Thread: noob having problem with return...

hi guys... i tried to create a simple program. The main method is supposed to call out the secondary method to use Scanner in order to ask a person to type in a number, which will be assigned to int x. Then the secondary method supposed to return the int x to main method, which supposed to print it out. And for some reason I just can't do it. No matter what the main method refusing to accept the int x. What am i doing wrong?

import java.util.Scanner;
public class Return{
	static Scanner newNum= new Scanner(System.in);
	public static void main(String[] args){
 
		getInt();
 
		System.out.println(x);
	}
	public static  getInt( ) {
		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
		int x;
		System.out.print("give a num");
		x= newNum.nextInt();
		return x;
}}

Ah. A misconception of how things work.

The call to the method, getInt(), causes the method to execute and a value to be returned, but the main() method has to assign or use that value. As you have it now, the value returned from the method is discarded. You could in main():

int x = getInt();

or

System.out.println( getInt() );

also another thing to add... you don't have return type on the method signature.

public static int getInt() { // is what that line should be.

You should then be able to put either of the lines GregBrannon stated in main and it should work.

thnx guys for quick response, sometimes u have a small mistake and ur whole code stuck while u are getting a headache (which i have right now) trying to find what's wrong. This is how u learn I guess. Hope in a few weeks things become easier(I'm optimistic).

Thanks jbarke12 for fixing my incomplete answer.

I also wanted to add that you, sash25, should know that the 'x' in the method and the 'x' in the main() method do not refer to the same variable. They are two different variables with the same name. The first line I wrote above could also be:

int value = getInt(); // the value in 'x' returned by the method is stored here in 'value'

but then your original println statement would have to be changed to:

System.out.println( value );

yep greg, i had a feeling it's not the same x. thnx.
can any one recomend where i can get exercises for noobs in the internet?

What are you using as a study guide now? Do you have a textbook? If not, there are a couple good ones available free on the 'net. The best course is to follow a structured guide to learn the skills in the right order, do the right amount of practice (it's hard to do too much), and then complete the exercises at the end of each chapter that expand on the concepts presented in the chapter, possibly adding in skills previously presented, hopefully learned.

I use only youtube, mostly Derek Banas videos (are u familiar with his channel?). Textbook? I think its better watching tutorials on video, but maybe i'm wrong.

YouTube videos have their place, but its important to understand the basics that you would pick up from a good computer science book. Especially just starting out. The text books are normally laid out in a manner that your learn things in the right order.

I agree with jbarke12 for some of the same and different reasons, primarily though because watching random videos puts you in charge of your syllabus, and when was the last time you developed a beginning programming course? And, as you've indicated by your question, videos do not provide the necessary examples, opportunities to practice and exercises related directly to the material presented that a good book will. If you're not practicing several hours for every hour of instruction, you're not doing it right.

can u recommend a good textbook?
there is a text book called Head First Java (http://uet.vnu.edu.vn/~chauttm/e-boo...nd-edition.pdf). I been told it's good.

This is the best collection of opinions on Java books I've seen, but it's just that, a collection of people's opinions. I think most every Java book ever written is listed there and positive things are said about them all.

Many people like the Head First series. I'm also sure that many don't.