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Return Type and Return Statement
A method is used only when it is called by another method. So, after completing the assigned task,
the method returns control to the portion from where it is called. While returning the control, a
method may or may not return a value along with it. For this purpose, we require return type and
return statement.

The return Statement: The return statement is required if the function is returning some value.
The returned value may be of any data type, even non-primitive data types. Following are the
characteristics of return statement:
• It is used to return a value from the method to the calling program.

• It is always the last line of a method.
• By default, it always returns a single value of one data type only. If we want to return more than
one value, we have to create a non-primitive data type and return. For example,

int[] sum ()
{
int i;
int ar[] = {1,2,3,4,5};
for (i=0; i<5; i++)
{
ar[i] = ar[i]+2;
}
return ar;
}

• There may be more than one termination point, but only one point will be executed. For example,

String show()
{
if(result>0)
return "Positive";
else
return "Negative";
}

Return Type: If the function is returning a value, then the data type of the value is written before the
function name. The different data types used as return type are byte, short, int, long, float, double,
char or Boolean. We can also use String if we want to return a word or a sentence. Other than these,
all non-primitive data types such as array, class, etc. can be used as return type. If a function is not
returning any value, then the keyword "void" is used. For example,

public int sum (int i, int j)
{ Return Type
int s=a + b;
return s; Return Statement
}

Java Programming 115