Why this method doesn't return the value

Question

public class Main {

   public static void main(String []args){
      Scanner reader = new Scanner(System.in);
      System.out.print("Enter word: ");
      String text = reader.nextLine();
      System.out.println(calculateCharacters(tex));
      reader.close();
   }

  public static int calculateCharacters(String text, int tex){    
     tex = text.length();
     return tex;
  }
}

So I receive a string from String text, then I send it to the method to calculate it's length and return a number which should be intercepted by System.out.println(calculateCharacters(tex)); and the probram should show me the number of letters in the string that was entered, the problem is: nothing reaches System.out.println(calculateCharacters(tex)); why ? where is this return tex; returning it then ?

Answer 1

Well I'm not entirely sure why you've got an int tex variable, but removing it lets this work perfectly. Try rewriting your method:

public static int calculateCharacters(String text) {
    int tex = text.length();
    return tex;
}

or if you're ready to be snazzy:

public static int calculateCharacters(String text) {
    return text.length();
}

Java is pass-by-value ( Is Java "pass-by-reference" or "pass-by-value"? ), so keeping an extra int in there that you only use to store things locally won't actually change your value of tex.

Also, you instantiate the String text , but then pass tex to calculateCharacters() . Since you haven't created a tex variable before this, your compiler doesn't know what to pass to calculateCharacters() . Try changing that to:

System.out.println(calculateCharacters(text)); 

instead.

Answer 2

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Scanner reader = new Scanner(System.in);
        System.out.print("Enter word: ");
        String text = reader.nextLine();
        System.out.println(calculateCharacters(text));
        reader.close();
    }

    public static int calculateCharacters(String text) {
        int tex = text.length();
        return tex;

    }
}

It works

Answer 3

For counting the string use below code...

public class Main {
    static int stringCount;
public static void main(String []args){
Scanner reader = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter word: ");
String text = reader.nextLine();
calculateCharacters(text);
System.out.println(stringCount);
reader.close();
}
public static int calculateCharacters(String text){
    stringCount = text.length();
    return stringCount;

}
}