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Thread: Linear Search in an array

  1. #1
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    Default Linear Search in an array

    I'm trying to run this code to find the key in the array
    If the element is not 5 it is supposed to return a -1
    The code runs but doesn't return anything. What am I doing wrong?

    public class Search{

    public static void main(String[] args){

    int[] list = new int [5];
    list[0] = 1;
    list[1] = 2;
    list[2] = 3;
    list[3] = 4;
    list[4] = 5;

    int key = 5;

    linearSearch(list, key);
    }

    public static int linearSearch(int [] list, int key) {
    for(int i = 0; i < list.length; i ++){
    if (key == list [i])
    return i;
    }
    return -1;

    }

    }


  2. #2
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    Default Re: Linear Search in an array

    Please read the Announcement topic at the top of the sub-Forum to learn how to post code correctly and ask good questions.

    You don't do anything with the value that is returned. You can print it, assign it to a value, etc. Right now, the method completes, returns a value, and nothing is done with it.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Linear Search in an array

    How do I return the - 1 to show in the main?

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Linear Search in an array

    Replace the last line in the main() method with:

    System.out.println( linearSearch(list, key) );

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