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How to return Mutiple values from a function in java [duplicate]

I am trying to return 2 values from a Java method but I get these errors. Here is my code:
// Method code
public static int something(){
int number1 = 1;
int number2 = 2;
return number1, number2;
}
// Main method code
public static void main(String[] args) {
something();
System.out.println(number1 + number2);
}
Error:
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.RuntimeException: Uncompilable source code - missing return statement
at assignment.Main.something(Main.java:86)
at assignment.Main.main(Main.java:53)
Java Result: 1

Instead of returning an array that contains the two values or using a generic Pair class, consider creating a class that represents the result that you want to return, and return an instance of that class. Give the class a meaningful name. The benefits of this approach over using an array are type safety and it will make your program much easier to understand.
Note: A generic Pair class, as proposed in some of the other answers here, also gives you type safety, but doesn't convey what the result represents.
Example (which doesn't use really meaningful names):
final class MyResult {
private final int first;
private final int second;
public MyResult(int first, int second) {
this.first = first;
this.second = second;
}
public int getFirst() {
return first;
}
public int getSecond() {
return second;
}
}
// ...
public static MyResult something() {
int number1 = 1;
int number2 = 2;
return new MyResult(number1, number2);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
MyResult result = something();
System.out.println(result.getFirst() + result.getSecond());
}

Java does not support multi-value returns. Return an array of values.
// Function code
public static int[] something(){
int number1 = 1;
int number2 = 2;
return new int[] {number1, number2};
}
// Main class code
public static void main(String[] args) {
int result[] = something();
System.out.println(result[0] + result[1]);
}

You could implement a generic Pair if you are sure that you just need to return two values:
public class Pair<U, V> {
/**
* The first element of this <code>Pair</code>
*/
private U first;
/**
* The second element of this <code>Pair</code>
*/
private V second;
/**
* Constructs a new <code>Pair</code> with the given values.
*
* #param first the first element
* #param second the second element
*/
public Pair(U first, V second) {
this.first = first;
this.second = second;
}
//getter for first and second
and then have the method return that Pair:
public Pair<Object, Object> getSomePair();

You can only return one value in Java, so the neatest way is like this:
return new Pair<Integer>(number1, number2);
Here's an updated version of your code:
public class Scratch
{
// Function code
public static Pair<Integer> something() {
int number1 = 1;
int number2 = 2;
return new Pair<Integer>(number1, number2);
}
// Main class code
public static void main(String[] args) {
Pair<Integer> pair = something();
System.out.println(pair.first() + pair.second());
}
}
class Pair<T> {
private final T m_first;
private final T m_second;
public Pair(T first, T second) {
m_first = first;
m_second = second;
}
public T first() {
return m_first;
}
public T second() {
return m_second;
}
}

Here is the really simple and short solution with SimpleEntry:
AbstractMap.Entry<String, Float> myTwoCents=new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>("maximum possible performance reached" , 99.9f);
String question=myTwoCents.getKey();
Float answer=myTwoCents.getValue();
Only uses Java built in functions and it comes with the type safty benefit.

Use a Pair/Tuple type object , you don't even need to create one if u depend on Apache commons-lang. Just use the Pair class.

you have to use collections to return more then one return values
in your case you write your code as
public static List something(){
List<Integer> list = new ArrayList<Integer>();
int number1 = 1;
int number2 = 2;
list.add(number1);
list.add(number2);
return list;
}
// Main class code
public static void main(String[] args) {
something();
List<Integer> numList = something();
}

public class Mulretun
{
public String name;;
public String location;
public String[] getExample()
{
String ar[] = new String[2];
ar[0]="siva";
ar[1]="dallas";
return ar; //returning two values at once
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
Mulretun m=new Mulretun();
String ar[] =m.getExample();
int i;
for(i=0;i<ar.length;i++)
System.out.println("return values are: " + ar[i]);
}
}
o/p:
return values are: siva
return values are: dallas

