The method can return a value, but method that can’t return anything is marked by void keyword in the method definition:

public class Cat {
    public void voice(){
        // ...
    }
}

This void keyword means that the method doeas not return a value. If you want the method to return a value, we need to replace the void keyword with the type of the variable to be returned. For example:

public class Car{
    public int capacity(){
        return 600;
    }
}

In this example Car class has a method capacity that always returned an integer-type (int) variable. In this case, the value 600. This happens the same way as regular value assignment, i.e., by using the equals sign:

public static void main(String[] args) {
    Car car = new Car();
    int capacity = car.capacity();
    System.out.println("The capacity is " + capacity);
}

The method’s return value is assigned to a variable of type int value just as any other int value would be. The return value could also be used to form part of an expression.

public static void main(String[] args) {
    Car first = new Car();
    Car second = new Car();
    Car third = new Car();

    double average = (first.capacity() + second.capacity() + third.capacity()) / 3.0;
    System.out.println("Capacity average " + average);
}

To summarise:

• A method that returnes nothing has the void modifier as the type of variable to be returned:

public void methodThatReturnsNothing(){
    // the method body
}

• A method that returnes a string has the String modifier as the type of the variable to be returned:

public String methodThatReturnsAString() {
    // the method body, requires a return statement
}

• A method that returns a double-precision number has the double modifier as the type of the variable to be returned.

public double methodThatReturnsADouble() {
    // the method body, requires a return statement
}

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