return
keyword at the end of a method and by declaring the data type that is returned by the method at the beginning of the method.
For example, the following getLicensePlate()
method returns the current value of the licensePlate
field in the Car
class.
String getLicensePlate() {
return this.licensePlate;
}
A method like this that merely returns the value of an object's
field or property is called a getter or accessor method.
The signature String getLicensePlate()
indicates that
getLicensePlate()
returns a value of type String
and takes no arguments. Inside the method the line
return this.licensePlate;
returns the String
contained in the licensePlate
field to whoever called this method. It is important that the type of value returned by the return statement match the type declared in the method signature. If it does not, the compiler will complain.