Problem with recurrsive return statement

[pachufir]

Hi I'm trying to create a program that uses a factorial method based on recursion, however there seems to be a problem.. i think it's because the program is returning the statement before it does it again, however it gives me problems if i try to put it in an else statement... Anybody know how i can fix this?

import java.util.Scanner;
public class Permutation
{
	public static void main(String[] args)
	{
		Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
		System.out.println("Input a number");
		int number = input.nextInt();
		
		int answer = factorial(number, 1);
		
		System.out.println("Answer: " + answer);
		
	}
	public static int factorial(int x, int total)
	{
		if(x > 0)
		{
			total = total * x;
			x--;
			factorial(x, total);
		}
		
		return total;
		
	}
}

[Fubarable]

You never update total...

  public static int factorial(int x, int total) {
    if (x > 0) {
      total = total * x;
      x--;
      total = factorial(x, total); // update total
    }
    return total;
  }

[pachufir]

oh, ha, must have overlooked that... thanks a lot!

[Fubarable]

of course i usually do something like,

  public static int factorial2(int x) {
    if (x > 0) {
      return x * factorial2(x - 1);
    } else {
      return 1;
    }
  }