I'm curious as to why nobody has come up with the more elegant callback solution. So instead of using a return type you use a handler passed into the method as an argument. The example below has the two contrasting approaches. I know which of the two is more elegant to me. :-)
public class DiceExample {
public interface Pair<T1, T2> {
T1 getLeft();
T2 getRight();
}
private Pair<Integer, Integer> rollDiceWithReturnType() {
double dice1 = (Math.random() * 6);
double dice2 = (Math.random() * 6);
return new Pair<Integer, Integer>() {
#Override
public Integer getLeft() {
return (int) Math.ceil(dice1);
}
#Override
public Integer getRight() {
return (int) Math.ceil(dice2);
}
};
}
#FunctionalInterface
public interface ResultHandler {
void handleDice(int ceil, int ceil2);
}
private void rollDiceWithResultHandler(ResultHandler resultHandler) {
double dice1 = (Math.random() * 6);
double dice2 = (Math.random() * 6);
resultHandler.handleDice((int) Math.ceil(dice1), (int) Math.ceil(dice2));
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
DiceExample object = new DiceExample();
Pair<Integer, Integer> result = object.rollDiceWithReturnType();
System.out.println("Dice 1: " + result.getLeft());
System.out.println("Dice 2: " + result.getRight());
object.rollDiceWithResultHandler((dice1, dice2) -> {
System.out.println("Dice 1: " + dice1);
System.out.println("Dice 2: " + dice2);
});
}
}

You don't need to create your own class to return two different values. Just use a HashMap like this:
private HashMap<Toy, GameLevel> getToyAndLevelOfSpatial(Spatial spatial)
{
Toy toyWithSpatial = firstValue;
GameLevel levelToyFound = secondValue;
HashMap<Toy,GameLevel> hm=new HashMap<>();
hm.put(toyWithSpatial, levelToyFound);
return hm;
}
private void findStuff()
{
HashMap<Toy, GameLevel> hm = getToyAndLevelOfSpatial(spatial);
Toy firstValue = hm.keySet().iterator().next();
GameLevel secondValue = hm.get(firstValue);
}
You even have the benefit of type safety.

Return an Array Of Objects
private static Object[] f ()
{
double x =1.0;
int y= 2 ;
return new Object[]{Double.valueOf(x),Integer.valueOf(y)};
}

In my opinion the best is to create a new class which constructor is the function you need, e.g.:
public class pairReturn{
//name your parameters:
public int sth1;
public double sth2;
public pairReturn(int param){
//place the code of your function, e.g.:
sth1=param*5;
sth2=param*10;
}
}
Then simply use the constructor as you would use the function:
pairReturn pR = new pairReturn(15);
and you can use pR.sth1, pR.sth2 as "2 results of the function"

You also can send in mutable objects as parameters, if you use methods to modify them then they will be modified when you return from the function. It won't work on stuff like Float, since it is immutable.
public class HelloWorld{
public static void main(String []args){
HelloWorld world = new HelloWorld();
world.run();
}
private class Dog
{
private String name;
public void setName(String s)
{
name = s;
}
public String getName() { return name;}
public Dog(String name)
{
setName(name);
}
}
public void run()
{
Dog newDog = new Dog("John");
nameThatDog(newDog);
System.out.println(newDog.getName());
}
public void nameThatDog(Dog dog)
{
dog.setName("Rutger");
}
}
The result is:
Rutger

You can create a record (available since Java 14) to return the values with type safety, naming and brevity.
public record MyResult(int number1, int number2) {
}
public static MyResult something() {
int number1 = 1;
int number2 = 2;
return new MyResult(number1, number2);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
MyResult result = something();
System.out.println(result.number1() + result.number2());
}

First, it would be better if Java had tuples for returning multiple values.
Second, code the simplest possible Pair class, or use an array.
But, if you do need to return a pair, consider what concept it represents (starting with its field names, then class name) - and whether it plays a larger role than you thought, and if it would help your overall design to have an explicit abstraction for it. Maybe it's a code hint...
Please Note: I'm not dogmatically saying it will help, but just to look, to see if it does... or if it does not.

DRY maxima tracking

Suppose I am importing table entries, where a single entry can be stored in a class:
class Foo {
int i1;
int i2;
double d1;
}
After the import is complete, I will need to have access to the imported values themselves, as well as to their normalized versions. So far, I have implemented this functionality as follows:
class FooWithMaxTracking {
private int i1;
private static int i1_max=0;
public void setI1(int value){
this.i1 = value;
if (value > i1_max) { i1_max = value; }}
public int getI1(){
return i1;}
public double normI1(){
return i1/((double)i1_max);}
private int i2;
private static int i2_max=0;
public void setI2(int value){ <code identical to written above> }
public int getI2(){ ... }
public double normI2(){ ... }
// and another set of similar 2 variables & 3 functions for 'double d1'
}
In this implementation I strongly dislike the fact that I had to write the same code many times (only three in this example, but about ten times in the real project). Is there any way to make the code more DRY ("don't repeat yourself")?

