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Chapter 6: Problem 15

What is a method's signature?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: A method's signature is a combination of the method's name, the return type, and the number and types of parameters it accepts. It is used to uniquely identify a method and allows differentiation between different methods with the same name (method overloading). The method's signature is important because it enables error-checking, type safety, better understanding of code for programmers, and helps the compiler or interpreter differentiate between methods with the same name but different arguments.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of a Method's Signature

A method's signature is a combination of the method's name, the return type, and the number and types of parameters it accepts. It is used to uniquely identify a method and allows the compiler or interpreter to differentiate between different methods with the same name (also known as method overloading).
02

Components of a Method's Signature

There are three primary components in a method's signature: 1. **Method Name**: This is the name of the method, used to call it during program execution. It should be descriptive of the task the method performs. 2. **Return Type**: This specifies the type of value the method returns. If the method does not return a value, this is specified with a `void` keyword. 3. **Parameters**: These are the inputs the method accepts to perform its task. Parameters consist of a type (e.g., int, String, etc.) and a variable name that is used within the method to refer to that input. Parameters are enclosed in parentheses and separated by commas.
03

Importance of Method's Signature

The method's signature is important because: 1. It allows the compiler or interpreter to differentiate between methods with the same name but different arguments (method overloading). 2. It provides information about the method for other programmers or even for the person who wrote the method, making it easier to understand and work with the code. 3. It helps with error-checking and type safety during compile time or runtime, ensuring that the correct method is called with the proper arguments and expected return type.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

When a variable is said to reference an object, what is actually stored in the variable?

Assume that \(r 1\) and \(r 2\) are variables that reference Rectangle objects, and the following statements are executed: r1.setLength(5.0); r2.setLength(10.0); r1.setWidth(20.0); r2.setWidth(15.0);

How is a constructor named?

You hear someone make the following comment: "A blueprint is a design for a house. A carpenter can use the blueprint to build the house. If the carpenter wishes, he or she can build several identical houses from the same blueprint." Think of this as a metaphor for classes and objects. Does the blueprint represent a class, or does it represent an object?

Look at the following class: public class CheckPoint { public void message(int x) { System.out.print(“This is the first version “); System.out.println(“of the method.”); } public void message(String x) { System.out.print(“This is the second version “); System.out.println(“of the method.”); } } What will the following code display? CheckPoint cp = new CheckPoint(); cp.message(“1”)
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