Error when returning from a method using loops and if statements

Question

I have to write a method that accepts an integer to look for and returns the position of the first occurrence found or -1 if not found in an array. This is what I have so far, however, it has an error when returning but I do not know what I am doing wrong:

public static int findValue (int [] z, int y) //y is the number given by the user that I need to find.
{
    for (int x = 0; x < z.length ; x++) 
    {
        if ( z[x] == y)
        {
            int w = x;
            break;
            return (w);
        }
    }
    else 
        return -1;

}

There cannot be a else clause for a for loop (in java)... — Codebender
– Codebender, Commented Dec 9, 2015 at 3:47
Just remove the else and return... also why do you have a break before return inside if? — Codebender
– Codebender, Commented Dec 9, 2015 at 3:48
I used break because I only need to return the first occurrence. If I do not break the loop isn't it going to keep going, and still return -1 if I do not use else? Sorry I'm a beginner — JavaB
– JavaB, Commented Dec 9, 2015 at 3:50

Ankur Singhal · Accepted Answer · 2015-12-09 03:50:36Z

1

1.) else block is for if statement not for-loop statement.

2.) Also no need for break; statement, when you are returning from if

3.) Also no need for assignment, extra variable int w = x;, just return x is sufficient.

public static int findValue (int [] z, int y) //y is the number given by the user that I need to find.
    {
        for (int x = 0; x < z.length ; x++) 
        {
            if ( z[x] == y)
            {
              return x;
            }
        } 
          return -1;
    }

edited Dec 9, 2015 at 3:50

answered Dec 9, 2015 at 3:49

Ankur Singhal

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Comments

Sergey Kalinichenko · Accepted Answer · 2015-12-09 03:49:41Z

1

You are really close to solving this:

Remove the else - You do not need an else after the loop, because the code after the loop is reached immediately after the loop exit condition is met.
Remove the break - return breaks the loop without an additional break statement.

That's it - the code is ready to go. As a point for style, you could remove declaration of w, and write return x for the entire body of your if statement. It's going to work as is, though.

answered Dec 9, 2015 at 3:49

Sergey Kalinichenko

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Comments

Ted Hopp · Accepted Answer · 2015-12-09 04:07:18Z

You have a couple of problems with this code. First, you can't have a return right after a break statement; the return statement is unreachable. Just get rid of the break. EDIT (in response to a comment by OP): it's important to realize that when the return statement executes, it immediately terminates the loop (as well as the entire method). No other code in the method will run.^*

Second, you can't have an else without a matching if, and here you don't need one. If you get that far, it's because the loop finished without executing a return—meaning that the value was not found. So just return -1.

Also, as a matter of style, you don't need the w variable; returning x will work just as well. Put it all together and the result might look like this:

public static int findValue (int [] z, int y)
{
    for (int x = 0; x < z.length ; x++) 
    {
        if ( z[x] == y)
        {
            return x;
        }
    }
    return -1;
}

*_{This is not always true. If a return executes inside a try or catch block that also has an associated finally block, then the code in the finally block will execute after the return statement finishes.}

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