If you do not mind a slight loss of performance, you can put all the maxima in a static Map, define a class that holds a getter, a setter, and a norm methods, and replace the individual variables with instances of that class:
private static Map<String,Object> max = new HashMap<String,Object>();
private static class IntMaxTrack {
private final String key;
private int value;
public IntMaxTrack(String k, int v) {
key = k;
value = v;
max.put(key, value);
}
public int get() { return value; }
public void set(int v) {
int m = ((Integer)max.get(key)).intValue();
value = v;
if (value > m) {
max.put(key, value);
}
}
public double norm() {
int m = ((Integer)max.get(key)).intValue();
return val / ((double)m);
}
}
Make a similar class for double, i.e. DblMaxTrack Now you can replace primitives with instances of these classes, and call their get, set, and norm from the corresponding methods of your class.

What about defining one class with the necessary code, like:
public class Bar {
private int i1;
private static int i1_max = 0;
public void setI1(int value) {
// ...
}
public int getI1() {
// ...
}
public double normI1() {
// ...
}
}
And using it sevearl times, like:
class FooWithMaxTracking {
one = new Bar();
two = new Bar();
three = new BarForDouble();
}

Java consecutive method calls

So I've seen, in many places, calling methods of a class like:
SomeClass obj = new SomeClass();
obj.addX(3).addY(4).setSomething("something").execute();
I don't think I completely understand how that works. Is each method independent of each other, so the above is equal to:
obj.addX(3);
obj.addY(4);
obj.addSomething("something");
obj.execute();
Or are they designing their class structure in some other fashion that allows for this. If they are how are they designing their classes to support this?
Also, does that have a specific name? Or is this just calling methods on a class?

That would be method chaining. It can do one of two things.
Each call to a method returns this which allows you to continue to call methods on the original instance.
public class SomeClass
{
private int _x = 0;
private int _y = 0;
private String _something = "";
public SomeClass addX(int n)
{
_x += n;
return this;
}
public SomeClass addY(int n)
{
_y += n;
return this;
}
public SomeClass setSomething(String something)
{
_something = something;
return this;
}
// And so on, and so on, and so on...
}
Each method call returns a new instance of the class with everything copied/updated appropriately. This makes the class immutable (so you don't accidentally modify something that you didn't mean to).
public class SomeClass
{
private int _x = 0;
private int _y = 0;
private String _something = "";
public SomeClass(int x, int y, String something)
{
_x = x;
_y = y;
_something = something;
}
public SomeClass addX(int n)
{
return new SomeClass(_x + n, _y, _something);
}
public SomeClass addY(int n)
{
return new SomeClass(_x, _y + n, _something);
}
public SomeClass setSomething(String something)
{
return new SomeClass(_x, _y, something);
}
// And so on, and so on, and so on...
}
Some people have also mentioned Fluent Interfaces. Fluent Interfaces utilize method chaining to create an API that provides something along the lines of a Domain Specific Language which can make code read much more clearly. In this case, your example doesn't quite qualify.

they modify object's state and return the same object back mostly
class Number{
int num;
public Number add(int number){
num+=number;
return this;
}
}
you can call it like
new Number().add(1).add(2);
most of the time the use case is to return new Object to support immutability

Each of those methods return an instance. For example, the call to
obj.addX(3)
will return the same instance obj, so the call
obj.addX(3).addY(4)
will be equivalent to
obj.addY(4)
This is called method chaining.
The methods are implemented like this:
public SomeClass addX(int i) {
// ...
return this; // returns the same instance
}

public class Test1 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
Test1 abc = new Test1();
abc.add1(10, 20).sub1(40, 30).mul1(23, 12).div1(12, 4);
}
public Test1 add1(int a, int b)
{
int c = a + b;
System.out.println("Freaking Addition output : "+c);
return this;
}
public Test1 sub1(int a, int b)
{
int c = a - b;
System.out.println("Freaking subtraction output : "+c);
return this;
}
public Test1 mul1(int a, int b)
{
int c = a * b;
System.out.println("Freaking multiplication output : "+c);
return this;
}
public Test1 div1(int a, int b)
{
int c = a / b;
System.out.println("Freaking divison output : "+c);
return this;
}
}

Java 'this' keyword

I'm just beginning in programming and I'd like to make exercise from a book, but I can't. That's my problem:
public class increment {
int increment() {
return this + 1; // aka this++
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
int a = 0;
System.out.println(a.increment());
}
}
As you for sure guessed already, that it doesn't works, I want to ask you how to get outputed integer a incremented by one, but using keyword 'this'.
Regards and sorry for stupid questions.

