How to return 2 values from a Java method?

Question

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

Answer 1

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

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

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();
    }

Answer 4

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]);
}

Answer 5

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

Answer 6

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();