In Java, a method is a block of code that performs a specific task. Methods are used to modularize code, which makes it easier to read, maintain, and reuse.

Java Declaring a Method

In Java, you declare a method using the following syntax:

[access modifier] [static] [final] [return type] [method name]([parameter list]) {
    // method body
}

Here's a breakdown of each part of the method declaration:

• Access modifier: determines the visibility of the method. There are four access modifiers in Java: public, protected, private, and default (no access modifier specified).
• Static: specifies whether the method is associated with the class (static keyword) or with an instance of the class (no static keyword).
• Final: specifies that the method cannot be overridden by subclasses.
• Return type: specifies the type of value returned by the method. If the method does not return a value, use the keyword void.
• Method name: specifies the name of the method.
• Parameter list: specifies the parameters passed to the method. Multiple parameters are separated by commas.

Here's an example of a method declaration:

public static void printMessage(String message) {
    System.out.println(message);
}

In this example, the method is called printMessage and takes a single argument of type String called message. The method body simply prints the message to the console using the System.out.println method.

Java Calling a Method

To call this method from another part of the code, you can use its name and pass the argument(s) it requires:

printMessage("Hello, world!");

This will print the message "Hello, world!" to the console.

Java method types

Java supports several types of methods, including:

• Instance methods: methods that operate on an instance of a class and can access the instance variables and methods of that class.
• Static methods: methods that are associated with a class and can be called without creating an instance of that class.
• Constructors: special methods that are called when an object is created and are used to initialize the object's properties.
• Getters and setters: methods used to read and modify the properties of an object.

return value

Methods can also return a value using the return keyword. Here's an example:

public static int addNumbers(int a, int b) {
    int sum = a + b;
    return sum;
}

This method takes two integers as arguments, adds them together, and returns the result as an integer. To use this method and capture the return value:

int result = addNumbers(3, 4);
System.out.println(result); // prints 7

This code calls the addNumbers method with arguments 3 and 4, captures the return value in the result variable, and then prints the value to the console.