It is strange to name a class like a method.
I guess you wanted this:
public class Counter {
int val;
public Counter (int start) {
val = start;
}
public void increment() {
val ++;
}
public String toString () {
return Integer.toString (val);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Counter counter = new Counter (0);
counter.increment ();
System.out.println(counter.toString ());
}
}

this is an object (the current object). You cannot "increment" it.
A way to do it is:
public class Increment {
int a = 0;
int increment() {
return a + 1;
// or: return this.a + 1;
// or: a++; return a; if you want a to be incremented from now on
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Increment inc = new Increment();
System.out.println(inc.increment());
}
}

The this keyword in Java refers to the current scope's object instance. I don't think it's what you're looking for in this case.
In your example, a isn't an object of the class increment, it is a primitive int. In order to use the .increment() function you defined, it would have to be an object of type increment.
One option that may be what you're looking for would be the following.
public class Increment { //Java likes capitalized class names
private int myInt;
public Increment(int a) { //constructor
myInt = a;
}
public int increment() {
return ++myInt;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Increment a = new Increment(0);
System.out.println(a.increment());
}
}
In this example, we make a new class of type increment, which internally contains an integer. Its increment method increments that internal integer, and then returns the number.

you are using operator + for your current object (this). Operator overloading is not supported in java.

Something like this will work:
class MyInteger {
private int internal;
public MyInteger( int value ){
this.internal = value;
}
public int incerment(){
return ++this.internal;
}
}
public class Increment {
public static void main(String[] args) {
MyInteger a = new MyInteger(0);
System.out.println(a.increment());
}
}
You see, you can only implement methods for your own classes, not for existing classes, or for primitives like int.

i don't think you can use this to return the value, except if you're making a new class like this:
class Increment1
{
private int a;
public int increment2(int a)
{
this.a=a;
return this.a + 1;
}
}
public class Increment
{
static Increment1 b = new Increment1();
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int a = 0;
System.out.println(b.increment2(a));
}
}

You cannot increment a class like this.
You have to use a member variable that you can increment.
public class Test {
private int var;
public Test(int i) {
this.var = i;
}
int increment() {
this.var++;
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Test t = new Test(0);
System.out.println(t.increment());
}

This refers to the current instance of the class, not a particular member.
You want to increment a property (I'm guessing of type long or int), and not the instance of your increment class (should be Increment, by the way).
Something like this would work:
public class increment {
private int innerValue = 0;
int increment() {
innerValue+=1
return innerValue; // aka this++
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
increment a = new increment()
System.out.println(a.increment());
}
}

Can I set enum start value in Java?

I use the enum to make a few constants:
enum ids {OPEN, CLOSE};
the OPEN value is zero, but I want it as 100. Is it possible?

Java enums are not like C or C++ enums, which are really just labels for integers.
Java enums are implemented more like classes - and they can even have multiple attributes.
public enum Ids {
OPEN(100), CLOSE(200);
private final int id;
Ids(int id) { this.id = id; }
public int getValue() { return id; }
}
The big difference is that they are type-safe which means you don't have to worry about assigning a COLOR enum to a SIZE variable.
See http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/enum.html for more.

Yes. You can pass the numerical values to the constructor for the enum, like so:
enum Ids {
OPEN(100),
CLOSE(200);
private int value;
private Ids(int value) {
this.value = value;
}
public int getValue() {
return value;
}
}
See the Sun Java Language Guide for more information.

whats about using this way:
public enum HL_COLORS{
YELLOW,
ORANGE;
public int getColorValue() {
switch (this) {
case YELLOW:
return 0xffffff00;
case ORANGE:
return 0xffffa500;
default://YELLOW
return 0xffffff00;
}
}
}
there is only one method ..
you can use static method and pass the Enum as parameter
like:
public enum HL_COLORS{
YELLOW,
ORANGE;
public static int getColorValue(HL_COLORS hl) {
switch (hl) {
case YELLOW:
return 0xffffff00;
case ORANGE:
return 0xffffa500;
default://YELLOW
return 0xffffff00;
}
}
Note that these two ways use less memory and more process units .. I don't say this is the best way but its just another approach.

