Flash cards
Review the key moves
What is the main idea behind Java Methods?
Lesson checks
Practice each idea before moving on
Short Mimo-style checks built from this lesson's code, terms, and sequence.
Which statement best captures the main point of this lesson?
Complete the missing token from the example code.
public ___ Main {Put the learning moves in the order that makes the concept easiest to apply.
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 System.out.println() , but you can also create your own methods to perform certain actions:
Create a method inside Main
public class Main {
static void myMethod() {
// code to be executed
}
}- myMethod() is the name of the method
- static means that the method belongs to the Main class and not an object of the Main 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:
mainA method can also be called multiple times:
Example
public class Main {
static void myMethod() {
System.out.println("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!In the next chapter, Method Parameters , you will learn how to pass data (parameters) into a method.