Methods - Multimedia Introduction to Programming Using Java - page 73

Java syntax: procedure return statement
return ;
Example : return ;
Purpose : Terminate execution of a proce-
dure call.

Java syntax: function return statement
return expression ;
Example : return b+c;
Purpose : Terminate execution of a function
call and use the value of the expression as the
value of the function call.

2.3.5 The return statement

When a procedure is called, the statements in the procedure body are executed
one at a time, in the order in which they appear. However, it is occasionally
advantageous to terminate execution of the body before the last statement has
been executed. We use the return statement for this purpose. It has this form:

Activity
2-3.4

return ;
Execution of a return statement terminates execution of the procedure body
and, hence, of the procedure call. Once a return statement is executed, no more
statements in the procedure body are executed.
Procedure printSmallest in Fig. 2.2 contains two return statements.
Suppose the call printSmallest(5, 6, 6); is to be executed. Then, parameter
b will be 5 , c will be 6 , and d will be 6 . Therefore, the condition of the first if-
statement will be true , b will be printed, and execution of the return statement
will terminate execution of the procedure body and, hence, of the procedure call.
The second if-statement and the last print statement are not executed.
Consider a call printSmallest(6, 2, 5); . In this case, parameter b will be
6 , c will be 2 , and d will be 5 . Therefore, the condition of the first if-statement is

/** Print the smallest of b , c , and d */
public static void printSmallest( int b, int c, int d) {
if (b <= c && b <= d) {
System.out.println(b);
return ;

}

// { the smallest is cord }
if (c <= d) {
System.out.println(c);
return ;

}

// { the smallest is d }
System.out.println(d);

}
Figure 2.2: A procedure with return statements