This method must return a result of type int

Question

Problem:

Hello Kodlogs,

I have a simple java code that I wrote a few minutes back I was trying to compare numbers using methods. The program throws the error again and again: this method must return a result of type int.

I couldn’t figure out the problem. Could you please shed some light on this? Find my sample code snippet below:

public class myClass {
    public static int largest(int x, int y, int z) {
        if (x > y) {
            if (x > z) {
                return x;
            } else if (y > z) {
                return y;
            } else {
                return z;
            }
        }
    }

    public static void main(String args[]) {
        int x = 8;
        int y = 9;
        int z = 20;

        System.out.println(largest(x, y, z));
    }
}

Many thanks

Answer 1

The problem is that you can have only one public class in your java program and that too be matched with your class file name.

To avoid the error you just remove the “public” in front of your upper-top class and make it a static class of the main method.

If you still have any confusion feel free to ask in this thread. Thanks. 

Answer 2

The problem is that you have only one public class per file and this file should have the same name as the class. You just have to remove the public in front of the definition of first-class. A better approach to do would be to make it a static method of the main class.

Solution:

public class myClass {

public static int largest(int a,int b,int c)

    {

        if(a>b)

        {

            if(a>c)

                return a;

            else

                if(b>c)

                    return b;

                else

                    return c;

        }

        else

        {

            if(b>c)

                return b;

            else

                return c;

        }

    }  



    public static  void main(String args[]) {



        int a=19;

        int b=2;

        int c=1;



        System.out.println(largest(a,b,c)); 

  }

}

Second Answer:

• Only one public top-level class is allowed per .java file.
• Define funk in the funk.jaba with no other top-level classes.
• Put any other classes in their own files where the file name matches the class name.
• To answer your second question, if you have declared a method to return a particular type; like int then all the paths through that method must result in a return statement returning a valid value. In your case the if statement might not be entered.

Note:

A top-level class is a class that is not contained in any other class.