void doIt() & String doIt() don't compile togather.

Hello,

i want to understand the reason why the following class won't compile and saya that the method has been duplicated.

Code:

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public class A {
        public void doit() {
        }

        public String doit() {
                return "a";
        }
}

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I know that it would compile if the two methods had different argumets, but i want to know the reason as to why the java compiler ignores the return type. This is neither a valid overload, nor a valid override, but why does the java language skip method differentiation based on return types, and complain that the two methods above are the same.

Thanks
Gary

how should java guess which method you mean when you make a call to doit()? so it's logically that the return type can not be considered for overloading!

i was assuming that Java should implement this based on how the method is called. For instance :

Code:

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String s = doIt();

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is assigning a String reference to whatever is being returned from the method, so Java can quickly guess that it needs the 'public String doIt()' method, and not the 'public void doIt()' method. In most cases, this should be straight forward.

your thoughts?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by garyiskidding

i was assuming that Java should implement this based on how the method is called. For instance :

Code:

---

String s = doIt();

---

is assigning a String reference to whatever is being returned from the method, so Java can quickly guess that it needs the 'public String doIt()' method, and not the 'public void doIt()' method. In most cases, this should be straight forward.

your thoughts?

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please note that like in c or c++ also in java a method can be called without assigning its return value to a variable. so your example is conflicting with this rule. why do you bother about the overriding rules in java?

Don't assume. Per definition the return type is not part of the method signature.

Yep, i have to agree to that.

Thanks everyone.