If you use very big enum types then, following can be useful;
public enum deneme {
UPDATE, UPDATE_FAILED;
private static Map<Integer, deneme> ss = new TreeMap<Integer,deneme>();
private static final int START_VALUE = 100;
private int value;
static {
for(int i=0;i<values().length;i++)
{
values()[i].value = START_VALUE + i;
ss.put(values()[i].value, values()[i]);
}
}
public static deneme fromInt(int i) {
return ss.get(i);
}
public int value() {
return value;
}
}

If you want emulate enum of C/C++ (base num and nexts incrementals):
enum ids {
OPEN, CLOSE;
//
private static final int BASE_ORDINAL = 100;
public int getCode() {
return ordinal() + BASE_ORDINAL;
}
};
public class TestEnum {
public static void main (String... args){
for (ids i : new ids[] { ids.OPEN, ids.CLOSE }) {
System.out.println(i.toString() + " " +
i.ordinal() + " " +
i.getCode());
}
}
}
OPEN 0 100
CLOSE 1 101

The ordinal() function returns the relative position of the identifier in the enum. You can use this to obtain automatic indexing with an offset, as with a C-style enum.
Example:
public class TestEnum {
enum ids {
OPEN,
CLOSE,
OTHER;
public final int value = 100 + ordinal();
};
public static void main(String arg[]) {
System.out.println("OPEN: " + ids.OPEN.value);
System.out.println("CLOSE: " + ids.CLOSE.value);
System.out.println("OTHER: " + ids.OTHER.value);
}
};
Gives the output:
OPEN: 100
CLOSE: 101
OTHER: 102
Edit: just realized this is very similar to ggrandes' answer, but I will leave it here because it is very clean and about as close as you can get to a C style enum.

#scottf
An enum is like a Singleton. The JVM creates the instance.
If you would create it by yourself with classes it could be look like that
public static class MyEnum {
final public static MyEnum ONE;
final public static MyEnum TWO;
static {
ONE = new MyEnum("1");
TWO = new MyEnum("2");
}
final String enumValue;
private MyEnum(String value){
enumValue = value;
}
#Override
public String toString(){
return enumValue;
}
}
And could be used like that:
public class HelloWorld{
public static class MyEnum {
final public static MyEnum ONE;
final public static MyEnum TWO;
static {
ONE = new MyEnum("1");
TWO = new MyEnum("2");
}
final String enumValue;
private MyEnum(String value){
enumValue = value;
}
#Override
public String toString(){
return enumValue;
}
}
public static void main(String []args){
System.out.println(MyEnum.ONE);
System.out.println(MyEnum.TWO);
System.out.println(MyEnum.ONE == MyEnum.ONE);
System.out.println("Hello World");
}
}

public class MyClass {
public static void main(String args[]) {
Ids id1 = Ids.OPEN;
System.out.println(id1.getValue());
}
}
enum Ids {
OPEN(100), CLOSE(200);
private final int id;
Ids(int id) { this.id = id; }
public int getValue() { return id; }
}
#scottf, You probably confused because of the constructor defined in the ENUM.
Let me explain that.
When class loader loads enum class, then enum constructor also called. On what!! Yes, It's called on OPEN and close. With what values 100 for OPEN and 200 for close
Can I have different value?
Yes,
public class MyClass {
public static void main(String args[]) {
Ids id1 = Ids.OPEN;
id1.setValue(2);
System.out.println(id1.getValue());
}
}
enum Ids {
OPEN(100), CLOSE(200);
private int id;
Ids(int id) { this.id = id; }
public int getValue() { return id; }
public void setValue(int value) { id = value; }
}
But, It's bad practice. enum is used for representing constants like days of week, colors in rainbow i.e such small group of predefined constants.

I think you're confused from looking at C++ enumerators. Java enumerators are different.
This would be the code if you are used to C/C++ enums:
public class TestEnum {
enum ids {
OPEN,
CLOSE,
OTHER;
public final int value = 100 + ordinal();
};
public static void main(String arg[]) {
System.out.println("OPEN: " + ids.OPEN.value);
System.out.println("CLOSE: " + ids.CLOSE.value);
System.out.println("OTHER: " + ids.OTHER.value);
}
};