Returning values

Methods return values using the return keyword. The return type must match the declared type (or be a subtype for objects).

Basic return:

int add(int a, int b) {
    return a + b;
}

Return early (multiple return points):

int max(int a, int b) {
    if (a > b) return a;
    else return b;
}

Returning objects:

Person createPerson(String name, int age) {
    Person p = new Person(name, age);
    return p;
    // or simply: return new Person(name, age);
}

Void methods – use return; to exit early (optional).

void printPositive(int x) {
    if (x <= 0) return;
    System.out.println(x);
}

Returning multiple values: Java methods can return only one value. To return multiple, use:

• An array
• A collection
• A custom object (record or class)

int[] getMinMax(int[] arr) {
    int min = arr[0], max = arr[0];
    for (int n : arr) {
        if (n < min) min = n;
        if (n > max) max = n;
    }
    return new int[]{min, max};
}