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From: Knute Johnson <eternal@knutejohnson.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject: Re: Help understanding methods
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 18:13:32 -0700
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On 7/27/2014 17:46, Scott Dunning wrote:
> So, I'm very new to Java, I have a summer college course and we're on
> functions (methods) and I'm having a bit of trouble understanding them.
>
> There is a question on a lab I'm having a little trouble with:
>
> "Write a method called MaxOfThree that accepts three integer parameters
> and returns the largest of the three."
>
> This is what I have so far but I'm not sure whats wrong. I added the
> print statement at the end because I wasn't getting a return value when
> I ran it but now I'm getting errors and it's not compiling. If you could
> help me understand methods a bit more I'd greatly appreciate it. For
> instance how the parameters work and calling it and if what's included
> in the function call is correct and how that works. I just get so
> confused when I read through the material and was hoping for an
> explanation in more layman's terms. Thanks for any help, here is what I
> have so far.
>
> public class Test {
>
>      public static void main(String[] args) {
>          int a = 2, b = 3, c = 4;
>          int maxValue = max3(a, b, c);
>      }
>
>      public static int max3(int a, int b, int c) {
>          int max = a;
>          if (b > max) max = b;
>          if (c > max) max = c;
>          return max;
>          System.out.println(max);
>      }
> }
>
>
> Here are the errors I'm receiving just in case...
>
> Test.java:16: error: unreachable statement
>             System.out.println(max);
>             ^
> Test.java:17: error: missing return statement
>          }
>          ^
> 2 errors

The return statement ends the code path so the System.out line can never 
be reached.

The second error is because there is not a return statement as the last 
thing in the method.

To fix it: move the print statement to the main method

That should do it.

-- 

Knute Johnson