the following example, myMethod() is used to print a text (the action), when it
is called:
Example
Inside main, call the myMethod() method:
public class MyClass {
static void myMethod() {
[Link]("I just got executed!");
public static void main(String[] args) {
myMethod();
// Outputs "I just got executed!"
Run example »
A method can also be called multiple times:
Example
public class MyClass {
static void myMethod() {
[Link]("I just got executed!");
public static void main(String[] args) {
myMethod();
myMethod();
myMethod();
// I just got executed!
// I just got executed!
// I just got executed!
Run example »
In the next chapter, Method Parameters, you will learn how to pass data
(parameters) into a method.
Parameters and Arguments
Information can be passed to methods as parameter. Parameters act as
variables inside the method.
Parameters are specified after the method name, inside the parentheses. You
can add as many parameters as you want, just separate them with a comma.
The following example has a method that takes a String called fname as
parameter. When the method is called, we pass along a first name, which is
used inside the method to print the full name:
Example
public class MyClass {
static void myMethod(String fname) {
[Link](fname + " Refsnes");
public static void main(String[] args) {
myMethod("Liam");
myMethod("Jenny");
myMethod("Anja");
// Liam Refsnes
// Jenny Refsnes
// Anja Refsnes
Run example »
When a parameter is passed to the method, it is called an argument. So,
from the example above: fname is a parameter,
while Liam, Jenny and Anja are arguments.
Multiple Parameters
You can have as many parameters as you like:
Example
public class MyClass {
static void myMethod(String fname, int age) {
[Link](fname + " is " + age);
public static void main(String[] args) {
myMethod("Liam", 5);
myMethod("Jenny", 8);
myMethod("Anja", 31);
// Liam is 5
// Jenny is 8
// Anja is 31
Run example »
Note that when you are working with multiple parameters, the method call must
have the same number of arguments as there are parameters, and the
arguments must be passed in the same order.
Return Values
The void keyword, used in the examples above, indicates that the method
should not return a value. If you want the method to return a value, you can
use a primitive data type (such as int, char, etc.) instead of void, and use
the return keyword inside the method:
Example
public class MyClass {
static int myMethod(int x) {
return 5 + x;
public static void main(String[] args) {
[Link](myMethod(3));
// Outputs 8 (5 + 3)
Run example »
This example returns the sum of a method's two parameters:
Example
public class MyClass {
static int myMethod(int x, int y) {
return x + y;
public static void main(String[] args) {
[Link](myMethod(5, 3));
// Outputs 8 (5 + 3)
Run example »
You can also store the result in a variable (recommended, as it is easier to read
and maintain):
Example
public class MyClass {
static int myMethod(int x, int y) {
return x + y;
public static void main(String[] args) {
int z = myMethod(5, 3);
[Link](z);
// Outputs 8 (5 + 3)
Run example »
A Method with If...Else
It is common to use if...else statements inside methods:
Example
public class MyClass {
// Create a checkAge() method with an integer variable called age
static void checkAge(int age) {
// If age is less than 18, print "access denied"
if (age < 18) {
[Link]("Access denied - You are not old enough!");
// If age is greater than 18, print "access granted"
} else {
[Link]("Access granted - You are old enough!");
public static void main(String[] args) {
checkAge(20); // Call the checkAge method and pass along an age of 20
}
// Outputs "Access granted - You are old enough!"
Method Overloading
With method overloading, multiple methods can have the same name with
different parameters:
Example
int myMethod(int x)
float myMethod(float x)
double myMethod(double x, double y)
Consider the following example, which have two methods that add numbers of
different type:
Example
static int plusMethodInt(int x, int y) {
return x + y;
static double plusMethodDouble(double x, double y) {
return x + y;
public static void main(String[] args) {
int myNum1 = plusMethodInt(8, 5);
double myNum2 = plusMethodDouble(4.3, 6.26);
[Link]("int: " + myNum1);
[Link]("double: " + myNum2);
Run example »
Instead of defining two methods that should do the same thing, it is better to
overload one.
In the example below, we overload the plusMethod method to work for
both int and double:
Example
static int plusMethod(int x, int y) {
return x + y;
static double plusMethod(double x, double y) {
return x + y;
public static void main(String[] args) {
int myNum1 = plusMethod(8, 5);
double myNum2 = plusMethod(4.3, 6.26);
[Link]("int: " + myNum1);
[Link]("double: " + myNum2);
}
Run example »
Note: Multiple methods can have the same name as long as the number and/or
type of parameters are different.
Java Scope
In Java, variables are only accessible inside the region they are created. This is
called scope.
Method Scope
Variables declared directly inside a method are available anywhere in the
method following the line of code in which they were declared.
Example
public class MyClass {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// Code here cannot use x
int x = 100;
// Code here can use x
[Link](x);
Run example »
Block Scope
A block of code refers to all of the code between between curly braces {}.
Variables declared inside blocks of code are only accessible by the code between
the curly braces which follows the line in which the variable was declared. A
block of code may exist on its own or it may belong to
an if, while or for statement. In the case of for statements, variables
declared in the statement itself are also available inside the block's scope.
Example
public class MyClass {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// Code here CANNOT use x
{ // This is a block
// Code here CANNOT use x
int x = 100;
// Code here CAN use x
[Link](x);
} // The block ends here
// Code here CANNOT use x
Run example »
Java Recursion
Recursion is the technique of making a function call itself. This technique
provides a way to break complicated problems down into simple problems which
are easier to solve.
Recursion may be a bit difficult to understand when encountering it for the first
time, the best way to figure out how it works is to experiment with it.
Recursion Example
Adding two numbers together is easy to do, but adding a range of numbers is
more complicated. In the following example, recursion is used to add a range of
numbers together by breaking it down into the simple task of adding two
numbers:
Example
Use recursion to add all of the numbers up to 10.
public class MyClass {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int result = sum(10);
[Link](result);
public static int sum(int k) {
if (k > 0) {
return k + sum(k - 1);
} else {
return 0;
Run example »
Example Explained
When the sum() function is called, it adds parameter k to the sum of all numbers
smaller than k and returns the result. When k becomes 0, the function just
returns 0. When running, the program follows these steps:
10 + sum(9)
10 + ( 9 + sum(8) )
10 + ( 9 + ( 8 + sum(7) ) )
...
10 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 + sum(0)
10 +9+8+7+6+5+4+3+2+1+0
Since the function does not call itself when k is 0, the program stops there and
returns the result.
Halting Condition
Just as loops can run into the problem of infinite looping, recursive functions
can run into the problem of infinite recursion. Infinite recursion is when the
function never stops calling itself. Every recursive function should have a halting
condition, which is the condition where the function stops calling itself. In the
previous example, the halting condition is when the parameter k becomes 0.
It is helpful to see a variety of different examples to better understand the
concept. In this example, the function adds a range of numbers between a start
and an end. The halting condition for this recursive function is when end is not
greater than start:
Example
Use recursion to add all of the numbers between 5 to 10.
public class MyClass {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int result = sum(5, 10);
[Link](result);
public static int sum(int start, int end) {
if (end > start) {
return end + sum(start, end - 1);
} else {
return end;