I want to add function

[romina]

Hi, i have following code:

Code:

public class Building {

protected String name;

A(String name){
this.name = name;
}
public void printSpecs() {}
}

and two inherited classes :

Code:

public class House extends Building {
protected double maxDimension;
House (String name, double maxDimension) {
super(name);
this.maxDimension= maxDimension;
}

public void printSpecs()
{
System.out.println(maxDimension);
}
}

public class Castle extends Building {

protected double maxWeight;

Castle (String name, double maxWeight) {
super(name);
this.maxDimension= maxWeight;
}

public void printSpecs()
{
System.out.println(maxWeight);
}
}

I have array of objects

Code:

HashMap <int, Building > builds = new HashMap<int, Building >();

and some of them are of type "House" and some "Castle"

when i do following:

Code:

Building myBuild = builds .get(x);
myBuild.printSpecs();

everything works: specs are printed according to class type.

Now, the question: I want to add function

Code:

int GetSpecs() {}

to "father" class "Building" so that result will be returned by inherited class (similar to function printSpecs)
But, when i add such empty function i get error "function GetSpecs must return results".
So, what's the right syntax/way to do it ?
Thanks

[trill]

The reason it asks for a return type is because you can't have an empty method with a return type of int.

Code:

int GetSpecs() {}

You could only do this if the class was abstract (if I remember right). but if it was abstract then you would want to implement it in the child classes.

Greetings.